Interlagos Circuit, officially named Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, is a 4.309 km (2.677 miles) anti-clockwise circuit in the southern suburbs of Sao Paulo. Its 15 corners span a 71-lap race distance of 305.879 km. The track first appeared on the F1 calendar in 1973 and has been a near-permanent fixture since 1990. The anti-clockwise direction is unusual, loading the left side of the driver’s neck instead of the right. Valtteri Bottas holds the lap record at 1:10.540, set in 2018.
The layout features significant elevation change, with the run from the Senna S at Turns 1 and 2 dropping sharply before the track climbs back through the long left-hander at Ferradura (Turn 6). The Descida do Lago section is taken at high speed before the tight Juncao corner. The DRS zone on the main straight into the Turn 1 braking zone provides the primary overtaking opportunity, and the uphill compression from Juncao to the start-finish line is one of the best sections in F1 for late-race passes.
Interlagos is where championships end. On 24 March 1991, Ayrton Senna won his emotional first home victory while struggling with a gearbox failure for the final laps as the crowd willed him to the finish. On 2 November 2008, Lewis Hamilton secured his first title on the last corner of the last lap when Felipe Massa had already begun celebrating on the podium. On 25 November 2012, Sebastian Vettel clinched his third title after recovering from a first-lap spin. On 13 November 2022, George Russell won his maiden race in a Mercedes 1-2.
The timezone is America/Sao_Paulo at BRT (UTC-3). A 14:00 local start is 17:00 GMT and 18:00 CET. European fans get an early-evening race, one of the last comfortable viewing windows before the season moves to less friendly time zones. North American viewers get an afternoon start. Check Brazil time and Sao Paulo time for conversions.
November in Sao Paulo is warm and frequently wet. Tropical downpours can arrive with little warning, transforming a dry race into a survival exercise within minutes. The 2003, 2009, and 2016 races were all rain-affected classics. The city is massive and vibrant, with a rich food scene and cultural life, though visitors should plan transport carefully as the circuit sits in the southern suburbs.
See the full race schedule and session times at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix page.