Interlagos: A Deep Dive
Interlagos, officially the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, sits in the southern suburbs of Sao Paulo, hemmed in by the sprawling city around it. Short, old-fashioned and built into a natural bowl, it is one of the most beloved circuits on the Formula 1 calendar — a place where championships are routinely decided and where the passion of the Brazilian crowd is unmatched anywhere in the sport.
The layout
At just 4.309 kilometres with 15 corners, Interlagos is one of the shortest laps in Formula 1, run anti-clockwise. FIA Grade 1. The lap begins with the plunging Senna S — a downhill left-right that is one of the best overtaking spots on the calendar — then runs along the back of the circuit through the fast Curva do Sol and down the long Reta Oposta straight. The Descida do Lago and Ferradura corners wind through the infield before the long, banked, uphill Juncao left-hander launches cars onto the start-finish straight. That final climb, combined with the run to the line, makes the start-finish straight a second overtaking zone.
The altitude
Sao Paulo sits at roughly 800 metres above sea level, and the thinner air reduces engine power and downforce. Combined with the famously bumpy surface — Interlagos is built on unstable ground that constantly shifts — this makes the circuit a genuine engineering challenge. Teams must balance aerodynamic efficiency against the power loss, and the bumps punish stiff setups.
The weather
Sao Paulo's subtropical climate produces some of the most dramatic weather in Formula 1. Sudden, torrential afternoon storms are common in the November race window, and several Brazilian Grands Prix have been transformed by rain. The natural-bowl topography means spectators can see much of the circuit at once, heightening the drama when the heavens open.
Racing history and Senna
Interlagos is inseparable from Ayrton Senna, Brazil's national hero, who won his emotional home Grand Prix here in 1991 while stuck in sixth gear, collapsing with exhaustion in the cockpit. The circuit is named after Carlos Pace, the Brazilian driver who won here in 1975. The 2008 race, where Lewis Hamilton clinched his first title at the final corner of the final lap as Felipe Massa celebrated a home win that proved hollow seconds later, is among the most dramatic finishes in the sport's history. The 2012 and 2021 finales were equally decisive.
The crowd
No circuit has a more passionate crowd than Interlagos. Brazilian fans treat the Grand Prix as a national festival, filling the grandstands with flags, flares, samba and an emotional intensity rarely matched. For visiting fans, the atmosphere is the main attraction — the racing is good, but the noise and colour of the Sao Paulo crowd are the reason to make the trip.
Attending the Brazilian Grand Prix
The race, held in November, is one of the great-value F1 weekends. The grass banks and general-admission areas give excellent views thanks to the compact, bowl-shaped site. Sao Paulo is a vast, intense city; visitors should plan transport carefully, as the circuit's southern-suburb location can mean long journeys in heavy traffic. The grandstands above the Senna S and the start-finish straight are the premium seats. Bring rain protection regardless of the forecast, and ear protection rated 28-32 dB NRR.
Explore on the map
Interlagos and the other South American circuits are plotted on the interactive map. Use the filters to compare the Sao Paulo venue with Argentina's Termas de Rio Hondo and the rest of the continent's circuits, and to plan a trip built around the Brazilian Grand Prix.