Formula One Grande Premio do Brazil

Every year the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil roars with the sounds of engines and a fierce crowd cheering with excitement. The Grande Prêmio do Brasil or Brazilian Grand Prix is a Formula One championship race which takes place each year in the district of Interlagos.

Dating back to the 1920s, the Interlagos circuit was a derivative of São Paulo’s rapid development. Louis Romero Sanson, a British real-estate tycoon, teamed up with Alfred Agache, the French urban planner who headed Rio de Janeiro’s redevelopment scheme, and the two began designing the neighborhood, complete with vast roads, a multi-sport stadium as well as a magnificent race track. The location of the project was set between two massive basins which supplied the city with drinking water and Sanson named it: “Balneário Satélite da Capital”. Nevertheless, when Agache deemed the location comparable to that of the Swiss town Interlaken, the name was quickly changed to "Interlagos" ("in between lakes"). Unfortunately, however, the plans were halted when the stock market crash of 1929 coupled with Brazil’s already politically turbulent landscape.

The economic and political tribulations did not affect Brazil's thriving motor sports scene which rapidly began to sweep the nation as numerous clubs sprouted up everywhere in the earlier part of the 20th century, with the first internationally established race being held in Rio de Janeiro. Subsequently, São Paulo became inspired to coordinate its very own Grand Prix and did so on July 12, 1936 in the streets of the city. However, the results were ill-fated as racer Hellé-Nice lost control of her Alfa Romeo in an accident that took the lives of 4 spectators and left another 37 severely injured. Moved by the tragedy, president of the extinct Automobile Club of Brazil, Eusébio de Queiroz Mattozo, insisted on the conclusion of the Sanson’s Interlagos project.

A motivated Sanson began to study the world’s top tracks which included: Indianapolis, Roosevelt Raceway, Brooklands, and Monthony as well as consulting experts and veteran race car drivers alike. In 1938, construction began on the legendary Interlagos track and the circuit was finally inaugurated on May 12, 1940, with the 3rd Grand Prix of the city of São Paulo plus a motorcycle-race put on for a crowd of approximately 15,000. The legendary Grand Prix was won by Brazilian driver Nascimento Junior, with an Alfa Romeo 3500cc.

March 30, 1947: Interlagos hosted its first international competition with Grand Prix cars.
1954: Sanson's company sold the track to the City of São Paulo for a symbolic price.
1957: The track was divided creating a 2-mile external ring for high-speed competitions and a varied section that was ideal for testing races.
1967: Interlagos was closed for renovations.
March 1, 1970: The track was re-opened.
1971: The circuit prepared for Formula 1 with even more renovations.
March 30, 1972: While not yet valid for World Championship points, the first ever Formula 1 race took place in Interlagos and Argentinean driver Carlos Reutemann won the race.
February 11, 1973: The success of the prior year’s event led the way for the first official Formula One World Championship race wherein Brazil's Emerson Fittipaldi came in first.
1978: The Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro hosted the F-1 Grand Prix because the 1966 track had finally met FIA specifications in 1977.
1979: The race returned to São Paulo.
1980: São Paulo ceased the necessary funding to sustain the track at international standards.
1981: Rio de Janeiro seized the position as host to the Brazilian Grand Prix. During this time, Interlagos was granted trivial renovations and put on a series of minor championship races: Formula Ford, Formulas 2 and 3, Super V and GT Cars.
1985: In honor of the great Brazilian driver who perished in an airplane crash in 1977, Interlagos was renamed José Carlos Pace.
1989: The race was set to return to São Paulo after Rio became unable to finance the event. A desperate São Paulo began to remodel with new boxes, a race control tower, and shortening of the track to conform to the latest craze for shorter circuits.
March 23, 1990: F-1 Interlagos reopened with France’s Alain Prost winning the race.

From then on, the world-famous Interlagos has been impeccably maintained with annual developments meeting the ever-demanding and ever-changing international standards as well as the delight of racecar fans from across the globe.

At the start, the cars race down to the Descida do Sol which drops downhill to the left. It is approached in 6/7th gear at about 180 mph. Then braking very hard (-3.3g), the cars approach the S do Senna – a left-right-left section which begins with Curve 1, one of just two places were you might get to see overtaking maneuvers as they try to out-brake one another. Cars take this corner in 2nd gear at 60 mph changing up to 3rd gear and accelerating through 100 mph towards the final turn in the sequence (Curva do Sol) and a 4th gear 140 mph. Hard on the throttle, cars accelerate to 180 mph along the Reta Oposta straight in top gear at 180 mph.

The Descida do Lago is a tight left-hand corner to which there is a bumpy entrance, which often throws rash drivers into a spin. Those who get through it take it in 3rd gear at 85 mph, having braked hard at its entrance. Drivers who get it right can often get past those who don’t at this point. After a short straight, another left-hander (135 mph in 4th gear) swings the cars back on themselves as they accelerate to 170 mph before braking hard at the entrance to Ferradura.

The Ferradura is a sweeping, double apex right-hander with an extremely bumpy entrance. Probably the most difficult corner on the circuit as it is approached downhill and at speed – 5th gear at 165 mph. After going through the first apex in 3rd gear at around 100 mph, the car drifts out for the second apex and, on exiting at the top in 3rd, another right-hander is on top of you almost immediately as Pinheirinho approaches which is taken in 2nd gear at about 55 mph.

The Pinheirinho is a very tight left-hander that is only taken in 2nd gear at 60 mph, exited in 3rd gear, and then it’s up to 4th for the approach to another tight corner, this time with a right-hand turn. The Bico de Pato (also known as Cotovêlo) is taken in 2nd at just over 70 mph and exited in 3rd gear, climbing to 5th as the car makes for a left-hander prior to turning for Mergulho. This sweeping corner is taken in 4th gear at 145 mph before accelerating along to the 3rd-gear Junção.

Subida do Boxes marks the entrance to two left-handed curves, both banked and going up hill. The first is approached at 110 mph and is followed by Arquibancada, which is taken in 5th gear at 160 mph. Acceleration continues as the Start-Finish line straight comes into view and is crossed at about 185 mph.

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