Brazilian justice blocks the contract with F1
A month after the announcement of the extension of the Interlagos contract to host F1, the Brazilian justice system decided to get involved due to lack of transparency in the negotiations.

F1 in Brazil is not a smooth ride, set against a backdrop of political rivalries. In May 2019, the Brazilian president proudly announced that a new circuit would be built from scratch in his stronghold of Rio de Janeiro, to the detriment of Interlagos, in Sao Paulo. Ultimately, last month, the latter confirmed an extension of its contract until 2025.
But this is not the end of the telenovela, as it is now a judge, Emilio Migliano Neto, who has decided to simply suspend the contract linking the new promoter to Liberty Media! The reason? Lack of transparency and communication while public money is being used. Indeed, the €15 million contract over five years was not subject to a public tender, as he states: « The said portal classifies all documents related to the mentioned processes as restricted, confirming their unavailability for public consultation. These facts indisputably reveal that, at least at this stage, the principles of publicity and transparency are explicitly violated. For this reason as well, it is necessary to suspend the execution of the contract in question, to assess whether there were resources to cover the expenses with the agreement signed with Formula One World Championship Limited and with the contract signed with MC Brazil Motorsport Holding. »
Time is now of the essence since the Sao Paulo prefecture has only five days « to present a complete copy of all the administrative processes mentioned in this decision and to report all payments made to contractors based on the agreed adjustments. »
However, since the event is scheduled for November 7 in the revised calendar published yesterday, this leaves plenty of time to find a solution among the different stakeholders. The holding of the race is therefore not currently threatened by this decision, but the organizers will simply have to complete more administrative paperwork.