São Paulo Grand Prix: Race Preview

Brazil joined Formula 1’s World Championship in 1973, with the lengthy Interlagos the venue, the district taking its name from its location between the artificial reservoirs of Guarapiranga and Billinges. The race relocated to Rio de Janeiro’s Jacarepagua through the 1980s but from 1990 a reprofiled Interlagos returned to the calendar and quickly established itself as the permanent home of Brazil’s Formula 1 race. Interlagos, officially called the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, has been the scene of several breathtaking title showdowns, with Kimi Räikkönen, Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel all sealing last-gasp championships. Brazil’s race was rebranded as the São Paulo Grand Prix under a new arrangement from 2021 and it holds a spot on Formula 1’s schedule through 2030.



The circuit is among Formula 1’s shortest, with 4.3km of tarmac condensed into Interlagos’ small campus, and features two lengthy full-throttle sections connected by long-radius undulating turns. It is a lap that has been mastered by both MoneyGram Haas F1 Team drivers during qualifying sessions in previous seasons. Nico Hulkenberg, during his rookie season in 2010, and Kevin Magnussen, in 2022, both caused upsets in rain-affected Q3 sessions to finish fastest during qualifying. Magnussen’s lap marked MoneyGram Haas F1 Team’s maiden pole position.

Interlagos will host the fifth F1 Sprint event of the season, marking the fourth straight year in which the alternative weekend format has been used at the São Paulo Grand Prix.

MoneyGram Haas F1 Team enters the São Paulo Grand Prix in sixth place in the championship on 46 points – already its highest season tally since 2018 – after scoring points in each of the last six races.



Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: 

“Interlagos is a very technical and dynamic circuit which has a great flow to it. The location has amazing history and atmosphere, and the racing is often great. Of course, being a part of MoneyGram Haas F1 Team, Interlagos is also special as this is the track where we qualified on pole for the Sprint with Kevin in 2022. We’re looking forward to coming back to Brazil and conclude this triple-header with another strong points finish.”



Nico Hulkenberg:

“The São Paulo Grand Prix is steeped in history, it’s everywhere, and that’s still very special to experience as a Formula 1 driver. The Senna S down to Turn 4 is phenomenal to drive and the Brazilian carnival environment all weekend, is a highlight at the end of a triple-header. It’s been a run of four consecutive points-scoring races for me with the Sprint, so I’m looking to extend that in Brazil.”



Kevin Magnussen:

“Of course I’ve got some good memories from Brazil. The pole position we got there in 2022 is always going to be very clear in my mind and it’s probably the best day at work I’ve had in Formula 1. I love the location and the atmosphere. Every place we go to has a unique feel with the fans, but in Brazil there’s the football stadium nearby and that culture is engrained in them, so when fans go to the Formula 1 race, you feel that atmosphere.