The Grand Prix F1 Wishes to Come to Rio but Can the City Reform its Autodrome by 2020?

By Harold Emert

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – If Brazilian authorities give the green light and raise the necessary funding, the Grand Prix Formula One and other international auto racing competitions may be coming to Rio de Janeiro, reports O Globo today.

The city was already the 2016 host of the Olympic Games and in 2018 of the World Cup.

In a recent letter to Rio’s Mayor Marcelo Crivella as well as to Governor Wilson Witzel director of Commercial Operations of F1, Sean Bratches  says: “At Formula One we look forward to discussing our aim in bringing Formula One Grand Prix to the City of Rio de Janeiro in the near future.”

Brazil’s President also received the letter signed by Ireland’ s Chase Carey, executive director of Formula One Management, reading “the tests for the championship be maintained in São Paulo or held in another Brazilian city like, for example, Rio de Janeiro.”

Rio’ s Mayor Crivella has equally received letters from the German firm Tilke, the world’s leading designer for race tracks, as well as Dorna Sports, the Madrid based company which organizes the World Championship of MotorGP.

The obstacle to Rio hosting such events is raising money to reform its Autodrome in Deodoro until September 2020 or in time for F1 two months later.