Interlagos, a historic and hilly circuit
Interlagos is hosting the final stage of the triple header at the legendary Autodromo José Carlos Pace this weekend. The Motors Inside editorial team provides you with a summary of everything you need to know about this track.
After Austin and Mexico City, Formula 1 is making a stop in South America for the 20th race of the championship, the last one under the Sprint format.
A hilly and historical circuit
The Autodromo José Carlos Pace, built in the suburbs of São Paulo, is one of the oldest circuits in the Formula 1 championship. While the competition raced there for the first time in 1972, the track itself has existed since 1938.
In 1981, Interlagos lost the organization of the Grand Prix which was relocated to Jacarepagua for nine years. During this time, the track was extensively modified to meet the new F1 standards. As for the facilities, they built pits and a control tower so that in 1990, the circuit finally regained Formula 1.
The drivers will have to complete 71 laps, totaling 305.879 km, on this legendary track, located between two artificial lakes. A rare counterclockwise circuit, their neck will be tested to the limit. Known for being very hilly, the Brazilian layout is also particularly twisty.
The path of the stands already sets the tone as it rises up to the exciting first turn. Wide, it is conducive to overtaking. Then come two turns with different angles and lengths.
But the most dreaded turn is obviously the Ferradura corner, which drivers have to tackle blindly. And it’s only a taste of what awaits them next, as the second sector is particularly technical. Out of a total of 15 turns, this sector alone has no less than eight.
The Pirelli choice
Just like in Austin, Pirelli brings the C2 to C4 tires to Sao Paulo. The choice of mid-range tires is justified by the rough nature of the track.
Interlagos has a little bit of everything, with low and medium-speed turns, and the cars have a high level of downforce. The forces acting on the tires are reasonably balanced.
The asphalt itself has a high level of roughness: typical of permanent tracks with a long history behind them. The degradation is mainly thermal, which is why compounds C2, C3, and C4 have been chosen. A two-stop strategy is the most likely.
Already crowned world champion, Max Verstappen is once again the top favorite for the weekend but it’s the position of runner-up that keeps us on our toes until the end. Forced to retire after a collision with Charles Leclerc, at his home race in Mexico, Sergio Pérez could very well be overtaken for second place by Lewis Hamilton.
In the constructors’ standings, Ferrari is trailing Mercedes by 22 points and still hopes to secure the second place in the championship. But watch out for George Russell. Last year’s winner, the driver showed great skill on the Interlagos circuit. Can he repeat his feat this year and help Mercedes secure its position? Find out Saturday from 7:30 PM to follow the Sprint race.
