São Paulo Grand Prix Preview

Formula 1 first visited Brazil in 1973, with Interlagos the venue, before the country’s event moved to Rio de Janeiro’s Jacarepagua through the 1980s. But from 1990 a reprofiled Interlagos picked up the mantle once more. In 2004 the race switched position in the calendar and became the regular season finale, with Fernando Alonso, Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel all crowned World Champion in gripping denouements across the late 2000s and early 2010s. 

A contractual dispute, and rumors over a new venue, led to fears that Formula 1 was never going back again, but amid the difficulties of 2020 came the welcome development that a new agreement was reached, keeping the championship at Interlagos through 2025.

Officially known as Autódromo José Carlos Pace, in deference to the Brazilian Formula 1 icon who died in a 1977 plane crash, Interlagos takes its name from the neighborhood of São Paulo located between the artificial reservoirs of Guarapiranga and Billinges – directly translating as ‘between lakes’. The circuit is among Formula 1’s shortest, at just 4.3 km, and features two lengthy full-throttle sections linked by a sequence of long-radius undulating corners, including Ferradura, Laranjinha and Pinheirinho. 

The opportune overtaking spot comes following the front stretch, at the Senna S, a complex named in honor of the late great Ayrton Senna. While not as extreme as Mexico City’s 2,200 meters, Interlagos sits some 800 metres above sea level, providing another set-up trade off as teams chase both downforce and top speed. And, as the dramatic title deciders of 2008 and 2012 will testify, wet weather can influence proceedings, while 2016’s race was twice red-flagged and run across three hours due to torrential rain.     

For the third time this season Uralkali Haas F1 Team will tackle a tweaked timetable, with F1 Sprint featuring after its first two appearances at Silverstone and Monza. That leaves rookie drivers Nikita Mazepin and Mick Schumacher with just one hour of practice prior to qualifying on Friday, with Sprint installed on Saturday, ahead of Sunday’s grand prix.

 

 

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Uralkali Haas F1 Team

Round 19 of the 2021 FIA Formula 1 World Championship hosts the final sprint event of the season. With speculation of additional events next year, what’s your assessment of sprint qualifying and does anything need to change to improve the product for fans or behind the scenes for teams? 

“I’m looking forward to Brazil as the track should suit the sprint qualifying format very well. I think we have to see after the three events we did this year how the fans reacted to it and if we need to make to some tweaks, there is always room for it. You can always make something better so we should look at it and see how we can improve it. For me, going into a few more next year is very good for the sport.”

 

The São Paulo Grand Prix is the home race of Official Test and Reserve driver, Pietro Fittipaldi. Having also announced him joining the team for the post-season test in 2018 at Interlagos, can you share how Pietro’s role has evolved and what he’s brought to the team over the years? 

“Pietro is a very good guy, he’s a very good driver and he’s now a part of our family. We always can’t do without him but last year when Romain had his accident and he had to jump in, he did a fantastic job not having been in the car for almost one year. Pietro is one of us and hopefully he stays on with us.”

 

It will be the first time racing in Brazil since the pandemic. Does visiting these iconic locations once again bring about a feeling of normality to the paddock after what seems a long time of uncertainty? 

“Yes, but more than that, I feel normality because we have the grandstands full of people again. That to me is normality because missing out one year in the schedule we are running – you don’t really realize how quickly a year goes by – but people back at the track and seeing fans engage with it is very good and that for me is normality and I hope it stays like this.”