Brazilian Grand Prix History, Facts and Stats

Interlagos was built in 1940, but didn’t begin hosting a regular round of the F1 world championship until 1973. The circuit is located in the Sao Paulo suburb of Interlagos, which literally translates in Portuguese as ‘between the lakes’.

History:

Brazil has been hosting a round of the Formula 1 World Championship for over 40 years, but a lack of investment and security concerns place a question mark over the event’s long-term future.

By the end of the 1970s, the original 7.96km Interlagos layout (with its bumpy track surface and insufficient safety barriers) was removed from the F1 calendar on safety grounds. Formula 1 found a new Brazilian home at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio de Janeiro, which held ten races between 1978-1989. After a significant renovation program, F1 returned to a safer, shorter (4.309km) Interlagos circuit in 1990. It has remained a constant calendar presence since then, holding some memorable and historic races, many rain affected.

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The track was resurfaced in 2014 as part of a larger planned redevelopment, but this has not fully extended yet to facilities for fans, which are showing their age. Despite having a contract to hold the race until 2022, the circuit’s long-term future on the F1 calendar remains in doubt without this necessary investment, while the fact that Brazil is now without a driver in F1 certainly doesn’t help matters. The event’s reputation has also been impacted by security incidents at the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix, when several teams were robbed at gunpoint as they were leaving Interlagos.

After a year off the calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, Interlagos returned to the schedule in 2021. The event returned with a new name – the São Paulo Grand Prix.

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Facts:

• Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver at Interlagos, having won four times.

• Ferrari are the most successful team at the Interlagos track, winning nine times in total.

• Five Brazilian drivers have won on home soil since the Brazilian Grand Prix became a part of the world championship in 1973. Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Felipe Massa took two wins apiece, whilst Carlos Pace won once.

• Brazilian drivers have taken more poles than drivers from any other nation at Interlagos. A Brazilian has started from the front here on ten occasions.

• In 2019, Max Verstappen’s Red Bull became the first Honda-powered car to win at Interlagos since Ayrton Senna’s McLaren in 1991.

• Mark Webber celebrated his final F1 race by removing his helmet on the slow-down lap after finishing second at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2013.

• For most of its existence (until 2003), the Brazilian Grand Prix had an early-season calendar slot. It only moved to a late-season slot from 2004, holding the calendar’s final race for 5 years until Abu Dhabi joined the calendar in 2009.

• Alain Prost is the most successful driver at the Brazilian Grand Prix, with six victories between 1982-1990, five of which were at the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio (his sixth and final was at Interlagos in 1990.)

• The 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix was the last time an F1 race was won by over a lap.

• Since their return to the sport in 2010, Mercedes never failed to see both of their cars reach the checkered flag at the Brazilian Grand Prix – until Valtteri Bottas retired from the 2019 event. At least one of their cars has scored in all of the past eleven Interlagos races.

• Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz recorded the first podium finishes of their careers at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. It was the first time that two drivers have taken their maiden podium finish in the same race since the 1994 German Grand Prix.

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Stats:

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