Formula 1 Grands Prix in South America represent one of the most fascinating chapters in motorsport history. The continent has given the sport legendary champions, spectacular circuits and races that have become part of the collective memory.
Yet, despite this tradition, only two South American countries have hosted a race counting towards the World Championship: Argentina and Brazil.
Today, São Paulo is the continent’s only remaining event, while Buenos Aires continues to pursue the dream of bringing Formula 1 back to Argentina.
On Sunday, 8 November 2026, the present and the past of this story will meet once again at the Interlagos circuit. The São Paulo Grand Prix will start at 2:00 p.m. local time, 6:00 p.m. in Italy, and will be contested over 71 laps.
Formula 1 Grands Prix in South America
The history of Formula 1 Grands Prix in South America officially began in 1953, when Buenos Aires hosted the first World Championship race held on the continent.
Brazil joined the calendar twenty years later, in 1973, after staging a non-championship race in 1972. From that moment onwards, the centre of gravity of South American Formula 1 gradually shifted from Argentina to Brazil.
Overall, South American World Championship races have been held at three main circuits:
- the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez in Buenos Aires;
- the Autódromo José Carlos Pace at Interlagos;
- the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro.
Other countries, including Colombia, Chile and Uruguay, have repeatedly expressed an interest in motorsport’s premier category. None of them, however, has yet hosted a Grand Prix counting towards the World Championship.
The Argentine Grand Prix: Formula 1’s Gateway to South America
The Argentine Grand Prix was the first Formula 1 race held in South America. The inaugural edition took place in Buenos Aires in 1953, at the circuit then named after 17 October and later renamed in honour of the brothers Oscar and Juan Gálvez.
The circuit had opened in 1952 and could be used in several different configurations. Over the decades, Formula 1 raced on four different layouts of the venue.
The Argentine Grand Prix had an intermittent history. It appeared on the calendar during the following periods:
- from 1953 to 1960;
- from 1972 to 1975;
- from 1977 to 1981;
- from 1995 to 1998.
A total of 21 World Championship editions were held. The last one, in 1998, was won by Michael Schumacher for Ferrari, ahead of Mika Häkkinen and Eddie Irvine.
Michael Schumacher’s victory in 1998 remains the last Formula 1 race held in Argentina.
The German driver won for Ferrari after starting from second place. He finished ahead of Mika Häkkinen’s McLaren and the second Ferrari of Eddie Irvine, closing a chapter in the history of South American Formula 1 that has not yet reopened.
Juan Manuel Fangio and the Argentine Dream
Formula 1’s arrival in Buenos Aires cannot be separated from the figure of Juan Manuel Fangio. The Argentine driver played a decisive role in spreading the popularity of European motor racing across South America.
Fangio won five World Championships between 1951 and 1957, driving for Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari. He became an international symbol of Argentina and one of Formula 1’s first truly global stars.
At the Buenos Aires circuit, he secured four World Championship victories, in 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957. His record in the Argentine race has never been surpassed.
The 1955 Grand Prix also went down in history because of the extreme weather conditions. The heat forced several drivers to share their cars, while Fangio completed the race alone and won after almost three hours of racing.
During those years, Argentine spectators transformed the circuit into a place of national celebration. Formula 1 was not merely a sporting spectacle, but also a reflection of the country’s growing international prominence.
Crises, Comebacks and Formula 1’s Farewell to Argentina
After the Fangio era, Argentina’s presence on the calendar became irregular. Economic difficulties, political instability and organisational problems led to long interruptions.
Formula 1 returned to Buenos Aires more consistently during the 1970s, also using the longer and faster configuration of the circuit. The layout included an extended section around the lake that drivers negotiated at high speed.
The 1977 edition produced Wolf’s first Formula 1 victory, secured by Jody Scheckter. Mario Andretti won with the Lotus 78 in 1978, while Jacques Laffite triumphed for Ligier in 1979.
After the 1981 Grand Prix, won by Nelson Piquet, the event disappeared from the calendar once again.
Formula 1 returned in 1995, racing on a shorter and more demanding configuration. The comeback lasted only four seasons. Damon Hill won in 1995 and 1996, Jacques Villeneuve in 1997 and Michael Schumacher in 1998.
That Ferrari victory remains, to this day, the most recent Formula 1 race held in Argentina.
The Brazilian Grand Prix: South America’s New Formula 1 Capital
Brazil officially joined the Formula 1 World Championship in 1973. The first championship edition was held at Interlagos and won by local hero Emerson Fittipaldi.
Brazil’s arrival on the Formula 1 calendar came at the ideal time. Fittipaldi had won the 1972 World Championship with Lotus, becoming the first Brazilian Formula 1 World Champion. His success helped the sport’s popularity grow rapidly across the country.
Fittipaldi won again in 1974, this time with McLaren. In 1975, Carlos Pace triumphed in front of his home crowd.
After his death in a plane crash in 1977, the Interlagos circuit was officially renamed the Autódromo José Carlos Pace.
The Brazilian Grand Prix gradually became one of the most recognisable events on the calendar. Unlike the Argentine race, it survived economic crises and the transformations of modern Formula 1.
Interlagos, the Heart of South American Formula 1
The name Interlagos literally means “between the lakes”. The circuit is located between two artificial reservoirs in the southern part of São Paulo.
The track opened in 1940. Formula 1 held a non-championship race there in 1972, before Interlagos officially joined the World Championship calendar the following season.
The original layout measured almost eight kilometres and was very different from the current circuit. It featured long straights, fast corners and a particularly bumpy surface.
