Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasília)
Autódromo Brasília BRB is a racing circuit in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. It is 5.476 km (3.403 mi) in length and hosts a variety of national-level series including Stock Car Brasil, Formula Truck and Formula 3 Brasil. The track was initially opened in 1974, and hosted non-championship rounds for both Formula One and the BPR Global GT Series, and in recent years was scheduled to host both MotoGP and IndyCar, but due to costs and construction delays, neither event went ahead. Previously named Autódromo Emilio Medici and Autódromo de Brasília, the circuit's name was later changed to honor Formula 1 World Champion Nelson Piquet. Following the transfer of ownership from Terracap to Banco de Brasília (BRB), the track is currently named Autódromo Brasília BRB.[1]
| Location | Brasília, Brazil |
|---|---|
| Time zone | UTC-03:00 |
| Coordinates | 15°46′34.1″S 47°54′0.3″W / 15.776139°S 47.900083°WCoordinates: 15°46′34.1″S 47°54′0.3″W / 15.776139°S 47.900083°W |
| Owner | Banco de Brasília (2022–2052) Terracap (2007–2021) NZ Empreendimentos (1995–2006) |
| Broke ground | 1972 |
| Opened | 3 February 1974 (re-opened 2023) |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Architect | Samuel Dias |
| Former names | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (1996–2014) Autódromo de Brasília (1974–1996) Autódromo Emilio Medici (1974) |
| Major events | Current: TCR South America (2023) Stock Car Pro Series (1979–1981, 1983–1986, 1988–1992, 1994–2014, 2023) Former: Formula One Grande Premio Presidente Emilio Medici (1974, non-championship race) BPR Global GT Series (1996, non-championship race) F3 Sudamericana (1988, 1990–1993, 1995–2011, 2013) Fórmula Truck (2002–2014) Formula 3 Brasil (2014) GT3 Brasil (2008) Mil Milhas Brasil (1997) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1974–2014) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 5.476 km (3.403 miles) |
| Turns | 12 |
| Race lap record | 1:47.651 ( Ricardo Sperafico, Dallara F394, 1999, F3) |
| Outer Circuit (1974–2014) | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 2.919 km (1.814 miles) |
| Turns | 5 |
| Race lap record | 0.57.893 ( Popó Bueno, Peugeot 408 Stock Car, 2013, Stock Car Brasil) |
Location
The circuit is located in Brasilia, which is located in the Federal District of Brazil. It is located across the road from Brasilia's Estádio Nacional, which was a venue of the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Both venues are part of the Ayrton Senna Sports Complex.
History
Early history
The circuit opened in 1974, named Autódromo Emilio Medici after the country's president at the time, and was built to provide a permanent home for motor racing in the relatively new city of Brasilia. Prior to this, races had been held on temporary street circuits in the city, although it was determined that a permanent circuit would be necessary to attract major events such as Formula One. Construction had begun in 1972 and took two years to complete, with the circuit being designed by engineer Samuel Dias.
To celebrate the circuit's opening, a non-championship Formula One race, the Grande Premio Presidente Emilio Medici, was held on 3 February 1974, one week after the official Brazilian Grand Prix. Around 85,000 spectators attended the event, which was competed between just 12 cars, with local driver Emerson Fittipaldi claiming victory.[2] Following Emilio Medici's succession in the 1974 presidential election, the circuit was renamed to Autódromo de Brasília and continued to host a variety of national-level series for the following two decades.
Nelson Piquet ownership (1995–2006)
From 1995, the circuit was leased to NZ Empreendimentos, owned by Nelson Piquet, by the government of the Brazilian Federal District.[3][4] Following this. the circuit underwent refurbishment, involving the installation of gravel traps, tyre barriers and lighting in order to bring the venue up to modern safety standards and allow it host international events again. In 1996, the circuit hosted a non-championship promotional race of the BPR Global GT Series. The event, held on 16 December 1996, was called the 2 Hours of Brasilia and was won by the BMW Motorsport entry consisting of Nelson Piquet and Johnny Cecotto. The event had been run in tandem with another promotional race held in Brazil, the 2 Hours Curitiba, which was held the weekend before the race in Brasilia. The following year the BPR Global GT Series became the FIA GT Championship, and the Brazilian races ultimately proved to be a one-off. There was discussion in 1997 about the possibility of Formula 1 returning to the circuit, with a proposal initiated by Nelson Piquet to move the Brazilian Grand Prix from Interlagos to Brasilia from 1999 onwards, but this proposal was short-lived.[5] In 2006, the Federal District regained management of the circuit due to NZ Empreendimentos' lack of attention to the track's management.[6][7][8]
Refurbishment attempts (2006–2021)
On 19 August 2013 it was announced that the circuit would host the MotoGP World Championship from the 2014 season onward, with the inaugural event scheduled for 28 September.[9] In preparation for the series' return, major upgrades were planned for the circuit's facilities and the circuit itself was to receive a substantial reconfiguration in order to make it safer and suitable for hosting international events.[10] However, the event organizers were unable to secure funding to the complete the work in time and the event was removed from the final calendar on 24 February 2014.[11]
