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Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasília)

(Redirected from Autodromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasilia))
For the former circuit of the same name in Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro, see Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet.

Autódromo Brasília BRB is a racing circuit in Brasília, the capital of Brazil. It is 5.476 km (3.403 mi) in length that hosted 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] The track, which has been closed since 2014, is undergoing renovations that started in 2022 and are set to be completed at the end of 2023.[2]

Autódromo Brasília BRB
Full Circuit (1974–2014, 2024)[a]
LocationBrasília, Brazil
Time zoneUTC-03:00
Coordinates15°46′34.1″S 47°54′0.3″W / 15.776139°S 47.900083°W / -15.776139; -47.900083
OwnerBanco de Brasília (2022–2052)
Terracap (2007–2021)
NZ Empreendimentos (1995–2006)
Broke ground1972
Opened3 February 1974; 50 years ago (1974-02-03)
Re-opened: 2024
Closed2014
ArchitectSamuel Dias
Former namesAutódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (1996–2014)
Autódromo de Brasília (1974–1996)
Autódromo Emilio Medici (1974)
Major eventsFormer:
Formula One Grande Premio Presidente Emilio Medici (1974, non-championship race)
BPR Global GT Series (1996, non-championship race)
Stock Car Brasil (1979–1981, 1983–1986, 1988–1992, 1994–2014)
F3 Sudamericana (1988, 1990–1993, 1995–2011, 2013)
Fórmula Truck (2002–2014)
Formula 3 Brasil (2014)
GT3 Brasil (2008)
Mil Milhas Brasil (1997)
Full Circuit (1974–2014, 2024)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length5.476 km (3.403 miles)
Turns12
Race lap record1:47.696 (Brazil Clemente de Faria Jr., Dallara F301, 2007, F3)
Outer Circuit (1974–2014, 2024)
SurfaceAsphalt
Length2.919 km (1.814 miles)
Turns5
Race lap record0:53.081 (Brazil Felipe Guimarães, Dallara F309, 2013, F3)
Aerial view, 2022

Location

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The circuit is located in Brasilia, which is located in the Federal District, in 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

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Early history

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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.[3] 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)

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From 1995, the circuit was leased to NZ Empreendimentos, owned by Nelson Piquet, by the Government of the Federal District.[4][5] 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.[6] In 2006, the Federal District regained management of the circuit due to NZ Empreendimentos' lack of attention to the track's management.[7][8][9]

Refurbishment attempts (2006–2021)

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On 19 August 2013 it was announced that the circuit would host a round of the MotoGP World Championship from the 2014 season onward, with the inaugural event scheduled for 28 September.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13] Following the announcement, construction work was halted with the circuit left in its half-finished state.[14] 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,[15] however the event has now been rescheduled to September due to delays with construction works.[16]

BRB ownership (2022–present)

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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][17] The deal also entails a R$60 million investment for the circuit's refurbishment.[18] Following the announcement, the track was announced to host rounds of the Stock Car Brasil,[19] Stock Series, and F4 Brazil[20] championships.

Lap records

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As of November 2013, the fastest official lap records at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasília) are listed as:

Category Time Driver Vehicle Event
Full Circuit: 5.476 km (1974–2014, 2024)
Formula Three 1:47.696[21] Clemente de Faria Jr. Dallara F301 2007 Brasília F3 Sudamericana round
Formula One 1:51.620 Emerson Fittipaldi McLaren M23 1974 Grande Premio Presidente Emilio Medici
GT1 1:52.620[22] Johnny Cecotto McLaren F1 GTR 1997 Mil Milhas Brasil
Formula Renault 2.0 1:56.286[23] Anderson Faria Tatuus FR2000 2005 Brasília Formula Renault 2.0 Brazil round
GT3 1:58.156[24] Xandy Negrão [pt][25] Ford GT GT3 2008 Brasília GT3 Brasil round
Outer Circuit: 2.919 km (1974–2014, 2024)
Formula Three 0:53.081[26] Felipe Guimarães Dallara F309 2013 2nd Brasília F3 Sudamericana round
Stock Car Brasil 0:57.893[27] Popó Bueno [pt] Peugeot 408 Stock Car 2013 2nd Brasília Stock Car Brasil round
Truck racing 1:11.963[28] Roberval Andrade Scania Truck 2010 Brasília Fórmula Truck round

Events

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Former

Notes

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  1. ^ The circuit direction should be clockwise instead of the shown anti-clockwise direction in the image.

