Rio track faces major changes
The former home of the Brazilian Grand Prix - Rio de Janeiro's Jarcarepagua track - is to be truncated and partly demolished to make way for a new sports complex that will host the 2007 Pan-American Grames

The construction of a velodrome, swimming complex, stadium and hotel on the site will lead to the current 3.08-mile road course being cut to just 1.67 miles in length. Half the corners and half the length of the main straight will be removed in the course of the redevelopment, which has been instigated by Rio mayor Cesar Maia - who claims he has discussed the move with Formula 1 chief Bernie Ecclestone. F1 circuit specialist Hermann Tilke is reportedly involved in the design of the revised layout.
Brazilian motorsport federation president Paulo Scaglione is threatened Maia with a legal challenge however, claiming that bylaws - including one that obliges international racing to be held at the venue and for the FIA and FIM to be consulted over track alterations - will be contravened by the redevelopment. Another potential obstacle is the existence of a shanty town just outside the circuit that would have to be removed, and its inhabitants rehoused, before Maia's plans can go ahead.
F1 first visited Rio in 1978, before the Brazilian GP took up residence at the Jacarepagua circuit from 1981 to 1989, after which the event returned to its original venue at Interlagos. A quirky 'oval' was then constructed using much of the GP course, attracting the Champ Car World Series to Rio from 1996 to 2000. The circuit still sees top class two-wheeled motorsport as it hosts a round of the Moto GP motorcycling championship.
Latest news
Dennis singles out Jaguar as Porsche's biggest Formula E threat
Jake Dennis says Porsche cannot let off its development of its Gen3 Formula E powertrain, and singled out Jaguar as a threat to the German manufacturer in the coming rounds.
Verstappen buoyed by new handling characteristics of 2023 F1 tyres
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is hopeful the new Pirelli tyres will help further dial out the inherent understeer of the current generation of cars.
Pastrana adds NASCAR Truck Series race to Daytona programme
Travis Pastrana has added the season-opening NASCAR Truck Series race to his appearance at Daytona International Speedway this month.
Turkington continues with WSR BMW for 2023 BTCC season
Four-time British Touring Car champion Colin Turkington will bid for a fifth title in 2023 with the West Surrey Racing BMW squad, the team confirmed on Wednesday morning.
The 2022 Autosport Awards winner using Esports as a launchpad
A trail blazed in Esports has inspired a revamp of the annual prize that aims to discover the best young engineering talent. Autosport met Autosport Williams Engineer of the Future winner Michael Preston
The plug in and play stand-ins who got their timing just right
Nyck de Vries’s Italian GP exploits weren’t the first post-eleventh-hour call-up in motorsport history, and won’t be the last either. Here are some offbeat tales from the past
Porsche’s hopeful Le Mans future meets its illustrious past
Rising sportscar star Adam Smalley had to pinch himself when offered the chance to drive the car that won the world’s most famous enduro in 1987
Why romanticism isn't the key factor in Lola’s racing return
The iconic Lola name is being relaunched after it was taken over by new ownership. Part of that reboot is a planned return to racing, though the exact details of this are still to be finalised - though its new owner does have a desire to bring the brand back to the Le Mans 24 Hours. But romanticism doesn't appear to be the driving force behind this renewed project...
Rating the best drivers of the century so far
Autosport's Top 50 feature has been a staple of the magazine for the past two decades since its first appearance in 2002. Here are the drivers that have featured most prevalently during that time
The best motorsport moments of 2021
Motorsport produced one of its greatest years of all-time in 2021 despite a backdrop of ongoing COVID-19 challenges and an ever-changing racing landscape. Through the non-stop action Autosport has collected the finest moments from the past 12 months to highlight the incredible drama and joy motorsport generates
The racing comeback artists who resurrected long-dormant careers
Making it in motorsport can be tough, and sometimes drivers move elsewhere before their best chance arrives. Here are some of those who made it back
The hidden racing gem attracting ex-F1 heroes
It’s rarely mentioned when it comes to assessing the best national contests, but the Brazilian Stock Car series that reaches its climax this weekend has an ever-growing appeal. Its expanding roster of ex-Formula 1 names has helped to draw in new fans, but it's the closeness of competition that keeps them watching
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.