Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace

Autódromo Jose Carlos Pace is one of the circuits on which the automobile Grand Prix of Brazil in Formule 1 is held. It is located in the suburbs of São Paulo. It holds its name of the old driver of F1 Jose Carlos Pace, died in 1977 in an air crash. Nevertheless, it is still largely known under its old name, Interlagos .

Historical backgrounds

The ground on which the circuit is built was bought at the origin by promoters in 1936 in order to build dwellings there. However, when it was discovered that this zone did not lend itself to it, he was decided to build a circuit of race there.

The original name of the circuit ( Interlagos - literally " between the lacs") comes owing to the fact that it was built between two artificial big lakes (Guarapiranga and Billings) dug to provide for the requirements out of water and electricity for the Brazilian metropolis. In the years 1970, the circuit took the name of the pilot of F1 Jose Carlos Pace which had just lost the life in an air crash. The enclosure of the circuit includes/understands also a circuit of kart named Ayrton Senna in the honor of triple world champion deceased at the time of the automobile Grand Prix of San Marino 1994.

In 2006, the septuple world champion Michael Schumacher took part in it in her last Grand Prix before its sporting retirement. It finishes fourth of the race at the wheel of one of the single-seaters of the Scuderia Ferrari.

Characteristics

This circuit is one of the rare circuits with the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari and the Circuit of Istanbul Park to be turned in the anti-clockwise direction. The current layout dates from the years 1990 when the original circuit was shortened of 7 829 with 4 397 meters for better corresponding to the new standards of the TRUSTED. The consequence of this reduction was in particular the loss of three long straight lines and three fast turns while a turn was reversed and another created. The original layout, which made it possible the cars to remain with full load during more than twenty seconds, was regarded as very dangerous (although no serious accident occurred). The current track has a very long fast section, fast turns as well as rather slow zones. Interlagos is a circuit considered to be interesting because it follows the undulating topography of the ground what makes piloting more difficult and requires more power of the level of the engine.

Installations

The installations, as well as the organization and the security conditions with Interlagos, are regularly criticized. It was the case at the time of the meeting of the qualifications of the automobile Grand Prix of Brazil 2000 when there be three neutralizations caused by the take-off of billboards. In 2004, the session of qualifications as for it was stopped by the irruption of a dog wandering on the track.

The urban area surrounding the circuit has a bad reputation and many pilots, leaders of the teams or journalists prefer to move between the circuit and the center of São Paulo in the helicopter. In margin of the automobile Grand Prix of Brazil 2006, members of the framing of the stable Toyota were attacked by armed men. The congestions at the time of the great events are also a source of problems for the authorities of the town of São Paulo.

The track

The race starts in front of the section " Tribunas" and continues on a rather long right portion before arriving in the " S C Senna" (" The S of Senna "), a right left/in cant followed by the " Curva C Sol" (" The curve of Soleil"), a great turn on the left. This first succession of turns is regarded as extremely difficult since each one with an angle, a ray, a length, a slope (towards the interior or outside) different.

Arrive then the " Reta Oposta" (" Straight line opposée"), the longest straight line of the circuit (but not fastest), followed by a double left in descent called " Descida C Lago" (" Descent towards the lac") then a short cross-section again in descent.

Comes a slow and difficult section, with small turns (on the model of what one finds in kart) and unforeseeable tops-low. These turns are the " Dura" shoed; (" irons with cheval") turning right and going down. " Pinheirinho" (" Small the sapin"), a section in S (right then left) on flat ground, " Bico de Pato" (" The nozzle of canard"), two turns on the right (an easy follow-up of another difficult and very slow), the " Mergulho" (" plongée") a left in descent and finally a turn on the left forming the section being called " Junção" (" Jonction").

After this slow section a long very fast section with the " starts; Subida back Boxes" (" Rise of the stands"), a long turn on the left. " Subida back Boxes" goes up very quickly and requires much power of the car, then comes " Cotovelo" (the " Coude"). At this point the track seems to be inclined towards the interior, before attacking the straight line of the stands, the fastest portion of the circuit.

Interlagos has one of the longest lines of the stands used in F1. Its entry is located in " Cotovelo" and its exit after the " Curva C Sol" .

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