References

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  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ Marson, Leonardo (2022-07-01). "Autódromo de Brasília lança Instagram para acompanhamento das obras na pista". Racing Online (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-05-28.
  3. ^ http://en.espn.co.uk/f1/motorsport/story/65180.html ESPN - Bernie's busman's holiday to Brasilia - Laurence Edmondson - November 25, 2011
  4. ^ "Autódromo de Brasília" (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.
  5. ^ "Autódromo Internacional de Brasília" (in Portuguese). CTM2000 official website. Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  6. ^ http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns00987.html GrandPrix - Brazilian GP to switch venues? FEBRUARY 24, 1997
  7. ^ "TCDF determina que GDF retome administração do Autódromo" (in Portuguese). Equipe SpeedRacing.com.br. 2006-04-03. Retrieved 2007-11-14. [dead link‍]
  8. ^ "RECURSO INTERPOSTO PELA NZ EMPREENDIMENTOS E INVESTIMENTOS LTDA., CONTRA OS TERMOS DO ITEM IV-B DA DECISÃO Nº 763/2006" (in Portuguese). Ministério Público de Contas do Distrito Federal. 2006-06-30. Archived from the original on 2007-08-13. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  9. ^ "CONCESSÃO DE USO Nº 1/95, DA ÁREA E DAS INSTALAÇÕES DO AUTÓDROMO INTERNACIONAL NELSON PIQUET, PARA A EMPRESA NZ EMPREENDIMENTOS E INVESTIMENTOS LTDA" (in Portuguese). Ministério Público de Contas do Distrito Federal. 2006-11-23. Archived from the original on 2009-07-21. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  10. ^ 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
  11. ^ "2014 MotoGP: Brazil to Rejoin MotoGP with Nelson Piquet Brasilia Circuit". 20 August 2013.
  12. ^ 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
  13. ^ http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/indycar-brazil-race-canceled-mark-miles-013015 Fox Sports - IndyCar: Mark Miles speaks out on Brazil race cancellation
  14. ^ http://www.racingcircuits.info/south-america/brazil/brasilia.html#.VSMyC_mUcZ0 Racing Circuits Info - Brasilia
  15. ^ 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)
  16. ^ http://www.stockcar.com.br/Noticias/2015/03/06/alterada-praca-da-terceira-etapa-da-temporada ALTERADA PRAÇA DA TERCEIRA ETAPA DA TEMPORADA (Portuguese)
  17. ^ Araújo, Aurélio (17 May 2022). "Terracap transfere autódromo de Brasília ao BRB". Jornal de Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  18. ^ "BRB assume o autódromo e vai investir R$ 60 milhões na reforma". Agita Brasília (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 May 2022. Retrieved 9 December 2022.
  19. ^ "Veja calendário 2023 da Stock Car, com 12 etapas". ge (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  20. ^ André, Felipe (2023-02-02). "Com etapa em Goiânia, Fórmula 4 divulga calendário para 2023". Mais Goiás (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-02-22.
  21. ^ "2007 Brasilia Sud-Am F3". Motor Sport Magazine. 10 June 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  22. ^ "Mil Milhas Brasileiras 1997". 19 January 1997. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  23. ^ "2005 Brazilian Formula Renault Rounds 3 & 4: Brasilia, 30th May Race 2". 30 May 2005. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  24. ^ "Brasil GT3 Brasília 2008". 15 June 2008. Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  25. ^ "Xandy Negrão - Driver Database". Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  26. ^ "2013 Brasilia Sud-Am F3 - Round 11". Motor Sport Magazine. 28 September 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  27. ^ "2013 Stock Car Pro Series Brasilia 2". 10 November 2013. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
  28. ^ "2010 Fórmula Truck - 10ª Etapa - Brasilia DF - Corrida". 5 December 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
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