Interlagos

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For other uses, see Interlagos (disambiguation).

Aerial sight of Interlagos

Interlagos is in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It's the home to the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace race track. Its name comes from the fact that the region is located between two large reservoirs, Guarapiranga and Billings, built in the early 20th century to supply water and electric power to the city.

The Autódromo José Carlos Pace itself is still commonly called Interlagos, although this hasn't been its official name since the 1970s.

The event is notable in recent F1 history for the hosting the first time brothers, Michael Schumacher and Ralf Schumacher, shared Row One, in 2001. It also is the circuit where Michael Schumacher made his last race in F1. The circuit is known for its many inclines and bumpy surface, which although nothing particularly significant in a road car, can take their toll on an F1 car, which has a very low ride height and little suspension travel. The races are therefore very tough on the car, and also physically tough on the drivers, especially since the circuit is anti-clockwise which forces the drivers' necks to move to the left, despite being trained to go right.

The suburb of Interlagos is located in the south region of São Paulo City to the right edge of the Guarapiranga reservoir.

The history of the Interlagos circuit dates back to the 1920s, when the city of São Paulo was undergoing a process of fast urbanization.