First Sao Paulo Grand Prix: When Did F1 Rename the Race in Brazil?

After 19 rounds of exciting action in the 2024 season, F1 will next head to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The Sao Paulo GP (previously known as the Brazilian GP) is one of the oldest races on the F1 calendar, having debuted in 1973.

The race at Interlagos was known as the Brazilian GP until the 2019 season, after which the promoters of the race renamed it the Sao Paulo GP for political reasons. The authorities of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have long battled to host the race in their city.

Between 1980 and 1990, the Brazilian GP moved from Sao Paulo to Rio de Janeiro and then back to Sao Paulo. One of the main reasons why the Brazilian GP was initially moved to Rio de Janeiro was because of drivers’ complaints. They were unhappy with the way the Interlagos track was built.

A difficult puzzle in Interlagos – The #SaoPauloGP brings the curtain down on Formula 1’s long trip in the Americas, with the races at Austin, Mexico City and now Interlagos all taking place at one week intervals. Read more here #F1 https://t.co/3H8kYMpRZe pic.twitter.com/TbHPchKF4r

— Pirelli Motorsport (@pirellisport) October 29, 2024

However, with the rise of Ayrton Senna, a Sao Paulo native, the Brazilian GP moved back to Sao Paulo in the late 1980s. While the Brazilian GP has taken place in Interlagos ever since, threats of the race moving to Rio de Janeiro again emerged in 2019 after former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro announced plans for the same.

However, the plans never came to fruition as F1 signed a new deal with Sao Paulo to host the race until the end of the 2025 season. Since threats have repeatedly emerged of the Brazilian GP moving to Rio de Janeiro, the local authorities of Sao Paulo felt the need to rename the race to the Sao Paulo GP to fend off any such future threats.

Can the Sao Paulo GP produce another thriller?

Over the years, the Sao Paulo GP/Brazilian GP has produced some of the most exciting races in F1 history. Since this race takes place towards the business end of a season, more often than not it provides an indication of who is the favorite to win the championships that year. And this season seems to be no different.

With the 2024 Sao Paulo GP going to feature a sprint race weekend, a maximum of 34 points will be available for any driver. With Lando Norris currently 47 points behind championship leader Max Verstappen in the standings with just four races remaining in the season, he will be desperate to outscore the Dutchman again this weekend.

However, it is not just the Drivers’ Championship that is still up for grabs this season. As many as three teams are still in the hunt for the Constructors’ Championship, a stark contrast to last season when runaway leaders Red Bull won the title during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend in September.

As things stand, McLaren lead the standings with 566 points. They are 29 points ahead of second-placed Ferrari, who leapfrogged reigning champions Red Bull after the Mexico City GP last weekend. With Red Bull now 54 points behind McLaren, their quest of winning a third consecutive Constructors’ title seems to be moving out of reach race by race.