FE replaces Sao Paulo race with Punta return

Sao Paulo city authorities requested its 2017/18 season race be pushed back to the following campaign because the process of privately selling the area where the race was due to take place has taken longer than expected.

FE has responded to that swiftly and its alternative, a return to the Uruguayan city Punta, was approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council on Wednesday.

The race will take place on Sao Paulo's original date of March 17, and keeps the 2017/18 schedule at 14 races across 11 events.

Series CEO Alejandro Agag told Autosport that the political situation in Brazil meant he had a replacement in mind for a while.

"The situation in Sao Paolo was already, for me, for a little bit uncertain," he explained.

"Politics in Brazil is complicated, it's moving and the mayor wanted to privatise the area where we were going to race.

"So I said, 'Let's just have a back-up just in case'.

"It's very important to keep to keep the races and keep the championship frequency, especially from a broadcasting point of view.

"That's why we had it [Punta] ready."

Punta was part of the first two FE calendars, hosting the third race of both the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons in December.

Sebastien Buemi won both races to become the first holder of a 100% record at circuits FE has raced at more than once.

He has since extended that honour to a second venue, having also won races in Monaco in 2015 and 2017.