The Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace, commonly known as Interlagos, will be our host for the 5th SBMRL race this season. The track was built in Sao Paolo and inaugurated in May of 1940, with the first Formula 1 Championshiop Grand Prix being held in 1973 and won by local Emerson Fittipaldi. Sao Paolo is also the birthplace of Ayrton Senna and current driver Felipe Massa.
The purpose built Brazillian circuit will be a sharp departure from our most recent outing in Monaco. In contrast to the cramped city streets and sharp turns, Interlagos features long, wide straights and big, sweeping curves.
The starting grid is set back from the first corner, the Senna ‘S’, which means that there will be plenty of time for cars to get up to speed before they have to slam on the brakes for the left handed entry into the ‘S’. Getting the correct entry to this corner is significant as coming out of it is an extremely long sweeping curve and straight. Cars will be tempted into 6th gear here. The risk of coming up short on the Descida do Lago corner at the end of it will come into play, but it’s also easy to overshoot.
The run up to Ferradura, the third corner, is about half the distance of the previous straight but still not short. In comparison, it’s nearly as long as Monaco’s tunnel straight. A mistake here, though, isn’t quite as costly as at the previous bend. The remainder of the second sector is the more technical infield section of the track, with tight corners and extremely short straights between them. It’s here that the field will look a lot more compressed than may actually be the case, particularly by the second lap.
The third sector is simply the final Juncao corner followed by the sweeping bends that lead back to the pit straight. There’s no need for caution here and it’ll be full throttle the rest of the way. Expect some particularly tight finishes for any cars that come drag racing at the end.
Overall, Interlagos is an extremely fast, yet unforgiving track. There are few opportunities to catch up once falling behind other than hoping for a rival’s mistake. Any driver who finds themselves shifting below 4th gear in the wrong spot will be at a disadvantage, and even that isn’t fast enough in many places. Expect a lot of tyre wear and gear box abuse. While unlikely, a clean first lap will put a car in superb position for lap 2, as those in the pits will be watching the others fly by.
Starting Grid
A disappointing first half of the season has Nero in last place and the bittersweet joy of starting on pole position for the 3rd consecutive race. Interlagos, however, is a track with similar characteristics to Sebring, where he recorded his first victory last year, so perhaps this is his chance to turn things around. He’ll be joined in the front row by the Stig, and then their respective teammates will make up row 2. Despite being currently tied for 4th in the standings, Danger Wheel gets the qualifying nod ahead of Jamonito del Verde due to having finished behind him in Monaco. The allows Red Bull to lock out row 3.
- Nero (CO)
- The Stig (SB)
- Captain Slow (SB)
- Ice (CO)
- Mater (RB)
- Danger Wheel (RB)
- Jamonito del Verde (ORC)
- Launch Bornado (RM)
- Jaronimus Maximus (ORC)
- Jaap Snellrijder (RM)
Pit selection is reverse order of average starting position, followed by reverse order of team standings. Since Cobalt and Scandinavian Blitz are tied in both categories, the tie will be broken by roll of the black die on race day.
- Regency Motors
- Osito Racing Company
- Red Bull
- Cobalt/Scandinavian Blitz
- Cobalt/Scandinavian Blitz
Cobalt and Scandinavian Blitz each need a strong showing at Interlagos in order to close the gap with the front running teams. However, even if everyone finishes in starting grid order, they’ll still trail the others with the Nurburgring on the horizon. First things first, though, they’ll need to do well in Brazil.