Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet
22°58′32″S 43°23′42″W / 22.97556°S 43.39500°W Template:F1 circuit Jacarepagua (also known as "Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet {do Rio de Janeiro}") is a race course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil which hosted the Brazilian Grand Prix 10 times.
The circuit was built in 1978 on reclaimed marshland, thus the course is quite flat with little elevation change. The course itself has few distinguishing characteristics, with two main straights, plus numerous slow-speed corners; however, the scenic backdrop of the mountains of Rio is quite stunning.
From 1996 to 2000 the CART series staged events at Jacarepagua in an accessory oval circuit named Emerson Fittipaldi Speedway having approximately 3 km (1.875 mi) length.
The circuit also hosted the Brazilian Grand Prix motorcycle race from 1995 to 2004.
As of early 2005, there were plans to partially demolish this racetrack to make room for a new sports complex to be used for the 2007 Pan-American Games. It would make the track approximately 1.67 miles long, thus making it too short for most international racing series. However, the FIA's ruling on a track's minimum length is ambiguous. The future of this racetrack remains to be seen. In 2006, despite rumors of the race being cancelled, the Brazilian Stock Car Rio event was contested on a temporary short circuit combining sections of the oval and normal circuits and the finish/start line was moved to the back stretch, that was cut short to make room for the Pan-American games venues.
Some questioning remains about the project. Rumors are that the project's target is to destroy the racetrack forever, so the area would be clear for building condos.
Another proposal is for the circuit to have both a club permanent circuit, and an international-length half-permanent, half-car park circuit involving that circuit and an extension which utilises the car parks of the park. That would be designed by Hermann Tilke.
Formula One races
CART Champ Car history
| Season | Date | Race Name | Winning Driver | Chassis | Engine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | March 17 | Rio 400 |  André Ribeiro
|
Lola | Honda |
| 1997 | May 10 | Hollywood Rio 400k |  Paul Tracy
|
Penske | Mercedes-Benz |
| 1998 | May 10 | Rio 400k | Greg Moore
|
Reynard | Mercedes-Benz |
| 1999 | May 15 | GP Telemar Rio 200 |  Juan Montoya
|
Reynard | Honda |
| 2000 | April 30 | Rio 200 |  Adrian Fernández
|
Reynard | Ford-Cosworth |
Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet de Brasília
Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (de Brasília) is a race course in Brasília, the capital of Brazil.
External links
- Satellite picture by Google Maps (Rio de Janeiro)
- Satellite picture by Google Maps (Brasília)
- Trackpedia guide to driving Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Rio de Janeiro)
- Trackpedia guide to driving Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Brasília)