Following major modernisation work, Formula 1 returned to Interlagos in 1990 on a shortened configuration.
The current circuit is 4.309 kilometres long, features 15 corners and runs anticlockwise. The full race distance is 305.879 kilometres, divided into 71 laps.
The opening sequence of corners is known as the Senna S. The downhill section after the pit straight creates overtaking opportunities, especially under braking for the first corner.
The shape of the terrain creates constant elevation changes. The middle sector is slower and more technical, while the final climb towards the main straight requires traction, power and effective energy management.
From Interlagos to Jacarepaguá
Between the late 1970s and the 1980s, the Brazilian Grand Prix moved several times to Rio de Janeiro.
The Jacarepaguá circuit hosted Formula 1 in 1978 and then regularly from 1981 to 1989. In 1988, it was named after Nelson Piquet, one of the central figures of that era and World Champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987.
The circuit was flat, wide and characterised by fast corners. The high temperatures placed considerable physical demands on both the cars and the drivers.
Jacarepaguá was the setting for several important victories by Alain Prost, who established a significant part of his Brazilian Grand Prix record there. The Frenchman achieved six victories in the country, winning in both Rio de Janeiro and at Interlagos.
Formula 1 returned permanently to São Paulo in 1990. The Jacarepaguá circuit was later demolished to make way for facilities used during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
South America’s Formula 1 Champions
The relationship between Formula 1 and South America is not defined by circuits alone. The continent has produced some of the most important drivers in the history of the sport.
Fangio was Argentina’s greatest representative, but José Froilán González also occupies a special place in Formula 1 history. In 1951, he gave Ferrari its first victory in the World Championship.
Brazil has won eight Drivers’ Championships through three champions:
- Emerson Fittipaldi, World Champion in 1972 and 1974;
- Nelson Piquet, World Champion in 1981, 1983 and 1987;
- Ayrton Senna, World Champion in 1988, 1990 and 1991.
Senna transformed the Brazilian Grand Prix into an emotional national event. His 1991 victory at Interlagos, achieved despite gearbox problems and immense physical strain, remains one of the most famous moments of his career.
In 1993, Senna won again in front of his home crowd, in the rain and in particularly difficult conditions.
After him, Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa kept Brazil’s presence alive at the highest level. Massa won at Interlagos in 2006 and 2008, when he came within seconds of winning the World Championship.
The Races That Built the Interlagos Legend
Interlagos has become famous above all for its championship deciders and unpredictable weather conditions.
In 2007, Kimi Räikkönen arrived in Brazil seven points behind Lewis Hamilton. The Finnish driver won the race and secured the title by a single point over Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.
In 2008, Felipe Massa crossed the finish line in first place and, for a few moments, believed he had become World Champion. Hamilton overtook Timo Glock in the final corners and reached the fifth position he needed to claim the title by one point.
In 2012, Sebastian Vettel was involved in a collision on the opening lap. He managed to recover and secure his third consecutive World Championship, while Jenson Button won the race.
In 2016, Lewis Hamilton triumphed in heavy rain, but Max Verstappen emerged as the leading protagonist. The Dutch driver recovered numerous positions during the closing stages, displaying remarkable skill in wet conditions.
In 2021, Hamilton won after starting from tenth position, having been disqualified from Sprint qualifying and forced to fight his way through the field from the back during the shorter race.
These episodes explain why Interlagos continues to be regarded as one of the most unpredictable circuits in Formula 1.
The Future of Formula 1 Grands Prix in South America
The immediate future of South American Formula 1 continues to depend on Brazil.
The official 2027 calendar confirms Formula 1’s return to São Paulo from 5 to 7 November, as the twenty-first round of the season. Interlagos will also return to hosting a Sprint race in 2027.
No other South American country appears on the following season’s calendar. Mexico will host a second Latin American race, but geographically it belongs to North America.
Brazil therefore remains South America’s only representative. This status ensures that São Paulo attracts spectators from Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile, Colombia, Peru and other countries across the region.
The continuity of Interlagos also demonstrates that a historic circuit can retain its place in a Formula 1 increasingly focused on street circuits and major commercial projects.
Formula 1’s Possible Return to Argentina
Argentina continues to work on the possibility of bringing the Grand Prix back to Buenos Aires.
The project centres on the redevelopment of the Autódromo Oscar y Juan Gálvez, which requires significant work to meet modern FIA standards.
The presence of a competitive Argentine driver could increase commercial and public interest, but it would not be enough on its own.
Securing a race would require:
- an FIA Grade 1 circuit licence;
- long-term financial guarantees;
- agreements between the government, the city and private promoters;
- suitable infrastructure for spectators, teams and the media;
- a contract with Formula One Management;
- an available place on a calendar already close to its maximum capacity.
Reports published in 2026 identify 2029 as a possible target for the Argentine project.
Other South American markets could also consider making a future bid. However, organisational costs, infrastructure requirements and international competition make the creation of a second regional event unlikely in the short term.
From the Past to the Future, Through Interlagos
Formula 1 in South America has passed through very different eras.
Buenos Aires led the way during the Fangio years. Brazil took up the baton thanks to Fittipaldi, Piquet and Senna. Interlagos transformed this legacy into a stable event recognised around the world.
The present is represented by the São Paulo Grand Prix. The future will depend on Brazil’s ability to preserve its place on the calendar and Argentina’s capacity to turn its plans into a concrete agreement.
On Sunday, 8 November, the cars will once again race down through the Senna S, negotiate the technical middle sector and climb the long hill towards the finish line.
It will not merely be the twentieth race of the 2026 season. It will be a new chapter in the long relationship between Formula 1 and South America.