Interlagos opened in 1940 with a demanding circuit almost eight kilometres long. Renamed for Brazilian driver José Carlos Pace in 1977, it returned to Formula 1 in 1990 on a much shorter layout that preserved its elevation changes and anti-clockwise character.
Ayrton Senna's exhausting first home win in 1991 is part of Brazilian sporting folklore. The 2008 finale was even more dramatic: Lewis Hamilton passed Timo Glock at the final corner to take the title from race winner Felipe Massa by one point.
Across 4.309 km, its 15 corners create a distinct rhythm between braking, precision and acceleration. As a permanent racing circuit, it asks drivers and teams to adapt setup, tyre management and race strategy to the venue's particular constraints, while its anti-clockwise direction shapes the sequence of its most demanding sectors.
