On the last kilometer of the journey into Brazil’s famous Interlagos circuit, you’ll find countless eye-catching works of art lining the sides of apartments, restaurants and bars, characterizing drivers and key figures from Formula 1’s rich history.
Brazil has long had a love affair with Formula 1 and while both championships may already be decided, that hasn’t dampened the excitement of the country’s fans as the series rolls into town for the penultimate round of the campaign.
Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace is one of Formula 1’s greatest circuits and has delivered some incredible on-track moments over the years. Former Ferrari driver and local hero Felipe Massa has been involved in many of them, with the most dramatic coming in 2008.
WATCH: From Montoya vs. Schumacher to Senna’s home win – 5 of the most dramatic moments in Brazil’s F1 history
The Brazilian crossed the finish line and won his home race for the second time – and thought he had won the world title. But moments later Lewis Hamilton passed Timo Glock and that was enough to take the title away from Massa.
Massa came closest to winning the title in 2008 – but was overtaken by Hamilton
I set off on a pushbike with Massa to get a course guide, which you can watch on Sunday’s pre-race show on F1TV, and the 11-time race winner admitted he still thinks about that moment – where he got one had hand on the crown – often.
But while the pain will always be there as he came closest to his dream of racing, his overwhelming memories of Interlagos will be happy ones – the Brazilian embraced by a nation that made him feel every time he turned a wheel to be like a hero.
They won’t have a Brazilian rider to cheer for next Sunday, but they do have the tantalizing prospect of the third sprint weekend of the year. And if it’s like last year, when Lewis Hamilton delivered arguably his greatest performance of all time, sprinting from the back to fifth place and then climbing up from 10th place on race day to claim victory – it could become a hit.
THROUGH SIGHTS: “One of the races I’m most proud of” – Hamilton recalls his incredible comeback win in Brazil
Repeating the trick this year will be a difficult proposition for Hamilton – who was made an honorary citizen of Brazil this week, so loved is he by the South American country – because while Mercedes have closed the gap at the top in recent races, it is the Red Bull, which will probably be the most impressive car this weekend.
Hamilton’s famous win here last year is considered one of his best comebacks
Two-time world champion Max Verstappen has been in brilliant form this year, with the Dutchman already having won a record 14 races. Should conditions remain stable, it’s hard to see how anyone could stop him from adding to that tally on Sunday.
Ferrari expects to do better in Brazil. Although the track is about 800m above sea level, it is 1,500m lower than in Mexico, where they struggled in the thinner air and, as a precaution, ran the engine at lower power. Charles Leclerc thinks they should be fighting for pole on a layout that encourages great racing.
READ MORE: Leclerc and Sainz claim Mexico has been a ‘one off’ as they look to bounce back in Brazil
It’s a track with two extremes, the first and third sectors require a low-drag set-up to get the most out of the long straights – but the middle sector is twisty and requires a lot of downforce to set the best lap time.
Turn 1 offers the best chance for an overtake as the left-hander gets in the way a lot, taking the load off the left front tire and causing lock-ups. But to have any chance here you need a good exit from Turn 12, because from there it’s flat out for 1.2km to the braking zone of Turn 1.
Ferrari had lost the pace in Mexico – but hopes to be able to get involved here
You also have a chance at Turn 4, this corner has been the scene of many notable incidents, most recently last year when title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen met very close and personally.
There is a lot of elevation change – something difficult to see on TV. From the start-finish straight to turn 4, it’s about 40 meters downhill. From curve 12 to the first curve then a height difference of 33 meters.
Finally, there is the weather to consider. It is cooler and rainier in Sao Paulo at this time of year and the forecast suggests it could get wet on all three days of action. That should spice things up on a weekend, when the sprint format means there’s less practice — and therefore less data — to work with.
GOOD LAP vs. BIG LAP: How to maximize a lap at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace