This weekend sees Scuderia Ferrari HP tackle the São Paulo Grand Prix, held at the Interlagos circuit. It is the twentieth race of the season and the final round of the American triple-header, which has seen teams and drivers compete in the United States, Mexico and now Brazil.
The circuit. The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, more commonly known as Interlagos, is very popular with drivers, thanks to the variety of its corner types and constant changes in elevation. Run anti-clockwise and 4.309 kilometres in length, it features a combination of fast sections, heavy braking zones and slow corners, requiring a good aerodynamic compromise when it comes to car set-up. The first sector includes the famous Senna Esses, followed by Curva do Sol and the downhill run towards Descida do Lago, one of the best opportunities to attempt an overtaking move. The middle sector is more technical, demanding precision through changes of direction, good traction and stability in low-speed corners. The standout corner in the final part of the lap is Junção, requiring good exit speed to tackle the long climb to the finish line. Getting through it well can make all the difference, both to lap time and to overtaking opportunities into the first braking zone. Another distinctive feature of Interlagos is its relatively short lap, which tends to keep the gaps particularly small, especially in qualifying.
Weather. One factor that must always be taken into account in São Paulo is the weather. Rainfall can be frequent and often sudden in November and in the past, Interlagos has hosted races in which rain has repeatedly changed track conditions, forcing teams to make quick decisions on strategy. Temperatures can also vary considerably over the course of the weekend, affecting tyre behaviour and car management.
Timetable. Unlike last year’s Sprint, the São Paulo Grand Prix will follow the traditional format, with three free practice sessions ahead of Saturday's qualifying. On Friday, the cars will take to the track at 12.30 local time (16.30 CET) for the first session, while the second will begin at 16.00 (20.00 CET). On Saturday, the final hour of practice gets under way at 11.30 (15.30 CET), followed by qualifying at 15.00 (19.00 CET). The Grand Prix starts on Sunday at 14.00 local time (18.00 CET) run over 71 laps, equivalent to 305.879 kilometres.
Fred Vasseur - Team Principal
We are happy to be back on track less than a week after the Mexico race, where we confirmed that we are moving in the right direction in terms of performance. Interlagos is a demanding circuit, with a short lap, changes of elevation and a wide variety of corners, while the weather can make the weekend even more unpredictable. We will need to build our competitiveness session by session and remain focused on maximising the opportunities.
