_track_map.svg) Grand Prix Circuit (5th Variation) (1999–present) | |
| Location | Interlagos,São Paulo,Brazil |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 23°42′4″S46°41′50″W / 23.70111°S 46.69722°W /-23.70111; -46.69722 |
| Capacity | 60,000 |
| FIA Grade | 1[1] |
| Broke ground | 1938 |
| Opened | 12 May 1940; 85 years ago (1940-05-12) |
| Former names | Autódromo de Interlagos (1940–1984) |
| Major events | Current: Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix (1972–1977, 1979–1980, 1990–2019) São Paulo Grand Prix (2021–present) FIA WEC 6 Hours of São Paulo (2012–2014, 2024–present) TCR South America (2021–present) Stock Car Pro Series (1979–present) Mil Milhas Brasil (1956–1961, 1965–1967, 1970, 1973, 1981, 1983–1990, 1992–1996, 1998, 2001–2008, 2020–present) Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix (1992) TCR World Tour (2024) World Series by Nissan (2002) SASTC (1997–1999) TC2000 (2007) |
| Website | https://f1saopaulo.com.br/interlagos/ https://autodromodeinterlagos.com.br/ |
| Grand Prix Circuit (5th Variation) (1999–present) | |
| Length | 4.309 km (2.677 mi) |
| Turns | 15 |
| Race lap record | 1:10.540 ( Valtteri Bottas,Mercedes W09,2018,F1) |
| Stock Car Circuit with Chicane (2011–2017) | |
| Length | 4.314 km (2.681 mi) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Race lap record | 1:40.066 ( Júlio Campos,Chevrolet Cruze Stock Car,2016,Stock Car Brasil) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (4th Variation) (1996–1998) | |
| Length | 4.292 km (2.667 mi) |
| Turns | 15 |
| Race lap record | 1:18.397 ( Jacques Villeneuve,Williams FW19,1997,F1) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (3rd Variation) (1990–1995) | |
| Length | 4.325 km (2.687 mi) |
| Turns | 15 |
| Race lap record | 1:18.455 ( Michael Schumacher,Benetton B194,1994,F1) |
| Motorcycle Circuit (1992) | |
| Length | 4.352 km (2.704 mi) |
| Turns | 17 |
| Race lap record | 1:42.872 ( Wayne Rainey,Yamaha YZR500,1992,500cc) |
| Grand Prix Circuit (2nd Variation) (1980–1989) | |
| Length | 7.873 km (4.892 mi) |
| Turns | 26 |
| Race lap record | 2:27.311 ( René Arnoux,Renault RE20,1980,F1) |
| Original Grand Prix Circuit (1940–1979) | |
| Length | 7.960 km (4.946 mi) |
| Turns | 26 |
| Race lap record | 2:28.76 (Jacques Laffite,Ligier JS11,1979,F1) |
TheAutódromo José Carlos Pace, better known asInterlagos, is a 4.309 km (2.677 miles)motorsportcircuit located in the city ofSão Paulo,Brazil. It was inaugurated on 12 May 1940, by the federal intervener of the São Paulo province,Adhemar de Barros. In 1985, the circuit was renamed to honor the Formula 1 driverJosé Carlos Pace, who died in a plane crash in 1977. It is also his final resting place since 2024. It runscounterclockwise. The facilities also include akart circuit named afterAyrton Senna.
The circuit has hosted theFormula OneBrazilian Grand Prix since 1973, with the current contract set to expire in 2030.[2] It previously hosted theBrazilian motorcycle Grand Prix in 1992, theDeutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft in 1996, theFIA GT1 World Championship in 2010, and theFIA World Endurance Championship from 2012 to 2014 only to return in 2024. As the major racetrack in the country it also hosted many previous and active national championships such asStock Car Brasil,Campeonato Sudamericano de GT,Fórmula Truck,Copa Truck,Formula 3 Sudamericana,Brazilian Formula Three Championship, andMil Milhas Brasil.
In addition, theProva Ciclística 9 de Julho road cycling race was held at the venue from 2002 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2013. A local version of theLollapalooza music festival has been held at the venue since 2014.
