Another pillar of the Bernie Ecclestone era is about to be demolished by Formula 1's new owners. Three years after booting 'The Bolt' into a 'chairman emeritus' non-role, Liberty Media has taken the axe to one of Bernie's favourites: yes, Interlagos is about to become 'venue emeritus' of the Brazilian Grand Prix in favour of a freshly deforested parcel of land in Rio de Janeiro.
The plans, in motion since last year, come freighted with controversy owing to their environmental impact and the high-profile involvement of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, a man who occupies a space in the political spectrum somewhere to the right of Attila the Hun.
Interlagos, whose contract ends this year, has become a problem for Liberty because, as with Monaco, the promoter pays nothing to host the race. Bernie, incidentally, owns a rather large coffee plantation in the region.