BRAZILIAN GP

15-17 November 2019 Interlagos

THE MAIN EVENT

At 141 feet, the elevation change of the Autódromo José Carlos Pace circuit is one of the largest of the year and when you look out from the F1 paddock, the whole of the 2.6-mile circuit is visible in a natural bowl below you. Surrounding the track is the urban sprawl of São Paulo with a seemingly never-ending vista of tower blocks receding into the distance.

As well as being the second highest track of the year (after Mexico City), Interlagos has another notable feature: the predominance of left-handed corners. The majority of the tracks on the calendar are clockwise, but not this one. There are only three right-handed corners on the circuit, which can cause unusual effects – not only on the drivers’ necks, but on the oil, fuel and water in the engine since fluid can potentially pool away from the pumps.

2018 RACE RECAP

In the early stages, Lewis Hamilton led from team-mate Valtteri Bottas, but both were quickly under threat from Max Verstappen who was charging through the field from fifth on the grid. After he passed Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari, Verstappen overtook Bottas for second at Turn 1 on lap 10. Hamilton was demoted on lap 19 and Verstappen seemed to have victory in the bag. But disaster struck on lap 44 as he attempted to lap Esteban Ocon and spun. That gifted Hamilton the win, and the fireworks started again between Verstappen and Ocon in the paddock afterwards.

KEY CORNER: TURN 12 Junção. A third-gear, 81mph left-hander where it’s crucial to get the power down cleanly because the long, uphill drag to the finish line follows.

RACE DATA

Venue Autódromo José Carlos Pace First GP 1973 Number of laps 71 Circuit length 2.677 miles Longest straight 0.404 miles Elevation change 141.076 feet Race distance 190.082 miles Lap record 1m 10.540s Valtteri Bottas (2018) F1 races held 35 Winners from pole 16 Pirelli compounds C1, C2, C3

CAR PERFORMANCE

Downforce level Medium Cooling requirement Medium Fuel consumption 1.49kg/lap Full throttle 60% Top speed 202mph Average speed 131mph

TIMETABLE (UK TIME)

Friday 15 November Practice 1 13:00-14:30 Practice 2 17:00-18:30 Saturday 16 November Practice 3 14:00-15:00 Qualifying 17:00-18:00 Sunday 17 November Race 17:10 Live coverage Sky Sports F1 Highlights Channel 4