São Paulo Street Circuit
The São Paulo Street Circuit is the temporary track laid out around the Anhembi Sambadrome, the stadium-sized runway where São Paulo’s samba schools parade at carnival. IndyCar raced here from 2010 to 2013, and Formula E has come every season since 2023. Here’s what you’ll want to know before you go: the names, the history, the Sambadrome, how the layout works, the lap records, the race dates and how to get there.
São Paulo Street Circuit at a Glance
Length 2.933 km / 1.822 mi current Formula E layout
Turns 11 IndyCar’s longer layout also had 11
Type Temporary street circuit built around the Anhembi Sambadrome for each race
First race March 14, 2010 IndyCar; Formula E since March 25, 2023
Location Anhembi, São Paulo in the Santana district, north of downtown
Race lap record 1:12.219 David Beckmann, Formula E, 2024
São Paulo Street Circuit, Anhembi or Sambadrome?
You’ll see a few names for this track, and they all point to the same patch of streets. In English it’s usually the São Paulo Street Circuit. During the IndyCar years it was known locally as the Circuito do Anhembi, and on the current Formula E calendar it’s listed as the Anhembi Sambadrome Circuit.
The sponsor names belong to the races, not the track. IndyCar’s event was the Itaipava São Paulo Indy 300, the first Formula E race in 2023 was the Julius Baer São Paulo E-Prix, and the December 2025 edition was the Google Cloud São Paulo E-Prix.
Anhembi itself is the big events complex next to the Tietê River, and its best-known part is the Sambódromo do Anhembi, the parade ground for São Paulo’s carnival. That’s the stretch that becomes the start-finish straight on race weekends.
São Paulo Street Circuit History
São Paulo already had Interlagos and Formula 1, so this track was always about something different: bringing racing into the middle of the city. IndyCar used it first, for four seasons starting in 2010. After a ten-year gap, Formula E brought it back in 2023 on a shorter layout, and the race has been a regular since.
- 2010 IndyCar’s first São Paulo Indy 300 runs on March 14. The Sambadrome’s concrete is so slippery in practice that crews grind it overnight, dust from the grinding plays a part in a first-corner pile-up, and a rain red flag cuts the race from 75 laps to 61. Will Power wins.
- 2011 Rain forces the race to be postponed to Monday, May 2. Power wins again.
- 2012 Power makes it three in a row on April 29.
- 2013 James Hinchcliffe wins on May 5 for Andretti, and Tony Kanaan sets the IndyCar lap record. It turns out to be the last IndyCar race here.
- 2014 IndyCar drops Brazil from its calendar.
- 2022 Formula E signs a five-year deal on April 30 to race in São Paulo, with an option for five more.
- 2023 The first São Paulo E-Prix runs on March 25, and Mitch Evans wins for Jaguar.
- 2024 Sam Bird wins for McLaren on March 16. Then on December 7 the city hosts the season opener, and Evans wins again after starting from the back of the grid.
- 2025 São Paulo opens another season on December 6, and Jake Dennis wins for Andretti ahead of Oliver Rowland and Nick Cassidy.
- 2027 São Paulo is on the 2026–27 Formula E calendar for March 13.
Racing Through the Anhembi Sambadrome
Most street circuits squeeze between buildings. This one runs straight down a parade ground. The Sambódromo do Anhembi was built for São Paulo’s samba-school parades, a long open runway lined with grandstands, and on race weekends it becomes the start-finish straight. Fans sit in the same seats they use at carnival and look down on the cars from both sides.
30,000
Seats
The Sambadrome’s grandstands make the start-finish straight feel more like a stadium than a street.
Concrete
Not asphalt
The parade runway’s surface caught IndyCar out in 2010, when crews had to grind it to find grip.
Reta de Marte
The long straight
Avenida Olavo Fontoura, nicknamed for the nearby Campo de Marte airport, is used by both layouts, in opposite directions.
The catch is the surface. Concrete laid for dancers and parade floats doesn’t behave like racing asphalt, and in IndyCar’s first year drivers found almost no grip until it was ground down overnight.
São Paulo Street Circuit Layout: Section by Section
Because this is a temporary track, there are no official corner names, just turn numbers. Formula E’s 2.933 km layout is long and narrow, with two long straights joined by a hairpin at one end and a tighter last sector at the other. IndyCar’s 2010–2013 version was longer at 4.081 km (2.536 miles), with a back straight of nearly a mile that also used the service road of the Marginal Tietê highway.
Start
Sambadrome straight
The start-finish straight runs down the concrete carnival runway between the grandstands. It’s wide, so there’s room to jockey for position at the start.
