FOR THE WORLD TO SEE: INTERLAGOS RAISES THE FLAGS OF SÃO PAULO AND BRAZIL IN F1
The Interlagos racetrack is receiving its final touches for the Formula 1 Rolex São Paulo Grand Prix 2023. On the morning of Wednesday, November 1st, three flagpoles were inaugurated for the raising of the flags of Brazil, the State, and the City of São Paulo.
The three flagpoles, each 40 meters tall, were manufactured by Gerdau with 100% recycled steel. They were installed next to the main straight, in front of Sector A stands, just before the pit lane entrance. The inauguration ceremony was attended by the mayor of São Paulo, Ricardo Nunes; the State of São Paulo’s Chief of Staff, Arthur Lima, representing Governor Tarcísio de Freitas; as well as Gustavo Werneck, CEO of Gerdau; Leonardo Senna, partner at Senna Brands and brother of Ayrton Senna; and Alan Adler, CEO of the São Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix.
“It is a great joy for us to gift São Paulo with this symbol, with these flagpoles made of 100% recyclable steel,” said Gustavo Werneck. “Gerdau is a Brazilian company that recently celebrated 122 years of history. The flagpoles were made of 100% recyclable steel, with an extremely low carbon footprint, which is fully aligned with the increasingly developed sustainability concept here in São Paulo, at the São Paulo Formula 1 Grand Prix. This is a symbol of Brazil, something to be proud of,” he added.
This initiative comes from a partnership aimed at projecting the image of Brazil and São Paulo to the world, according to Alan Adler. “It was a project that started a few years ago and is now being realized with the support of the City Hall, with the support of Gerdau, and which will project the image of Interlagos, São Paulo, and Brazil to the entire world,” Adler said. He also praised the support from the State Government in providing safety for the Grand Prix.
The State of São Paulo’s Chief of Staff, Arthur Lima, attended the event representing Governor Tarcísio de Freitas. “Formula 1 inspires everyone wherever it goes. It’s no coincidence that it celebrates a long-standing relationship with Brazil. It’s an event that crosses borders, directly impacts the economy of São Paulo’s capital, and creates a special atmosphere for speed enthusiasts,” he stated.
Mayor Ricardo Nunes emphasized that all actions in the capital are focused on generating employment and income, as well as promoting the city globally. “We will see a significant economic impact, between R$1.5 billion and R$1.7 billion, and the hotel network is almost fully booked. This generates many jobs and a lot of income. Around 20,000 jobs, in addition to the event being broadcast to 190 countries, putting the city’s name on the world stage,” Nunes concluded.
On the central pole, the Brazilian flag was raised to its full height of 40 meters. The flags of the State and City of São Paulo were flown at half-mast due to the official three-day mourning period for the death of cultural director Danilo Miranda, who for four decades directed Sesc São Paulo, passing away on October 29.
Gerdau, the largest Brazilian steel producer and one of the global leaders in special steel for the automotive market, is the official steel supplier for the São Paulo Grand Prix, the Brazilian leg of the world’s most popular motorsport competition, taking place on November 3, 4, and 5 at the Interlagos racetrack. The 100% recyclable and low-carbon steel was used in the modernization of structures at Interlagos, notably a fixed steel structure system for audiovisual transmission throughout the circuit. All the improvements made to the sporting facility will remain as a legacy for the city of São Paulo and future events held there.
Formula 1 Rolex São Paulo Grand Prix 2023
Dates: November 3, 4, and 5 – Location: Autódromo de Interlagos – São Paulo
Official website: f1saopaulo.com.br
Tickets available from the official ticketing platform: eventim.com.br/f1saopaulo
About the São Paulo GP of F1
The São Paulo GP of F1 is the main recurring event on Brazil’s sports calendar. As one of the stages of the World Championship for drivers and constructors, it takes place annually at the Interlagos Racetrack in São Paulo. Each edition gathers over 235,000 people at the racetrack over the three days. Broadcast live to over 180 countries, the event reaches a global audience of more than 445 million unique viewers. In addition to providing quality entertainment, the São Paulo GP of F1 offers its partners a powerful platform for brand promotion and relationship building. The GP brings a set of direct benefits to the population of São Paulo. The operation involves injecting more than R$1.37 billion into the local economy and creating around 14,000 jobs. In full alignment with F1 guidelines, the São Paulo GP promotes and spreads a culture of environmental sustainability, respect for diversity, and social inclusion.
About Gerdau
With 122 years of history, Gerdau is Brazil’s largest steel producer and one of the main suppliers of long steel in the Americas and special steel worldwide. In Brazil, it also produces flat steel, as well as iron ore for its own use. Additionally, it has a new business division, Gerdau Next, aimed at venturing into segments adjacent to steel. With the purpose of empowering people who build the future, the company is present in 9 countries and has over 36,000 direct and indirect employees across all its operations. The largest recycler in Latin America, Gerdau uses scrap metal as an important raw material: 71% of the steel it produces comes from this material. Each year, 11 million tons of scrap are transformed into various steel products. Gerdau is also the world’s largest producer of charcoal, with over 250,000 hectares of forest land in the state of Minas Gerais. As a result of its sustainable production model, Gerdau currently has one of the lowest greenhouse gas emissions averages (CO₂e) in the sector, at 0.86 tons of CO₂e per ton of steel, roughly half the global sector average of 1.91 tons of CO₂e per ton of steel (worldsteel). By 2031, Gerdau aims to reduce its carbon emissions to 0.83 tons of CO₂e per ton of steel. Gerdau shares are listed on the stock exchanges of São Paulo (B3), New York (NYSE), and Madrid (Latibex).