The land on which the circuit is located was originally bought in 1926 by property developers who wanted to build housing.[3] Following difficulties partly due to the1929 stock market crash, it was decided to build a racing circuit instead; construction started in 1938 and the track was inaugurated on 12 May 1940.[3] Its design was inspired by tracks such as theIndianapolis Motor Speedway andRoosevelt Raceway in the United States,Brooklands in England, andMontlhéry in France.[4][5]
The traditional name of the circuit,Interlagos (in Portuguese, "between lakes"), comes from its location on the neighborhood of the same name, a region between two large artificial lakes,Guarapiranga andBillings, built in the early 20th century to supply the metropolitan region of São Paulo with water and electric power. The name "Interlagos" was suggested by the French architect and urban plannerAlfred Agache after theInterlaken region located in Switzerland.[5] Interlagos was renamed in 1985 to "Autódromo José Carlos Pace" in honor of the Brazilian Formula One driverJosé Carlos Pace, also known as "Moco", who died in a plane crash in 1977.[5]
Formula One started racing at Interlagos in 1972, when the event was run as a non-championship race (won by ArgentineanCarlos Reutemann). The first World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix was held there in1973, and it was won by defending Formula One World Champion and São Paulo localEmerson Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi won the race again thefollowing year, andJosé Carlos Pace won his only race at Interlagos in1975.
Due to safety concerns with the 7.960 km (4.946 mi) original layout, including the bumpy surface, inadequate barriers, deep ditches and embankments, the last Formula One race held on the original Interlagos was in1980, when it was nearly cancelled after protests by many Formula One drivers – including defending world championJody Scheckter. The safety concerns were directed towards the track surface, which BBC commentator Murray Walker described as "appallingly bumpy". Most of the ground-effect cars of 1980 were designed in such a way that bumpy surfaces were barely tolerable for the drivers. These factors meant that Formula One would move back to theJacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro, hometown ofNelson Piquet and where the Brazilian Grand Prix was held in 1978. Formula One returned to the circuit in1990 after it had been shortened and modified at a cost of $15 million. The track layout, aside from the pit exit being extended along the "Curva do Sol" turn, has remained the same since 1990.
The circuit is often witness to dramatic results when it hosts the Formula OneBrazilian Grand Prix, especially since its move to an end of season slot in 2004.[6]Fernando Alonso won both the 2005 and 2006 world titles in Brazil, with Renault also clinching the constructors' title in 2006.Kimi Räikkönen won the2007 World Championship here after being seven points down and in third place in the championship entering the final race of the season.Felipe Massa almost won the 2008 Driver's World Championship when he finished the2008 Brazilian Grand Prix as winner, but was denied byLewis Hamilton when he overtookTimo Glock in the final lap. DespiteRubens Barrichello's pole position in2009,Mark Webber won the race andJenson Button won the championship forBrawn after starting 14th.Williams got their first pole since 2005 here at the2010 Brazilian Grand Prix withNico Hülkenberg. The race was won bySebastian Vettel, and with Mark Webber coming second,Red Bull secured the constructors title; however the driver's title was not confirmed until thelast race of the season.
During the weekend of the 2023 race, one roof in the complex came off because of strong winds from a storm.[7]
In August 2024, the body of José Carlos Pace was transferred from his vandalized mausoleum to the race circuit to be laid to rest in the race track named after him. The idea for this came was organized by the president of the Confederação Brasileira de Automobilismo (Brazilian Automobile Confederation) (CBA), Paulo “Loco” Figueiredo, the president of the Comissão Nacional de Carros Clássicos (National Classic Car Commission) and journalist Ricardo Caruso.
Pace's body arrived in Interlagos where he was buried next to the bust that stands there in his honor. The emotional ceremony was attended by Pace's family (his widow Elda, his children Patrícia and Rodrigo, and his grandchildren), friends, other drivers, journalists and admirers of “Moco”. José Carlos Pace took one last lap around the track, where Rodrigo, “Moco's” son, drove a 1967Karmann-Ghia racing car that was used by his father, from the oldDacon team, where Pace formed a trio with none other than the Fittipaldi brothersEmerson andWilson Jr. at the time. This makes Pace the first deceased driver ever to be buried in a race circuit.
.jpg)
One of the main characteristics of Interlagos is that it was not built on flat terrain, but follows the ups and downs of hilly ground, which makes it harder to drive and demands more power from the cars' engines. The races therefore can be tough on the car and physically demanding on the drivers, also because the circuit runs counterclockwise where the centrifugal forces push the drivers' necks to the right, instead of left as in most of the circuits on the F1 calendar. The hilly course is also a good feature forroad cycling races, which are usually held at the circuit.
Additionally to the physical aspects there is also a climate component to the venue, the region where the track is located is known for having rapid changes in weather with outbursts of rain being common, which can vary from a short lived drizzle to a torrential storm. This can add a degree of unpredictability to the races and it's classically associated with the circuit. The city ofSão Paulo where the circuit is located is known by the nickname "Land of the Drizzle".
