Autódromo José Carlos Pace

When the championship returned to Interlagos in 1990, the course had been substantially shortened. The new sequence after the pit straight, known as the Senna S, connected that section to Curva do Sol. New pits and a control tower accompanied the redesign. The archive outlines show two markedly different uses of the same site: the expansive 1970s circuit and the compact layout of Formula 1’s return.

Rain brought accidents and neutralisations at Interlagos. Fisichella had taken the lead before the final stoppage, but the initial lap count awarded victory to Räikkönen. A subsequent timing review corrected the result in the Jordan driver’s favour. His first win therefore lacked the immediate celebration a driver imagines. The episode illustrates why the visible order at a red flag and the regulatory classification do not necessarily coincide.

Felipe Massa won in front of his home crowd, but the 2008 title remained unresolved until the final corners. Lewis Hamilton passed Timo Glock late on to take the fifth place he needed for the championship. Rain made tyre choices decisive and changed the pace of the closing laps. One circuit therefore delivered the race victory to Massa and the championship to Hamilton.

Vettel reached the final race thirteen points ahead of Alonso, only to be spun into the back of the field in the opening corners. Through changing conditions he recovered to sixth, enough to keep the championship lead. Up front, Jenson Button won the race and Fernando Alonso finished second. Interlagos delivered two different outcomes that afternoon: the Grand Prix to Button’s McLaren, the title to Vettel’s Red Bull. Both battles matter to the story.

Max Verstappen won at Interlagos in 2019, but the podium behind him changed repeatedly in the closing laps. The two Ferraris collided and retired; then Hamilton hit Albon's Red Bull while trying to pass. Pierre Gasly finished second for Toro Rosso. Carlos Sainz, who had started last, crossed the line fourth and moved to third in the official result after Hamilton's penalty. The race's story lies partly in that difference between the finish on the road and the final classification.