The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Autódromo de Interlagos or simply Interlagos, is a 4.309 km (2.677 mi) motorsportcircuit located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It was inaugurated on 12 May 1940, by the federal intervener of the São Paulo province, Adhemar de Barros. In 1985, the circuit was renamed to honor the Formula 1 driver José Carlos Pace, who died in a plane crash in 1977. Attached to its facilities there is a kart circuit named after Ayrton Senna. It runs counterclockwise.
The land on which the circuit is located was originally bought in 1926 by property developers who wanted to build housing.[1] Following difficulties partly due to the 1929 stock market crash, it was decided to build a racing circuit instead; construction started in 1938 and the track was inaugurated on 12 May 1940.[1] Its design was inspired by tracks such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Roosevelt Raceway in the United States, Brooklands in England, and Montlhéry in France.[2][3]
The traditional name of the circuit, Interlagos (in Portuguese, "between lakes"), comes from its location on the neighborhood of the same name, a region between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings, built in the early 20th century to supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo with water and electric power. The name "Interlagos" was suggested by the French architect and urban planner Alfred Agache after the Interlaken region located in Switzerland.[3] Interlagos was renamed in 1985 to "Autódromo José Carlos Pace" in honor of the Brazilian Formula One driver José Carlos Pace, who died in a plane crash in 1977.[3]
Formula One started racing at Interlagos in 1972, when the event was run as a non-championship race (won by Argentinean Carlos Reutemann). The first World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix was held there in 1973, and it was won by defending Formula One World Champion and São Paulo local Emerson Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi won the race again the following year, and José Carlos Pace won his only race at Interlagos in 1975.
Due to safety concerns with the 7.960 km (4.946 mi) original layout, including a bumpy surface, the inadequate barriers, deep ditches and embankments, the last Formula One race held on the original Interlagos was in 1980, when it was nearly cancelled after protests by many Formula One drivers – including defending world champion Jody Scheckter. The safety concerns were directed towards the track surface, which BBC commentator Murray Walker described as "appallingly bumpy". Most of the ground-effect cars of 1980 were designed in such a way that bumpy surfaces were barely tolerable for the drivers. These factors meant that Formula One would move back to the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro, hometown of established star Nelson Piquet and where the Brazilian Grand Prix was held in 1978. After Formula One moved away, the only major race being held at Interlagos was the Mil Milhas Brasil, and the last major race on the original circuit was the 1989 Mil Milhas Brasil. Formula One returned to the circuit in 1990 after it had been shortened and modified at a cost of $15 million. The track layout, aside from the pit exit being extended along the "Curva do Sol" over the years has remained the same since 1990.
During the weekend of the 2023 race, one roof in the complex came off because of bad weather.[5]
Characteristics
Satellite view of the circuit in 2018
One of the main characteristics of Interlagos is that it was not built on flat terrain, but follows the ups and downs of hilly ground, which makes it harder to drive and demands more power from the cars' engines. The races therefore can be tough on the car and physically demanding on the drivers, especially since the circuit runs counterclockwise, where the centrifugal forces in the many hard left turns push the drivers' necks to the right, instead of left as in most of the circuits on the F1 calendar. The hilly course is also a good feature for road cycling races, which are usually held at the circuit.
Additionally to the physical aspects there is also a climate component to the venue, the region where the track is located is known for having rapid changes in weather with outbursts of rain being common, which can vary from a short lived drizzle to a torrential storm. This can add a degree of unpredictability to the races and it's classically associated with the circuit. The city of São Paulo itself where the circuit is located is known by the nickname "Land of the Drizzle".
First reform
In 1979 upgrading work was done and the pit lane was extended past the first left-hand turn (1), making the corner more narrow, and the pit lane ended right in the middle of turn 1 and 2. The present design of the track dates back to 1990, when the original circuit was shortened from 7.87385 km (4.89258 mi) to 4.325 km (2.687 mi). As a consequence of the reduction, the track lost three long straight sections and nine fast curves (5 were lost forever, 4 were made slower and are still present). The original track was full of fast corners and it allowed cars to keep maximum speed for up for many seconds, it was considered dangerous, and in 1990 the old layout was mostly revised. The new track still had a very long top-speed section that contained bumps, high-speed turns and little run-off area though the track was very wide at this point.
