Preview: Brazilian GP
The penultimate race of the 2014 World Championship sees Formula 1 make its only visit of the year to South America. The classic Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, located in Interlagos, a suburb of Sao Paulo, plays host to the Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 4.309km circuit is named after Brazilian Formula 1 driver Carlos Pace, who was killed in a plane crash in 1977. The track, which is also known simply as Interlagos, was built in 1938 on a plot of marshland deemed unsuitable for housing, and it’s been the permanent home of the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1990.
There have been several iterations of the anti-clockwise circuit over the last 75 years. The layout that hosted the first World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix in 1973 was a fast 4.9-mile test of nerve for the drivers; the track that’s used today is just 2.677 miles long and it’s much safer.
Due to the marshy topography, re-surfacing work is carried out regularly to flatten out any bumps in the asphalt – and this year’s race is no different. The track has been completely re-surfaced and there are expectations that it will be in its best condition for several years. Along with the new surface, the pit entry has also been redesigned, adding a bend to make is safer and more obvious when someone is diving into the pitlane. This used to be a particularly tricky element of the race, with cars on the racing line slowing down before going left into the pits.
Pirelli had originally proposed using its Medium and Hard compounds at the race, but the new surface has prompted them to revise their nomination to Soft (Option) and Medium (Prime). These are the same compounds that have been used at the last two races.
Car setup
From a technical point of view, the track is a classic compromise between straight-line speed and cornering grip. The long drag up the hill towards the start-finish straight is where top speed is at a premium, whereas Sector Two includes several slow hairpins, around which mechanical grip and traction are important.
Front wing As there are some pretty quick corners, extra front wing is a consideration here to balance the car. Turns where this is relevant include 4, 5, 6, 10 & 11; all of which are quite challenging corners.
Rear wing Downforce level is a little bit lighter than that seen in Texas, with the intention of maximising top speed down the long straight.
Suspension As we see so often in the current calendar, this is a compromise. The car needs to be strong in the high speed turns, but also have quick change of direction for the low speed Turns 8 & 9. Good traction is also required on exiting Turns 8, 9, 10 and particularly Turn 12 to maximise speed heading up the long hill on to the start / finish straight.
Brakes There are no particular challenges for the brakes here, other than ensuring that temperatures remain relatively high at the end of the long straight which forms the downhill entry into Turn 1.
Tyres Allocation has been revised from hard and medium to medium and soft. This should better suit the newly resurfaced circuit and is the same allocation as used in Texas. With a relative absence of high lateral loadings - discounting the final sector - Interlagos is not expected to be too demanding on the tyre structure.
Engine Interlagos is all about heat and altitude. At over 800m above sea level the turbo will be rotating at close to its maximum to give the same power output. Teams usually conduct dyno tests for this condition in particular to ensure everything functions well. The circuit used to be not so hard on the engine due to the lower ambient temperature, but with the new power plants the turbo, ICE and MGU-H will be working exceptionally hard over the race, particularly down the long uphill pit straight.
Quick facts
Race distance: 71 laps (305.909km/190.092 miles)
Start time: 14:00 (local)/16:00 (GMT)
Circuit length: 4.309km/2.677 miles
Track abrasiveness: Medium. New asphalt has been laid for this year’s race and Pirelli believe it will be less abrasive than the old track surface, which was laid back in 2007.
Safety Car likelihood: High. The Brazilian Grand Prix is one of the most unpredictable races of the year, with a 70 percent chance of a Safety Car.
Grid advantage: The right-hand side is the racing line, so it holds an advantage on the undulating dash to Turn One
Pitlane time: 18.5s
Fuel consumption: Low. The lower air density at an altitude of 800m gives this racetrack one of the lowest fuel consumption rates per km of the season
Brake wear: Medium. There are two big stops around the lap, into Turns One and Four, but the remainder is relatively low-speed, without any big braking areas.
DRS zones: Two – the first is on the start-finish straight; the second is on the approach to Turn Four
Turbo effect: High. The altitude decreases the amount of power produced by the engine on its own, placing greater emphasis on the turbo to maintain power.
