The last season of the World Cup on Globo took place in 2020

Band announced this Monday that it will continue broadcasting Formula 1 until the end of 2025, frustrating Globo’s plans to show the competition again from next season. In a statement, the São Paulo broadcaster stated that it did not reach a consensus with Liberty Media, holder of the F-1 rights, regarding the termination of the contract, opting to comply with the contract. The contract ends at the end of next year.

Liberty Media intended to terminate Band, which has amounts to pay to the American company and was not optimistic about keeping F-1 on the schedule. Globo, responsible for broadcasting the races for four decades, was the main interested party in the business. The last season of the World Cup on the Rio broadcaster took place in 2020.

The expectation of F-1 returning to Globo became even greater last week, during Upfront Globo, an event in which the company presents the channel’s main products for 2025 to the advertising market. A single-seater painted with the channel’s logos was displayed with a “sera?” appearing on a screen in the background.

One of the reasons that led Globo to be interested in the return of F1 is the possibility of Gabriel Bortoleto becoming a Sauber/Audi starter. At 19 years old, the Brazilian emerged as the favorite after a good performance in his debut season in Formula 2 this year.

Bortoleto competes for a place with the experienced Valtteri Bottas, runner-up in the 2019 and 2020 seasons, when he was partnered with Englishman Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes. The Finn is one of the current Kick Sauber starters, but only has a contract until the end of this year.