Brazil F1 GP’s Contract Extension Is a Win for Old-School Race Tracks
Senna would be proud.
I don't know about you, but every time I hear about Formula 1 adding another race to its calendar, the first thing I think about is what the ol' track will look like. Let's face it, the latest additions in Miami and Vegas aren't exactly world-class circuits—some will say they're not even circuits at all. Well, good news today, because F1 has agreed to a new five-year contract to continue hosting the Formula 1 Brazilan Grand Prix at Interlagos.
According to F1.com, the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace has featured on the F1 calendar for over 50 years and will continue to do so until 2030. This is great news for diehard F1 fans, as Interlagos has produced some of the best races I can remember. One of those incredible races is being fought in the courts right now; Interlagos 2008, when the Lewis Hamilton vs. Felipe Massa championship fight went down to the wire. (Technically, Massa is fighting the results of the Singapore round which ultimately affected the points standings going into Brazil.)
Regardless of the drama taking place in courtrooms, everyone should be happy about Interlagos staying on for another five years. Almost every year we hear about how Spa may drop off the calendar, Monza and F1 can't agree on contract terms, and how Australia and Canada are unsure about their events' viability. We've already seen countless great tracks like Hockenheimring, Magny-Cours, Sepang, and others get the axe in favor of Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar.
Keeping Interlagos as the home of the Brazilian Grand Prix guarantees that the new wave of Netflix-influenced F1 viewers will be exposed to historical footage of Ayrton Senna's historic wins every year when the race comes on TV. More importantly, its ever-fluctuating weather and complicated layout never fails to produce thrilling competition.
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