When was the track built?

The current São Paulo Street Circuit is a modern temporary layout created for Formula E at the Anhembi Sambadrome, not a direct copy of the old IndyCar track that raced here from 2010-2013. The Sambadrome itself had long been one of the city's most recognisable event spaces thanks to Carnival, but the current race circuit only came together after São Paulo secured its Formula E deal and reworked the roads and event footprint for a shorter, more attack-minded street layout. That redesign changed the feel of the place completely. The Formula E version runs anti-clockwise, focuses heavily on the Sambadrome straight and the Olavo Fontoura section, and trades the older layout's length for a tighter, more slipstream-heavy lap built around energy management and repeated braking battles.

When was its first race?

The first race on the current circuit was the São Paulo E-Prix on March 25, 2023, won by Mitch Evans for Jaguar TCS Racing. It was the first Formula E race ever held in Brazil, and it immediately delivered the kind of chaos the layout seemed designed for. The race produced a huge volume of overtaking, constant pack battles and a Jaguar-powered 1-2-3 with Evans beating Nick Cassidy and Sam Bird. It was an instant statement that São Paulo was not joining the calendar as a quiet newcomer.

What's the circuit like?

• Three long straights define the lap: For Formula E this is a serious speed track. Cars spend a lot of time accelerating in packs, which means slipstreaming and attack timing matter almost as much as clean one-lap pace.
• Turn 1 is a natural passing zone: The run off the main straight into the first braking phase invites late dives and side-by-side entries, especially when the field arrives bunched after a restart.
• Turn 4 and the chicane are key: This middle phase breaks the rhythm and punishes impatience. Attack too hard and the exit suffers. Get it right and you can build another run immediately.
• The final sector can flip a race instantly: This is where some of the circuit's biggest moments have happened, including Sam Bird's last-lap pass for victory in 2024 and dramatic late reshuffles in the pack.
• Energy management is always in play: São Paulo tends to create big groups of cars running nose-to-tail, all trying to save energy in the tow before striking later. That makes the race feel tactical even when it looks chaotic.
• Heat and surface grip matter: São Paulo can be brutally hot, which adds stress to drivers, tyres and braking stability. On a temporary street surface, grip also evolves quickly as the weekend goes on.
• Little room for error: The walls are close, the lap is short and mistakes are expensive. Because the straights are so important, one poor exit can leave you exposed for half the circuit.

Lap records and benchmarks

• Formula E - official race lap (2.933 km): 1:13.684 - Sam Bird - Jaguar I-Type 6 - 2023.
• Formula E - qualifying reference: Low 1:11s on a dry, rubbered-in track show how quickly the lap can come alive once grip builds.
• Historic site benchmark - older Anhembi IndyCar layout (4.081 km): 1:20.4312 - Ryan Hunter-Reay - Dallara DW12 Chevrolet - 2013.
• Why the split matters: The IndyCar number belongs to a different and longer configuration, so it should not be compared directly with the current Formula E layout.
• What the times tell you: São Paulo rewards clean exits and smart positioning more than a simple stopwatch reading suggests. On race day, slipstream and energy saving can matter more than who looked quickest over one lap.

This is one of those circuits where the race pace story is often more important than pure qualifying speed. A driver can look unbeatable for a lap, then become vulnerable once pack racing and energy targets start to bite.

Why go?

São Paulo gives you a race trip that feels like an event before the cars even roll out. The Sambadrome setting is already famous, the city has enormous energy, and the circuit tends to produce exactly the kind of close, unpredictable racing fans hope for from Formula E. That matters if you are planning to attend. You are not just going to a temporary track in a car park. You are going to one of South America's biggest cities, with serious food, nightlife, culture and motorsport passion, then watching cars blast through a venue built for spectacle. Add the heat, the crowd noise and the near-constant overtaking threat, and it is easy to see why this race has quickly become a standout on the calendar.

Where's the best place to watch?

• End of the main straight into Turn 1: The best all-round overtaking spot. You get the slipstream build-up, the heavy braking and the first-lap or restart drama.
• Turn 4 braking zone: A strong place to watch late attacks and compromised exits. It is one of the clearest passing opportunities after the opening sector.
• The chicane section: Ideal if you want to see precision rather than just top speed. Drivers who attack too hard here often pay for it immediately.
• Final sector near Turns 10-11: A smart pick for late-race drama. This is where bold moves can decide podiums and wins right before the run to the line.
• Sambadrome grandstand areas: One of the venue's biggest strengths is built-in spectator infrastructure, so you can often get broad views of the action and soak up the stadium-style atmosphere at the same time.

Not just one series - headline events at São Paulo Street Circuit

Formula E: The São Paulo E-Prix is the current headline event and the reason this modern layout exists. It has quickly built a reputation for huge overtaking numbers, late-race twists and dramatic pack racing.

IndyCar history at the same site: Before the current Formula E era, the Anhembi venue hosted the São Paulo Indy 300 from 2010-2013 on a longer 4.081 km layout. Will Power won three of those races, giving the wider site a strong open-wheel history long before the current circuit appeared.

GT and support racing: The old Anhembi course also hosted categories such as Campeonato Sudamericano de GT and Mercedes-Benz Grand Challenge, so the location's motorsport story is broader than Formula E alone.

The bigger point: São Paulo is one of those venues where the site matters almost as much as the exact layout. The current track is new, but the setting already has deep street-racing memories and a built-in crowd culture that suits big-event motorsport perfectly.