used for the 2007 Pan American Games. It would have made the track approximately long, thus making it too short for most international racing series. However, the FIA's ruling on a track's minimum length is ambiguous. In 2006, despite rumors of the race being cancelled, the Brazilian Stock Car Rio event was contested on a temporary short circuit combining sections of the oval and normal circuits and the start/finish line was moved to the back stretch, which was cut short to make room for the Pan-American games venues. Another proposal for the circuit was to have both a club permanent circuit, and an international-length half-permanent, half-car park circuit involving that circuit and an extension which utilises the car parks of the park. That would have been designed by Hermann Tilke. In January 2008 it was announced that the track was to be demolished to allow the city to build an Olympic Training Centre venue for the Rio de Janeiro bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics which Rio was successful in winning. As of 2008, the track comprised the original circuit's second half with a hairpin that connects the previous main straight and back straight. It remained active, with races such as Stock Car's Corrida do Milhão. The track and adjacent motorsport facilities were finally demolished in November 2012 to make way for new facilities to be used during the 2016 Summer Olympics. In March 2013 Bernie Ecclestone, CEO of the Formula One Group, said discussions were taking place for the Formula 1 Grand Prix to move from the Interlagos Circuit in São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro and a suitable time for this could be 2016, coinciding with the 2016 Olympic Games. Formula 1 last raced at Rio in 1989 before returning to São Paulo in 1990, where it has been held since. However, no Grand Prix was held in Rio as of 2022. See also Barra Olympic Park References External links Satellite picture by Google Maps Trackpedia guide to driving Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet Save the Rio de Janeiro International Raceway Official website Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet (Rio de Janeiro) Champ Car circuits Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Nelson Piquet Sports venues in Rio de Janeiro (city) Defunct motorsport venues Sports venues completed in 1977 Sports venues demolished in 2012 Defunct sports venues in Brazil Demolished buildings and structures in Brazil Demolished sports venues