T1–3
Opening hairpin
The Sambadrome straight ends in a hairpin. It’s the first big braking zone and a natural place to try a move.
Straight
The long run
Out of the hairpin you’re on the longest straight of the lap, where Formula E drivers slipstream and manage energy at the same time.
T4–6
Right-left-right
A quick sequence breaks up the long straight. Carry speed through it cleanly and you’ll be faster all the way to Turn 7.
T7–8
The far end
Another fast run takes you to Turns 7 and 8 at the far end of the circuit, a good place to set up a move into the last sector.
T9–11
Final sector
The run back toward the Sambadrome has the circuit’s main overtaking spots, so this is where you’ll see most of the passing.
São Paulo Street Circuit Lap Records
There are two sets of records here, because Formula E and IndyCar used different layouts. The IndyCar times were set on a much longer lap, so you can’t compare them directly. Only laps set in a race count as official records.
1:12.219
Formula E race lap record
David Beckmann set it in a Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 Evo for Cupra Kiro at the December 2024 race.
1:09.812
Fastest Formula E lap
Pascal Wehrlein was quickest in qualifying in December 2025, but qualifying laps don’t count as official records.
1:12.239
Closest call
Norman Nato’s fastest lap for Nissan in December 2025 missed the race record by just 0.02 seconds.
1:20.4364
IndyCar lap record
Tony Kanaan set it in a Dallara DW12 in 2013, on IndyCar’s longer 4.081 km layout.
Races and Events at the São Paulo Street Circuit
Today the track exists for one weekend a year: the Formula E São Paulo E-Prix. Before that, the IndyCar Series raced here for four seasons. The rest of the year the Sambadrome and its streets go back to normal city life.
December or March
São Paulo E-Prix
Formula E E-Prix
Formula E’s Brazilian round. It has run in March (2023 and 2024) and as the season opener in December (2024 and 2025). The latest race, on December 6, 2025, went to Jake Dennis for Andretti, and the next is set for March 13, 2027.
2010–2013
São Paulo Indy 300
IndyCar Series Past event
IndyCar’s Brazilian race ran four times on the longer Anhembi layout. Will Power won the first three, and James Hinchcliffe won the last one in 2013.
February
São Paulo Carnival
Carnival Not motorsport
The Sambadrome’s day job. The top samba schools parade down the runway the cars use; in 2026 the Grupo Especial parades ran February 13–14.
São Paulo Street Circuit Race Calendar
Formula E seasons run across two calendar years, so here are the dates by season. There’s only one race weekend a year, and the circuit is built specially for it, so there are no other public racing events here. Check the official Formula E calendar before you book, because dates can change.
2025–26 Formula E season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 6, 2025 | Google Cloud São Paulo E-Prix | Formula E, Round 1 | Done |
| Feb 13–14, 2026 | Carnival parades (no racing) | Samba schools, Grupo Especial | Done |
2026–27 Formula E season
| Dates | Event | Series | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 13, 2027 | São Paulo E-Prix | Formula E, Round 6 | Upcoming |
São Paulo Weather by Season
São Paulo is in the Southern Hemisphere, so summer runs from December to February, and both of the months the E-Prix has used, December and March, fall in the rainy season. The numbers below are 1991–2020 averages from Brazil’s national weather institute, INMET, for the Mirante de Santana station, which is in the same district as the circuit.
28–29°C
Summer · Dec–Feb
Daily highs of 28–29°C (82–84°F) and lows around 19–20°C (66–67°F). It’s the wet season, with 231–292 mm (9.1–11.5 in) of rain a month, often as heavy afternoon storms. December E-Prix fans should bring a poncho.
23–28°C
Fall · Mar–May
Daily highs fall from 28°C (82°F) in March to 23°C (73°F) in May, with lows of 15–19°C (59–66°F). March is still wet at about 229 mm (9.0 in), but by May it’s much drier.
23–25°C
Winter · Jun–Aug
Daily highs of 23–25°C (73–76°F) and lows of about 13°C (55–56°F). It’s the driest time of year, with only 32–60 mm (1.3–2.4 in) of rain a month. There’s no racing, but it’s a pleasant time to visit the city.
25–27°C
Spring · Sep–Nov
Daily highs of 25–27°C (77–81°F) and lows of 15–17°C (59–63°F). Rain builds again, from about 83 mm (3.3 in) in September to 144 mm (5.7 in) in November.
Visiting the São Paulo E-Prix: Tickets, Getting There and Tips
An E-Prix in São Paulo is a one-day city event rather than a long weekend at a racetrack. Recent races have been on a Saturday, the Sambadrome grandstands put you close to the action, and the Metro gets you most of the way there.
