Rio de Janeiro’s new mayor has scrapped the proposed circuit in the suburb of Deodoro.
Last year, with the support of Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, Rio Motorsports agreed deals with MotoGP and Formula 1 to host races at the track.
However, in the face of strong local opposition due to environmental concerns, work on the facility never began, and now, according to reports, new mayor Eduardo Paes has swiftly cut the project.
“This process was being led by city hall, and we are now formally saying we will not be pursuing it further,” a city official told news agency AFP.
“We need to be talking about recovering green spaces, not destroying them.”
Even before this news, F1 had already recommitted to the sport’s traditional home in Brazil at Interlagos in Sao Paulo until 2025.
Although the fate of that contract is currently still unknown after a judge suspended it last month over transparency concerns.