Formula 1 moves onto Brazil for Round 20, and even though the Drivers’ Championship is already wrapped up, there remains plenty to fight for. The venue is the legendary Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, a track measuring 4.309km across 15 turns, with drivers set to complete 71 laps for a total race distance of 305.879km. Valtteri Bottas holds the lap record here at 1m 10.540s, set in 2018.
Brazil boasts a rich motorsport history spanning more than 50 years, hosting its first championship event at Interlagos in 1973. Sao Paulo's very own Emerson Fittipaldi won the first two iterations, while local driver Carlos Pace took victory in 1975, leading to the track being named in his honor in 1985. Following stints at Jacarepagua in Rio de Janeiro, the championship returned to Interlagos permanently after major renovations shortened and resurfaced the layout ahead of the 1990 season. It has since delivered dramatic incidents, championship-deciders, and incredible comeback drives.
Driving at Interlagos is a supreme challenge due to unpredictable weather, an anti-clockwise layout, and extreme elevation changes, sitting at 765m of altitude alongside the Red Bull Ring and Mexico City. Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver, explains the physical and technical demands: "Interlagos has a tricky first corner; you can brake much later than you imagine and carry speed into the apex. But brake too late and it's easy to lock up the front-left." Palmer adds that the middle sector is entirely about rhythm through the tight right-handers, while the final corner dictates exit speed onto the whopping straight back up the hill. The anti-clockwise nature also places heavy physical loads on the drivers' necks.
Technical regulations bring new elements this weekend, including Straight Mode zones where cars reduce drag via adjustable front and rear wings. Brazil features two designated Straight Mode zones: from the exit of Turn 14 down to Turn 1, and between Turns 3 and 4. Meanwhile, Overtake Mode replaces DRS as an electrical power mode allowing sustained higher speeds. The Overtake detection point is placed just after Turn 12, with the activation line following at the exit of Turn 13.
Statistical highlights show that Interlagos is the best circuit on the calendar for overtaking, producing the most passes of any event in 2021 and 2022. It is also chaotic, with only one of the last nine Grands Prix passing without a Safety Car, Virtual Safety Car, or red flag, which occurred in 2018. On the current grid, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied on three wins each in Brazil, and Hamilton is set to celebrate his 400th Grand Prix this weekend.
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