Another major announcement came on 18 September 2014, when it was confirmed that the circuit would host the opening round of the 2015 Indycar Series on March 8. Work to upgrade the circuit was resumed, using a combination of private funds and backing from the Government of the Federal District. The proposed circuit reconfiguration was less ambitious than that proposed for the MotoGP return, with the general layout retained and work mostly consisting of reprofiling corners, adding chicanes and relocating the pit lane. In January 2015 it was decided that, due to a lack of funding, the changes would be scaled back, with the pit lane remaining in its existing location, and just four corners being modified. However, on 29 January 2015, it was announced that the race had been cancelled as the newly elected district government deemed the event to be a waste of public funds, in the midst of a growing financial crisis for the district. This came as a shock, even to the event promoters, as more than two-thirds of the tickets had already been sold and a title sponsor had been acquired just one day prior to the cancellation.[12] Following the announcement, construction work was halted with the circuit left in its half-finished state.[13] The district governor initially committed to having the work complete by 26 April, so the circuit could host its scheduled round of the Stock Car Brasil series,[14] however the event has now been rescheduled to September due to delays with construction works.[15]
BRB ownership (2022–present)
After the lack of progress with construction and restructuring, on 13 May 2022, Banco de Brasília (BRB) signed an agreement with the Government of the Federal District, that transferred ownership of the circuit and its facilities from previous owners Terracap.[1][16] The deal also entails a R$60 million investment for the circuit's refurbishment.[17]
Lap records
The official fastest lap records at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasília) are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit: 5.476 km (1974–2014) | ||||
| Formula Three | 1:47.651[18] | Ricardo Sperafico | Dallara F394 | 1999 Brasília F3 Sudamericana round |
| Formula One | 1:51.620 | Emerson Fittipaldi | McLaren M23 | 1974 Grande Premio Presidente Emilio Medici |
| GT1 | 1:52.620[19] | Johnny Cecotto | McLaren F1 GTR | 1997 Mil Milhas Brasil |
| Formula Renault 2.0 | 1:56.286[20] | Anderson Faria | Tatuus FR2000 | 2005 Brasília Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil round |
| GT3 | 1:58.156[21] | Xandy Negrão[22] | Ford GT GT3 | 2008 Brasília GT3 Brasil round |
| Outer Circuit: 2.919 km (1974–2014) | ||||
| Stock Car Brasil | 0:57.893[23] | Popó Bueno | Peugeot 408 Stock Car | 2013 2nd Brasília Stock Car Brasil round |
| Formula Three | 1:05.766[24] | Felipe Guimarães | Dallara F309 | 2013 Brasília F3 Sudamericana round |
References
- ^ a b grandepremio (13 May 2022). "Banco BRB acerta com Distrito Federal e assume Autódromo de Brasília por 30 anos". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/65180.html ESPN - Bernie's busman's holiday to Brasilia - Laurence Edmondson - November 25, 2011
- ^ (in Portuguese). Race Controle, official sporting organization of Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (of Brasília). Archived from the original on 2005-02-09. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ (in Portuguese). CTM2000 official website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00987.html GrandPrix - Brazilian GP to switch venues? FEBRUARY 24, 1997
- ^ "TCDF determina que GDF retome administração do Autódromo" (in Portuguese). Equipe SpeedRacing.com.br. 2006-04-03. Retrieved 2007-11-14.[dead link]
- ^ (in Portuguese). Ministério Público de Contas do Distrito Federal. 2006-06-30. Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ (in Portuguese). Ministério Público de Contas do Distrito Federal. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
- ^ http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2013/MotoGP+returning+to+Brazil+in+2014 MotoGP - MotoGP returning to Brazil in 2014 AutoEvolution - 2014 MotoGP: Brazil to Rejoin MotoGP with Nelson Piquet Brasilia Circuit
- ^ "2014 MotoGP: Brazil to Rejoin MotoGP with Nelson Piquet Brasilia Circuit". 20 August 2013.
- ^ http://www.bennetts.co.uk/bikesocial/news-and-views/racing/motogp/2014/february/revised-motogp-calendar-released-brazil-cancelled/#.VSM0GfmUcZ0 BikeSocial - Revised MotoGP calendar released, Brazil cancelled
- ^ http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/indycar-brazil-race-canceled-mark-miles-013015 Fox Sports - IndyCar: Mark Miles speaks out on Brazil race cancellation
- ^ http://www.racingcircuits.info/south-america/brazil/brasilia.html#.VSMyC_mUcZ0 Racing Circuits Info - Brasilia
- ^ http://www.stockcar.com.br/Noticias/2015/02/04/vicar-se-reune-com-governador-do-distrito-federal VICAR SE REÚNE COM GOVERNADOR DO DISTRITO FEDERAL (Portuguese)
- ^ http://www.stockcar.com.br/Noticias/2015/03/06/alterada-praca-da-terceira-etapa-da-temporada ALTERADA PRAÇA DA TERCEIRA ETAPA DA TEMPORADA (Portuguese)
- ^ Araújo, Aurélio (17 May 2022). "Terracap transfere autódromo de Brasília ao BRB". Jornal de Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ "BRB assume o autódromo e vai investir R$ 60 milhões na reforma". Agita Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 May 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
- ^ "Brasilia - Motorsport Magazine". Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Mil Milhas Brasileiras 1997". Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "2005 Brazilian Formula Renault Rounds 3 & 4: Brasilia, 30th May Race 2". Retrieved 17 July 2022.
- ^ "Brasil GT3 Brasília 2008". Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "Xandy Negrão - Driver Database". Retrieved 20 January 2023.
- ^ "2013 Stock Car Pro Series Brasilia 2". Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ "2013 Brasilia Sud-Am F3 - Round 11". Retrieved 25 June 2022.
External links
- Satellite picture by Google Maps