In 1979 upgrading work was done and the pit lane was extended past the first left-hand turn (1), making the corner more narrow, and the pit lane ended right in the middle of turn 1 and 2. The present design of the track dates back to 1990, when the original circuit was shortened from 7.87385 km (4.89258 mi) to 4.325 km (2.687 mi). As a consequence of the reduction, the track lost three long straight sections and nine fast curves (5 were lost forever, 4 were made slower and are still present). The original track was full of fast corners and it allowed cars to keep maximum speed for up for many seconds, it was considered dangerous, and in 1990 the old layout was mostly revised. The new track still had a very long top-speed section that contained bumps, high-speed turns and little run-off area though the track was very wide at this point.
For the2007 Brazilian Grand Prix, the largest-scale repairs in the last 35 years were carried out at the circuit, to fundamentally solve problems with the track surface.[8][9] The existing asphalt was entirely replaced,[10] resulting in a much smoother track surface. At the same time, the pit lane entrance was enhanced to improve safety and to add a new fixed grand stand.[11] To facilitate the work, the circuit was closed and no events were held in the five months immediately preceding the race.[12]
On 17 October 2007,Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos (CPTM) began to operate the new station of the Line C (currently calledLine 9),Autódromo, near the circuit.[13][14][15][16] The Line C had been extended to improve the access between the center ofSão Paulo and southern region of theGreater São Paulo including the circuit,[17][18][19] improving circuit accessibility.
Shortly before the2011 Brazilian Grand Prix,FIA race directorCharlie Whiting detailed several planned upgrades of the circuit, including a new pit entrance and expanded run-off at the final corner, as a response to several fatal accidents at the circuit in 2011.[20] In June 2012, further details of the proposed plans emerged, calling for the construction of a brand new pit building and the relocation of the start line from its current position between Arquibancadas and the Senna 'S' to Reta Oposta.[21] However, later it was decided to keep start/finish straight at its current location along with the new pit building.[22]
Interlagos has one of the longest pit-lanes ever used in Formula One, starting just before the start-finish straight and rejoining the main course after Curva do Sol. Entering the pits was originally not a trivial task, as the high speed and the left turning may force the car rightwards, out of the pits. The pit lane entrance received some changes to become safer for the2007 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, and later for the2014 Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix, when achicane was added.
Race start is in the "Tribunas" section and features a long straight with an upward inclination, then comes "S do Senna" (the Senna S) [1,2], a pair of alternating downward turns (left then right) that exhibit different attack angles and inclinations.
"S do Senna" connects with "Curva do Sol" (Curve of the Sun) [3], a round-shaped large-radius left turn that leads to "Reta Oposta" (Opposite Straight) the track's longest (but not the fastest) straight. Reta Oposta is succeeded by a pair of downhill left turns that are called "Descida do Lago" (Lake's Descent) [4,5] into a short straight section that climbs up towards the back of the pit buildings.
This is followed by a slow section, with small, kart-like turns and elevation changes. The first of these turns is known as "Ferradura" (Horseshoe) [6,7] downhill and right into "Laranjinha" (Little Orange) [8], another right turn and the slowest point of the circuit; the next turn leads into "Pinheirinho" (Little Pine Tree) [9], left on a plain field; then comes "Bico de Pato" (Duck Bill) [10] a right turn with a tight hairpin like shape; and then "Mergulho" (Dive) [11], a constant-radius left-hand turn that slings the driver straight into a harder left at "Junção" (Junction) [12].
Turn [13] "Café" (Coffee), is a left up-hill kink and marks the start of the long top-speed section. Rising up through "Subida dos Boxes" (Up to the Pits) [14], the driver encounters a long uphill left turn with a gradient of 10% that demands a lot of power from the cars. At the end of it comes Arquibancadas (Bleachers) [15], a wide high velocity left turn that connects to the "Tribunas" straight to complete the final section of the track.
The series of left turns from the exit of "Junção" all the way to Turn 1 is typically taken at full throttle and treated as a long straight. This section is one of the longest full-throttle stretches on the Formula 1 calendar, and thus demanding of the engine's reliability. Other notable stretches of this nature are the "Rettifilo Tribune" straight atAutodromo Nazionale di Monza and the Kemmel Straight atCircuit de Spa-Francorchamps.
List of the corners with their names (the numbers correspond to the current layout, from start to finish line):
As of July 2025, the fastest official lap records at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace are listed as:
Geographic data related toInterlagos Circuit atOpenStreetMap| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
.svg)