Improvement in 2007
For the 2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, the largest-scale repairs in the last 35 years were carried out at the circuit, to fundamentally solve problems with the track surface.[6][7] The existing asphalt was entirely replaced,[8] resulting in a much smoother track surface. At the same time, the pit lane entrance was enhanced to improve safety and to add a new fixed grand stand.[9] To facilitate the work, the circuit was closed and no events were held in the five months immediately preceding the race.[10]
Shortly before the 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix, FIA race director Charlie Whiting detailed several planned upgrades of the circuit, including a new pit entrance and expanded run-off at the final corner, as a response to several fatal accidents at the circuit in 2011.[18] In June 2012, further details of the proposed plans emerged, calling for the construction of a brand new pit building and the relocation of the start line from its current position between Arquibancadas and the Senna 'S' to Reta Oposta.[19] However, later it was decided to keep start/finish straight at its current location along with the new pit building.[20]
Pit lane
Interlagos has one of the longest pit-lanes ever used in Formula One, starting just before the start-finish straight and rejoining the main course after Curva do Sol. Entering the pits was originally not a trivial task, as the high speed and the left turning may force the car rightwards, out of the pits. The pit lane entrance received some changes to become safer for the 2007 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, and later for the 2014 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, when a chicane was added.
Layout history
Interlagos Circuit Layout History
Original Grand Prix Circuit (1940–1979)
Grand Prix Circuit (2nd Variation) (1980–1989)
The track as it was redesigned in 1990 (the latest major modification of the track, which saw only minor modifications since then)
Motorcycle Circuit (1992)
Overlay showing the differences between present-day and 1973 layouts
Race start is in the "Tribunas" section and features a long straight with an upward inclination, then comes "S do Senna" (the Senna S) [1,2], a pair of alternating downward turns (left then right) that exhibit different attack angles and inclinations.
"S do Senna" connects with "Curva do Sol" (Curve of the Sun) [3], a round-shaped large-radius left turn that leads to "Reta Oposta" (Opposite Straight) the track's longest (but not the fastest) straight. Reta Oposta is succeeded by a pair of downhill left turns that are called "Descida do Lago" (Lake's Descent) [4,5] into a short straight section that climbs up towards the back of the pit buildings.
This is followed by a slow section, with small, kart-like turns and elevation changes. The first of these turns is known as "Ferradura" (Horseshoe) [6,7] downhill and right into "Laranjinha" (Little Orange) [8], another right turn and the slowest point of the circuit; the next turn leads into "Pinheirinho" (Little Pine Tree) [9], left on a plain field; then comes "Bico de Pato" (Duck Bill) [10] a right turn with a tight hairpin like shape; and then "Mergulho" (Dive) [11], a constant-radius left-hand turn that slings the driver straight into a harder left at "Junção" (Junction) [12].
Turn [13] "Café" (Coffee), is a left up-hill kink and marks the start of the long top-speed section. Rising up through "Subida dos Boxes" (Up to the Pits) [14], the driver encounters a long uphill left turn with a gradient of 10% that demands a lot of power from the cars. At the end of it comes Arquibancadas (Bleachers) [15], a wide high velocity left turn that connects to the "Tribunas" straight to complete the final section of the track.
The series of left turns from the exit of "Junção" all the way to Turn 1 is typically taken at full throttle and treated as a long straight. This section is one of the longest full-throttle stretches on the Formula 1 calendar, and thus demanding of the engine's reliability. Other notable stretches of this nature are the "Rettifilo Tribune" straight at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza and the Kemmel Straight at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
List of the corners with their names (the numbers correspond to the current layout, from start to finish line):
^Autódromo José Carlos Pace's Grade 1 license expired 12 November 2024. It will feature on the 2025 Formula One World Championship calendar, so the license will have to be renewed.
^"As obras em Interlagos" (in Portuguese). www.autodromointerlagos.com/. 4 September 2007. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 8 September 2007.
^[hhttps://www.racingyears.com/race/2007%2520Turismo%2520Competici%25C3%25B3n%25202000%2520S%25C3%25A3o%2520Paulo "2007 Turismo Competición 2000 São Paulo"]. 17 June 2007. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
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