![\"\"](\"https:\/\/f1vault.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Circuit_Interlagos.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRound eighteen takes F1 to Sao Paulo for the newly renamed S\u00e3o Paulo Grand Prix at the Aut\u00f3dromo Jos\u00e9 Carlos Pace, better known by its former name Interlagos. Interlagos first hosted a non-championship race during WWII, before coming part of the world championship in 1973<\/p>\n
The name Interlagos literary translates in English as “between lakes” comes from its location between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings, which were built in the early 20th century to supply the city with water and electric power.<\/p>\n
Interlagos was built and opened in 1940 first hosting a Grand Prix in the same year. The designers took their inspiration from three main circuits: Brooklands in the UK, Roosevelt Raceway in the USA and Montlhery in France. Interlagos was a five mile circuit winding its way around a natural bowl, however that has since been halved into the current circuit.<\/p>\n
As it was in the 1940\u2019s Interlagos remains a difficult circuit for teams and drivers, its tight and twisty which makes overtaking difficult. The circuit is one that demands the best of the cars and drivers, its narrow and short. While overtaking can be difficult Interlagos has in recent years and regularly throws up incredible crazy races, with the weather often playing a part.<\/p>\n
The circuit is old school and drivers like the challenge of no huge tarmac run-off tight corners and one of the unique circuits on the calendar. The current layout of the circuit dates back to 1990, and through out it\u2019s history the circuit has been one where overtaking can be difficult.<\/p>\n
The circuit is known for its many inclines and formerly bumpy surface, which could take its toll on F1 cars because they have a very low ride height and little suspension travel. The races are therefore very tough on the car, and also physically tough on the drivers, especially since the circuit is anti-clockwise.<\/p>\n
This year’s race is set to be another game of chess between the two title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, who have won the last two races. There is nothing like a championship battle at Interlagos, but this year’s race wont decide the title between the two. This could be seen as Verstappen\u2019s fourth home race, his girlfriend is the daughter of Nelson Piquet Sr, Kelly a marketing manager for Formula E<\/p>\n
Emerson Fittipaldi was the first winner of his home Grand Prix, Sao Paulo born drivers have always gone well in their home city, Pace who the circuit of named after winning in 1974. When the race returned to Interlagos in the 1990s, Senna took his only home win in 1991 and 1993, Felipe Massa in 2006 and that dramatic 2008 title decider.<\/p>\n
During the 1980s the race was held at Jacarepagua Carlos Reutemann won in the Ferrari in 1978 followed by fellow Brazilian Fittipaldi. The tropical conditions in Rio made the race one of the most physically demanding of the season with drivers often collapsing at the end of the race.<\/p>\n
The races in Rio were dominated by Alian Prost with the Frenchman earning the title \u2018King of Rio\u2019, he took four wins at the circuit. Including beating teammate Ayrton Senna who started on pole in his first race for McLaren in 1988, finishing second the Brazilian would be later disqualified for switching to his spare car after the parade lap had begun. The 1989 event was the last race at Jacarepagua.<\/p>\n
F1 returned to the shortened Interlagos which we currently see today, although minor changes have made over the last thirty years. The circuit has a reputation for dramatic races and chaos. Prost took his fortieth career win in 1990, that was unpopular given the crash with senna at Suzuka the previous season.<\/p>\n
Senna\u2019s 1991 win is seen as one of the greatest drives in the sport’s history, throughout the race his gearbox failing in the closing stages making the car much more difficult and physically demanding to drive, but he still eventually won holding off Williams driver Riccardo Patrese. His exhaustion was so high that had to be extricated from his car. 1992 saw Mansell dominate the weekend and the rest of the season.<\/p>\n
Senna would win again in mixed conditions in 1993 his final home race the following year say him spin while trying to catch Michael Schumacher. The Brazilian would be killed a month later at Imola. Schumacher would go on to three more times at Interlagos and made his final start here in 2012.<\/p>\n
1997 saw an accident at the start that involved 4 cars, and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve went off the course at the first corner; the race was stopped and restarted, and Villeneuve jumped into the spare car and won the race.<\/p>\n
2001 saw the arrival of Juan Pablo Montoya, the Colombian muscled his way past Michael Schumacher early on and led easily until an incident in which Arrows’ Jos Verstappen ran into the back of his Williams and ended his race. He would redeem himself in 2004 before moving to McLaren with victory, after holding off his future teammate Kimi R\u00e4ikk\u00f6nen to take a hard-fought victory.<\/p>\n
2003 was a chaotic race which say Giancarlo Fisichella take Jordan\u2019s last win, the Silverstone team\u2019s last until Sakhir last December. Mixed conditions caught made the circuit tricky when it came to tyre choice, Minardi having a real chance of victory. The race eventually being red flagged when Fernando Alonso blocked the circuit.<\/p>\n
Since its move to one of the final races of the season in 2004, and remaining the last race between 2004-08 & 2011-13, there have been epic tense final day championship deciders. Alonso became the youngest ever champion in 2005, at the time, when he finished third behind Montoya.<\/p>\n
The Spaniard secured his second title the following year with second place behind Felipe Massa who took his first of two wins at Interlagos. Schumacher suffering a puncher which dropped him to the back but he was able to recover to fourth with Alonso second he was able to take his second title<\/p>\n
2008 goes down as one of the most memorable, as Massa took on Lewis Hamilton for the driver\u2019s title. In a dramatic wet-dry-wet race Massa took victory, as Hamilton got past Timo Glock at the final corner of the final lap to take fifth and the title. Jenson Button claimed his only world title, as Brawn became the only team to win in their debut season<\/p>\n
2012 was another classic race, where Vettel this time had to do battle with Fernando Alonso. After making a very poor start which dropped him to 22nd, he climbed up to 6th which was enough to see him win his 3rd consecutive Drivers’ title. But in the hybrid era Mercedes have been king, Nico Rosberg took victory in the first three seasons.<\/p>\n
As with many races in the early hybrid era it was dominated by Mercedes, with Nico Rosberg appearing to have the upper hand in 2014 and 2015 beating Hamilton. The Englishman would take his first victory in Brazil in 2016, which kept his championship alive.<\/p>\n
Vettel would win again after setting the pace and getting a good start in 2017, he passed Valtteri Bottas into the first corner. The race saw numerous first lap crashes, Romain Grosjean losing the rear and clipping Esteban Ocon, while Stoffel Vandoorne and Kevin Magnussen also retired due to a collision on the first lap.<\/p>\n
The two championship rivals Hamilton and Max Verstappen have won the last two races at Interlagos, this weekend will once again put them head to head.<\/p>\n
| Round<\/td>\n | 19 of 22<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Race<\/td>\n | Formula 1 Heineken Grande Pr\u00eamio De S\u00e3o Paulo 2021<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Venue<\/td>\n | Aut\u00f3dromo Jos\u00e9 Carlos Pace, Socorro, S\u00e3o Paulo, Brazil<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Configuration<\/td>\n | 2000 5th<\/sup> Variant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n| Circuit Length<\/td>\n | 4.309 km (2.677 mi)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Laps<\/td>\n | 71<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Race Distance<\/td>\n | 305.879 km (190.064 mi)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Lap Record<\/td>\n | 01:10.540 (Finland Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1 W09 EQ Power+, 2018)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Most wins drivers *<\/td>\n | Alain Prost (6)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | Most wins manufacture *<\/td>\n | McLaren (12)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n | *As Brazilian Grand Prix<\/p>\n Fast facts<\/h2>\nEvent timetable<\/h2>\n
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