São Paulo has lost a lengthy legal battle over its Formula 1 hosting contract, with Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court upholding an order requiring the city authorities to disclose the complete agreement covering the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. The ruling means that the financial commitments and hosting fees associated with the event must be made public, despite a confidentiality clause that the city administration argued had been imposed by Formula One World Championship Limited.
The agreement, signed in 2021 and recently extended until 2035, guarantees São Paulo the right to host an annual Formula 1 race. However, the financial obligations undertaken by the city to secure the event ahead of rival candidate Rio de Janeiro have remained undisclosed. As reported by Brazilian publication Metrópoles, the legal decision is now final and cannot be appealed.
The case centres on the application of Brazil’s Access to Information Law and whether a public authority can refuse to disclose a commercial agreement involving public resources simply because the contract contains confidentiality provisions.
São Paulo loses legal battle over secret F1 Brazilian GP hosting contract
The administration of São Paulo mayor Ricardo Nunes repeatedly defended its refusal to release the agreement, initially in response to a request for public information and subsequently through appeals before several judicial authorities, ultimately reaching the First Chamber of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court.
According to the city authorities, the contract contained a confidentiality clause required by Formula One World Championship Limited, the company involved in the commercial arrangements for the championship.
The administration argued that disclosing the agreement would breach that confidentiality obligation and potentially result in the termination of the contract itself, putting the city’s arrangement to host the Brazilian Grand Prix at risk.
In its final appeal, the municipal administration also maintained that the information contained in the agreement did not concern the primary interests of citizens. It further argued that the judiciary was interfering with an executive responsibility belonging to the city government.
Those arguments were ultimately rejected by the courts, which concluded that contractual confidentiality cannot override the transparency obligations imposed on public authorities.
Brazilian court rules that Formula 1 confidentiality cannot override public transparency
Judge Marrey Uint, of the São Paulo State Court of Justice, emphasised that transparency in public administration represents a fundamental obligation for anyone responsible for managing public resources.
“Transparency in public administration is an obligation imposed on all public officials, because they act on behalf of citizens and must safeguard public affairs with greater diligence than they would apply to managing their own private interests. Those affected by government action have the right to access public acts and the opportunity to exercise oversight,” the judge explained.
At the Supreme Federal Court, Justice Flávio Dino similarly rejected the argument that a confidentiality clause required by Formula 1 could take precedence over constitutional principles governing public administration.
“The administration cannot, through a contractual agreement, exempt itself from duties imposed directly by the Constitution. Accepting clauses of this nature, even when they are necessary for concluding the contract, does not diminish the duty of transparency, particularly when the management of public resources and the pursuit of the collective interest are at stake,” Justice Flávio Dino stated, as reported by Metrópoles.
The Supreme Court justice also dismissed concerns that publication of the agreement might lead to its termination.
“Public administration cannot make the fulfilment of its constitutional duties conditional upon maintaining agreements that conflict with the overriding public interest,” he explained.
Justice Flávio Dino further observed that the São Paulo authorities were already aware of the applicable legislation when the contract was signed and could not subsequently claim ignorance of their legal obligations concerning transparency.
The decision requiring disclosure was unanimous among the judges of the Supreme Federal Court’s First Chamber.
Five-year legal battle ends with 90-day deadline for São Paulo
The dispute began in January 2021, when a lawyer requested access to the municipal administration’s internal documents concerning the conclusion of the Formula 1 hosting agreement.
After São Paulo refused to provide the requested information under the Access to Information Law, the applicant pursued legal action and obtained an initial favourable ruling in July 2021. That decision was upheld by the Eighth Public Treasury Court of São Paulo.
The São Paulo Municipal Attorney’s Office subsequently challenged the outcome before the São Paulo State Court of Justice, the Superior Court of Justice and the Supreme Federal Court, but was unsuccessful at every level.
In October 2026, the Supreme Court certified that the ruling had become final, exhausting the available avenues of appeal.
As part of the enforcement proceedings, São Paulo was ordered to produce the complete contracts and administrative records relating to the Formula 1 event within 90 days.
Failure to comply within the specified period could result in daily financial penalties and interest on overdue amounts. The responsible public official could also face proceedings for administrative misconduct and disciplinary action if the failure caused financial harm to public funds.
Brazilian GP contract extended until 2035 as financial details face disclosure
The original Brazilian Grand Prix agreement, dating from 2020, was amended in 2023 and again in November 2026. The latest extension guarantees that Formula 1 will continue racing at Interlagos until 2035.
The renewed arrangement secures the long-term future of the São Paulo event on the Formula 1 calendar, although the precise financial commitments associated with the original hosting agreement have not yet been fully disclosed.
When questioned about the latest amendment, the São Paulo municipal administration explained that the new supplementary agreement “preserves the structure of the original contract, including commercial considerations and the hosting fee, and extends its duration, incorporating new financial, operational and legal conditions, as well as improvements relating to the layout of the spaces used to stage the event.”
The city government also addressed its obligation to comply with the court’s ruling.
“When formally notified of the decision, the municipality will take the necessary measures to ensure compliance,” the administration stated.
The outcome represents a significant ruling concerning transparency in the use of public funds for major sporting events. While the future of the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos has been secured through 2035, São Paulo must now disclose the contractual details that it spent years attempting to keep confidential.
For the public, the release of those documents will provide an opportunity to examine the financial obligations and commercial terms associated with bringing Formula 1 to the city, following a legal dispute that established the precedence of constitutional transparency requirements over contractual confidentiality provisions.
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