Formula 1’s three week triple-header in the Americas comes to an end this weekend. After the United States and Mexico, the teams have now headed south east, travelling to Brazil for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix after which there will be just three more rounds this season. This weekend’s race takes place at the Interlagos track, officially known as the Carlos Pace circuit, located in a suburb of the Sao Paulo megalopolis, capital of the eponymous state.
The circuit. Interlagos hosted the first edition of this South American race as a round of the world championship in 1973, the Brazilian Grand Prix, the title by which it was known until it was named after the capital city as from 2021. Interlagos has hosted the majority of the championship races on Brazilian soil, although from 1981 to 1989, it was held on the now abandoned Jacarepagua track on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. The track is one of the favourites among the drivers. The lap begins on a high speed curving straight which leads onto the downhill turn 1, the famous Senna esses, named after the legendary Sao Paulo native, who died thirty years ago in Imola. Next comes the flat out Curva do Sol, leading on to the Reta Oposta, a straight with a DRS zone leading to turn 4, the Descida do Lago, where overtaking is possible and the drivers are subjected to exceptionally high gravitational forces. The track then climbs slightly going into sector 2, the twistiest part of the track, with a sequence running from turn 6, Ferradura, to 11, Mergulho, after which comes the third, very fast sector. The final metres of the lap consist of just one corner, Juncao, leading onto Subida do Boxes and Arquibancadas the finish line, where once again the DRS can be used.
Weather. It can rain quite a lot in November in Sao Paulo and the forecast for the weekend is not looking great. Having said that, the weather at Interlagos can be very changeable, partly because the track is located at a moderate 700 metres above sea level and in the past we have seen very wet sessions followed by bright sunshine, with a track temperature of 40 degrees.
Tyres. The short lap means there are no fewer than 71 laps to be completed in the Sao Paulo Grand Prix and if it is dry, then usually it’s a two-stopper, especially as the layout means overtaking is more than feasible. If it rains, or in mixed conditions there’s always the risk of losing count of the number of pit stops…
Programme. After a weekend run to the normal format in Mexico, with the exception of the extended FP2 tyre test, Sao Paulo hosts another Sprint weekend. Therefore, the only free practice session starts at 11.30 local (15.30 CET) on Friday, followed by Sprint Qualifying at 15.30 (19.30 CET). Saturday starts off with the fifth Sprint race of the season at 11.00 (15.00 CET) followed by qualifying at 15.00 (19.00 CET). The Sao Paulo Grand Prix gets underway at 14.00 (18.CET) on Sunday.
FACTS AND FIGURES, SÃO PAULO GRAND PRIX
3.5. The length in kilometres of the road nicknamed Minhocão, officially “Via Elevada Presidente João Goulart”. The road is much disliked by drivers for its twisty nature and by those in the buildings it runs past because of the noise. The Minhocão is a mythical creature which resemble a giant earthworm. The stretch of motorway flyover is closed to car traffic between 8 at night and 7 in the morning on holidays and all day on Saturday on Sunday, when it is only open to pedestrians and cyclists. Local planners have long campaigned to have the road demolished to promote urban renewal, but over time, it has become something of a meeting place, famous for the giant graffiti painted on the surrounding buildings.
30. The percentage of Brazilians who regularly engage in some form of physical activity, many of them taking part in a sport. According to the Brazilian Ministry for Sport, the most popular is football, with 30 million players, followed by volleyball, table tennis and swimming. Beach tennis and skateboarding are going through a ramp up in popularity and are expected to grow still more in the coming years. Apart from actual sports, Brazil is second only to the USA on the list of countries with the most gyms, with about 40,000.
200. The number of helipads in Sao Paulo, the majority on the roofs of buildings, with over 500 registered helicopters. There are at least 700 flights per day in the city, a world record. This means of transport is used mainly by bosses of major companies to avoid the very busy traffic on the streets below.
720. The number of pizzas baked per minute in Sao Paulo. The city boasts the largest Italian community in the country with over 6000 pizzerias, which produce more than a million pizzas per day, many more than in Italy, the home of the pizza. The pizzas generate around 4 billion Reals (over 700 million US dollars) per year.
1925. The first year that the International Saint Silvester Race was run. The running race is held every year in Sao Paulo on 31 December over a distance of 15 kilometres. Entries open on 1 October with a maximum of 15,000 competitors and the entry list fills up on the very same day. As from 1989, the Saint Silvester race doubled in size when a women’s event was added. There’s also a shorter version for kids known as the “São Silvestrinha.”