NOVEMBER 14, 2003

Judge rejects Interlagos review

The judge at the centre of the controversy over the Brazilian Grand Prix has rejected an attempt to review his decision into the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The judge at the centre of the controversy over the Brazilian Grand Prix has rejected an attempt to review his decision into the Brazilian Grand Prix. The city's sports secretary had gone to the judge with documentation to show that the race produces a large amount of income for the city but the judge said in a short statement that he would not reconsider his decision. The city pays only for the upkeep of the racing circuit and not for the fees for the F1 teams to attend. Those are paid by TV Globo, which owns the right to promote the race. TV Globo hires Tamas Rohonyi to run the event on its behalf. The costs of upkeep are more expensive than at most tracks because the circuit is built on unstable ground and so subsidence is a big problem each year. The investment made by the city in the track is not only used by F1 as the track is used for the rest of the year by local racers.

The judge's rejection of a review is bad news for the event, as there will now have to be an appeal against the judge's decision to the appeal court of the state of Sao Paulo. The problems will no doubt be solved by the time the race takes place in October next year but it is not something that Bernie Ecclestone needs happening with his only race in Latin America.