Sao Paulo offers to pay ‘fee’ for F1 race

Sao Paulo pays no fee while others pay $50 million per year?

(GMM) Sao Paulo is prepared to pay a "fee" to keep the Brazilian GP at Interlagos.

Earlier in 2019, the future of the race became clouded when controversial president Jair Bolsonaro said the chance of a switch to Rio de Janeiro is "99 per cent".

It is believed one of the factors in Rio's favor is that, currently, the promoters of the Brazilian GP do not pay an annual race fee to Liberty Media.

But Sao Paulo governor Joao Doria told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "In the next contract there will be the fee."

Last weekend at the race, Doria met with race promoter Tamas Rohonyi and F1 CEO Chase Carey. Doria said a "decisive" follow-up meeting with Carey will take place in early December.

"We will gather with Liberty, Chase Carey, Tamas and representatives of the Prefecture of Sao Paulo," he confirmed.

"For what depends on us, the state and the prefecture, Formula 1 can continue in Interlagos for another ten years."

Doria said part of the new deal will be a renaming of the race.

"We already have a proposal ready: GP Sao Paulo del Brasil. It is part of a communication strategy of the Sao Paulo government to attract international tourists," he declared.

"We are discussing the final details with Liberty."