Where to watch
- The Sambadrome grandstands. The big stands line the start-finish straight, so you see the start, the pit area and the cars braking for the hairpin.
- Near the hairpin. The first heavy braking zone is the best place to see side-by-side racing on the opening laps.
- The Fan Village. Live music, a gaming area and chances to meet drivers keep things busy between sessions.
Tickets
For the December 2025 race, tickets were sold through Formula E and its ticket partner Fever on the official São Paulo E-Prix site, starting at R$149.50 (about $28) after a cheaper presale. Gates opened at 7 a.m. on race day. Prices for the March 2027 race hadn’t been announced when this was updated.
Getting there
Take Metro Line 1 (Blue) to Portuguesa-Tietê station, about 1.5 km (1 mile) from the Anhembi complex. In 2025 an electric shuttle ran from the station on race day for R$5, taking about 10 minutes, and the SPTrans bus 179A-10 also runs from the Tietê Metro to Gate 2 on Avenida Olavo Fontoura. Driving isn’t a great idea, because roads around the circuit, sometimes including parts of the Marginal Tietê, are closed on race weekend. Congonhas Airport is about 15 km (9 miles) away and Guarulhos about 28 km (17 miles).
Bring sunscreen and a rain poncho: race days here can be hot and humid in the morning and stormy by the afternoon.
Can You Drive the São Paulo Street Circuit?
Not as a racetrack. The circuit only exists for race weekend: the walls, fences and grandstands go up around public roads and the Sambadrome, then come down again. You can drive down Avenida Olavo Fontoura any day of the week, but only at city speeds and in traffic.
If you want to drive fast in São Paulo, the place to look is the city’s permanent track, Interlagos. Our Interlagos guide covers how to visit it.
In games, the most official version is in Trackmania: Ubisoft added a Formula E São Paulo track in December 2024.
Talk São Paulo Racing With Other Enthusiasts
Heading to the E-Prix, planning a trip around Interlagos or just following Formula E? Share tips, ask questions and find people going to the same race in the AutoGathering community.
- E-Prix trip planning
- Best grandstand views
- Getting there by Metro
- Formula E strategy talk
- Interlagos vs. Anhembi
- Where to stay in São Paulo
- Carnival and racing trips
- Sim racing Formula E
São Paulo Street Circuit FAQ
Where is the São Paulo E-Prix held?
On a temporary street circuit around the Anhembi Sambadrome in the Santana district of São Paulo, north of downtown near the Tietê River.
How long is the São Paulo Street Circuit?
The Formula E layout is 2.933 km (1.822 miles) with 11 turns. IndyCar’s 2010–2013 layout was longer, at 4.081 km (2.536 miles).
When is the next São Paulo E-Prix?
The next race is on March 13, 2027, as Round 6 of the 2026–27 Formula E season. The previous race was on December 6, 2025.
Who won the São Paulo E-Prix?
Mitch Evans won in 2023 and December 2024, Sam Bird won in March 2024, and Jake Dennis won in December 2025.
Did IndyCar race in São Paulo?
Yes. The São Paulo Indy 300 ran from 2010 to 2013. Will Power won the first three races and James Hinchcliffe won the last.
What is the lap record at the São Paulo Street Circuit?
On the Formula E layout, the race lap record is 1:12.219, set by David Beckmann in December 2024. On IndyCar’s longer layout, Tony Kanaan’s 1:20.4364 from 2013 is the record.
How do you get to the São Paulo E-Prix?
Take Metro Line 1 (Blue) to Portuguesa-Tietê station, then walk about 1.5 km or take the race-day shuttle. Driving is hard because roads around the circuit are closed.
Is the track the same as Interlagos?
No. Interlagos is São Paulo’s permanent circuit and home of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. The street circuit is a separate, temporary track around the Anhembi Sambadrome.
Explore More Racing Circuits
The São Paulo Street Circuit is one of the venues in our South American racing circuit directory. If you’re in town for racing, Interlagos is the city’s permanent circuit and home of the Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix.
Photo credits
- Header image: Boaventuravinicius, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- IndyCars on the concrete Sambadrome straight in…: Deni Williams, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- The pit exit and Sambadrome arches on…: Boaventuravinicius, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- Track map of the 2.933 km São…: Juan2910, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped and resized.
- An IndyCar runs along the catch fence…: Deni Williams from São Paulo, Brasil / Brazil, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized.
- The Anhembi Sambadrome grandstands seen from across…: Boris Karpuk, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.