Autódromo José Carlos Pace
São Paulo, Brazil
Autódromo José Carlos Pace, universally known as Interlagos, is a permanent circuit running counter-clockwise through a natural bowl of terrain in southern São Paulo. Significant elevation changes between the start-finish straight and the lower section of the lap make it physically demanding and prone to unpredictable weather. It has produced some of the most dramatic championship deciders in the sport's history.
Length
4.309 km
Turns
15
Race Laps
71
Elevation
43m
First GP
1973
Lap Record
1:10.540
Valtteri Bottas (2018)
Famous Corners
Turn 1
Senna S
Turn 12
Junção
Location
Nearest Town
The track takes its popular name from Interlagos, the surrounding district of São Paulo, whose name means "between the lakes" for the two reservoirs nearby. São Paulo is Brazil's largest city and its financial capital, a sprawling metropolis of tens of millions of people. The circuit is only around 15 kilometres from the city centre despite feeling like a world away amid its parkland setting.
Getting There
São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport is the main hub, roughly 40-50 minutes from the circuit depending on traffic, while the smaller Congonhas Airport is much closer at around 15-20 minutes away. The city's CPTM commuter rail line has a station a short walk from the circuit entrance, making it a practical option on race day.
Circuit History & Trivia
Notable Incidents
The 1980 Brazilian Grand Prix exposed serious safety shortcomings at the original Interlagos layout, with BBC commentator Murray Walker describing the track surface as 'appallingly bumpy' and reigning world champion Jody Scheckter leading driver protests over inadequate barriers, deep ditches, and unforgiving embankments lining the circuit. The outcry was severe enough that Formula One relocated the Brazilian Grand Prix to Rio de Janeiro's Jacarepaguá circuit for several years afterward, only returning to a substantially rebuilt Interlagos later in the decade. More recently, during the 2023 race weekend, high winds from a storm tore a roof off part of the circuit's paddock complex, a reminder of how quickly weather can turn dangerous at this venue, which sits in a region prone to sudden, dramatic storms.
Design History
Interlagos was built between 1938 and 1940, drawing inspiration from American speedways such as Indianapolis and Roosevelt Raceway as well as England's Brooklands and France's Montlhéry circuit. The original layout was an enormous 7.960 km, 26-turn course with a notoriously bumpy surface and minimal safety infrastructure, problems that culminated in the 1980 driver protests. Facing mounting safety concerns, organizers extended the pit lane past turn one in 1979 before undertaking a much larger overhaul in 1990, shortening the track dramatically to 4.325 km at a cost of $15 million. Further upgrades followed, including a complete asphalt resurfacing and pit lane safety improvements in 2007 and additional renovations to the pit buildings and run-off areas between 2012 and 2014, producing the current 4.309 km, fifteen-turn configuration that has been in use since 1999.
Records & Notable Races
Interlagos has hosted an unusually high number of championship-deciding races, none more dramatic than 2007, when Kimi Räikkönen arrived trailing the points leaders by seven, won the race, and claimed the World Championship on the very last lap of the season. Fernando Alonso also secured his back-to-back titles at this circuit in 2005 and 2006, cementing Interlagos's reputation as a stage for season finales. Valtteri Bottas holds the current Formula One lap record at 1:10.540, set in 2018. The track's counterclockwise layout, unusual among Grand Prix circuits, and its significant elevation changes between the start-finish straight and the lower section of the lap add to the physical and strategic demands that have repeatedly produced unpredictable results.
Fun Facts
The name 'Interlagos' is Portuguese for 'between lakes,' referencing the circuit's location between two artificial reservoirs, Guarapiranga and Billings, both built in the early twentieth century; French architect Alfred Agache reportedly suggested the name after Switzerland's Interlaken region. In a striking piece of trivia, José Carlos Pace, the Brazilian driver for whom the circuit is officially named, became the first deceased driver ever buried at a race circuit named in his honor, in August 2024. The track's hilly terrain and counterclockwise direction generate rightward centrifugal forces on drivers, the opposite of most circuits, adding a distinctive physical challenge, while the surrounding São Paulo region is known for rapid, often sudden shifts in weather during race weekends.