It’s time for the penultimate race of the longest season in the history of the Formula 1 World Championship, with no less than 22 rounds. This weekend’s race at Interlagos is the second São Paulo Grand Prix, although for the previous 47 times, it featured on the championship calendar, known as the Brazilian Grand Prix.

Formula 1 has raced at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, more generally referred to as Interlagos, 38 times. It is one of the most unusual tracks on the calendar, set in a natural bowl, between two artificial lakes (Interlagos meaning “between lakes” in Portuguese.) At 4.309 kilometres it is one of the shortest on the calendar, runs counter clockwise and provides a severe test of man and machine. It features a mix of fast corners, hairpins and gradient changes, which along with a bumpy surface makes for a particularly demanding mix. Therefore, finding the right set-up is a compromise between a lot of aero downforce and as little drag as possible. Interlagos is demanding from an aerodynamic point of view, mainly because of the slow mixed middle section with its low speed corners, while the first and third sectors favour a strong power unit to deal with straights and corners taken at full throttle. Overtaking is a definite possibility, especially in the Senna esses after the start-finish line, which is one of the DRS zones, along with another on the straight between turns 3 and 4. Turn 12, “Junção” is the key to being quick in the final sector, both on a qualifying lap and in the race if a driver has to defend or go on the attack in the braking zone for turn 1.