The Mayor of Sao Paulo, Paulo Gilberto Kassab, claims to have signed a new deal with Formula One Administration (FOA) which will see the Brazilian Grand Prix remain at Interlagos until 2015.

The move, although not officially confirmed by FOA, will surprise many within the paddock, for although the event is a popular one, and Brazil has a special place in the history of the sport, the circuit and its facilities are nowhere near the standard of many other tracks on the calendar, though it is never singled out in the same way as Silverstone.

That said, it is understood that part of the new deal sees the circuit owners commit to a major development programme, to include a new pit and paddock complex, together with a new grandstand.

In a statement issued on the official Sao Paulo mayoral website, Kassab said: "A Formula One Grand Prix is one of the big sport events in the world. With the signing of this contract, Sao Paulo has made sure we will host the Brazilian event at least for the next eight years."

Seeing that Sao Paulo is only four hours behind Europe, and therefore the GP is usually shown early evening, it is unlikely that Bernie Ecclestone will be demanding a night, or even a twilight, race, not even for those many new F1 fans in the east.