Lando Norris’s victory at the São Paulo Grand Prix on 9 November delighted Formula 1 fans, but it also created the busiest 48-hour window for Brazil’s Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) since before the pandemic. Airport authorities reported 137 000 passenger movements between 8 and 10 November, 22 % above the same weekend in 2024.
To manage the influx, GRU activated its Event Operations Centre, opening an additional 12 manual immigration booths after automated e-gates hit capacity during the post-race exodus. Average passport-control wait times nevertheless spiked to 42 minutes on Sunday night, according to FlightQueue data—triple the normal average of 14 minutes.
![São Paulo Grand Prix Drives Record International Arrivals, Straining GRU Immigration Queues]()
Hotel occupancy in the city’s financial district hit 96 %, prompting some race-related corporate hospitality groups to shift guests to Campinas and Sorocaba. Ride-hailing fares surged 180 % at peak departure hours, leading the municipal transport department to allow temporary taxi-lane access for app-drivers.
While the Grand Prix is primarily a leisure event, many multinationals leverage the weekend for client entertainment. Companies planning 2026 programs are advised to secure block bookings by March and to arrange VIP immigration services or crew clearance where possible.
The Airport Concessionaire says lessons learned—such as the need for flexible staffing rotas and real-time queue dashboards—will feed directly into preparations for next year’s expanded visa requirements affecting US, Canadian and Australian nationals. GRU is accelerating installation of 20 additional e-gates to be operational by April 2026.
To manage the influx, GRU activated its Event Operations Centre, opening an additional 12 manual immigration booths after automated e-gates hit capacity during the post-race exodus. Average passport-control wait times nevertheless spiked to 42 minutes on Sunday night, according to FlightQueue data—triple the normal average of 14 minutes.
Hotel occupancy in the city’s financial district hit 96 %, prompting some race-related corporate hospitality groups to shift guests to Campinas and Sorocaba. Ride-hailing fares surged 180 % at peak departure hours, leading the municipal transport department to allow temporary taxi-lane access for app-drivers.
While the Grand Prix is primarily a leisure event, many multinationals leverage the weekend for client entertainment. Companies planning 2026 programs are advised to secure block bookings by March and to arrange VIP immigration services or crew clearance where possible.
The Airport Concessionaire says lessons learned—such as the need for flexible staffing rotas and real-time queue dashboards—will feed directly into preparations for next year’s expanded visa requirements affecting US, Canadian and Australian nationals. GRU is accelerating installation of 20 additional e-gates to be operational by April 2026.
