From school days spent daydreaming about Formula One to returning to Brazil as an Aston Martin Aramco Test and Reserve Driver, Felipe Drugovich delivers the inside track on his home country as we head to iconic Interlagos for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Beautiful beaches, stunning scenery, fantastic food: it can only be Brazil.
One of the largest, most populated countries on the planet, Brazil is a vibrant nation that caters for every taste and thrills every sense.
As the F1 paddock heads for its annual reuniao in São Paulo, local hero and Aston Martin Aramco Test and Reserve Driver Felipe Drugovich takes you on a personal tour of his homeland – and the search for the best limes.
A tale of (more than) two cities
"Brazil isn't just São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro like a lot of people think it is. It's a massive country and has other amazing big cities, as well as incredible countryside and beaches that you must experience.
"If you visit Brazil, you need to spend a lot of time there to truly get a full appreciation of what the country has to offer and to see all sides of it. São Paulo and Rio are the main cities that you need to see of course, but don't limit yourself to that. Most people only visit them and nothing else when they head to the country, and they're missing out on a lot!
"Be sure to head inland and get to know some lesser-known parts of Brazil. For example, in the south where I'm from the landscape is similar to Europe, with mountain ranges and rolling hills and fields.
"I grew up in a city called Maringá – it has about 400,000 people but that's small for Brazil! It's very chilled out and very green as well. I loved my childhood there. I remember daydreaming in school when my teacher was explaining something; I would just be thinking about karting and racing lines. I think 11-year-old me would be excited to hear he's going to be part of Aston Martin Aramco one day.
"The south is perhaps not what people expect when they think of Brazil but it's well worth visiting."
Brilliant beaches
"The beaches are what Brazil is arguably most famous for. Along the north-east coast the beaches are amazing. Every beach by the Atlantic coast – it doesn't really matter which – is beautiful; and is what I recommend seeing most of all on a trip to Brazil. You can choose to go anywhere on the coast and they're all going to be incredible, but Fortaleza and Bahia have particularly nice beaches.
"What makes a big difference with Brazilian beaches compared to elsewhere is you've got the ocean instead of the sea. I can't really explain it, but when you go in the water you'll know what I mean – it's just better.
"There's a great vibe on the coast as well. Everyone that lives there is chilled out; the whole atmosphere is very relaxing from the north to the south – that's thousands of kilometres of coast. It's a totally different way of living to anywhere else."
Don't stop the Carnival
"Carnival happens across the country but the most famous is in Rio. I've never been to that one because normally it happens during a race weekend early in the season, so I can't really be there, but there are Carnival celebrations across the country when the time comes.
"In Brazil, people love to party a lot and Carnival is the biggest example of that. It's definitely something you need to attend if you're in Brazil around late February to early March."
Our meat is probably better than anywhere else in the world apart from Argentina – we just lose out to them!
Treating the tastebuds
"One of the most famous drinks from Brazil is the Caipirinha. It's a mixture of lime, sugar, cachaça – sugar cane liquor similar to rum – and lots of ice, but you can only get an authentic tasting one in Brazil. People don't have the right ingredients elsewhere to really do it justice.
"I'm not a big drinker so I'm no expert but I know that the sugar and the limes are very different in Brazil to elsewhere. For example, in Europe you need to add lots of sugar to make something taste sweet, whereas in Brazil you need just a little bit and it tastes how it should. It's also very hard to find good limes in certain places and in Brazil we use cachaça, which is very hard to find in Europe. You really need to go to Brazil to experience a true Caipirinha.
"As for food, a traditional main plate would consist of rice, beans, meat and salad. We have a dish called Feijoada which is a stew of black beans with various types of pork or beef.
"We also have a lot of barbecue food in Brazil and fantastic meat. Churrasco is the name for grilled beef in South America; there's a big barbecue culture in Brazil and whenever I'm back home my friends and I will have one. Our meat is probably better than anywhere else in the world apart from Argentina – we just lose out to them!"
I love going to a river and getting on a jet ski or going wakeboarding. Anything on water I love.
Sports scene
"Brazilians love F1 and I was immersed in it from a young age. I watched F1 pretty much every weekend with my uncle. My first memories are of sleeping at his house as a kid on Saturday night to wake up and watch on Sunday morning because of the time zones. I would often just see the last lap or the podium and I'd just support whoever was winning, so I would usually be cheering Michael Schumacher on.
"It's not just F1 and motorsport that Brazilians enjoy – there are so many sports you can get involved in when you're there.
"Obviously, football is huge in the country and some of the games generate a crowd and atmosphere to rival anywhere else in the world, though I'm personally not a big football fan.
"I'm more into my watersports. I love going to a river and getting on a jet ski or going wakeboarding. Anything on water I love. On dry land, I like to play tennis or golf – we've got some great weather in Brazil for most of the year so it's perfect for being outside.
"Whenever I'm back in Brazil it's always nice to catch up with my friends and play different sports."
The best place to eat on Earth is probably São Paulo. There's great food and great restaurants wherever you go
Visiting São Paulo
"Obviously, a lot of people visit São Paulo when the race is in town and there is a lot to explore. I go there frequently because everything happens there business-wise. Whenever I visit Brazil, I'll spend at least one week in São Paulo.
"One particularly nice place to visit in the city is Ibirapuera Park, which is the city's biggest park, located centrally, and it's also the most visited park in South America. People go there to exercise or relax and it's a great spot inside the city to switch off and escape the hustle and bustle.
"The areas where most of the F1 paddock stays, Morumbi or Brooklin, are normally the nicest for restaurants. For me, the best place to eat on Earth is probably São Paulo, because there are so many options and so many variations. There's great food and great restaurants wherever you go."
The fans are close to the cars and they're all shouting and cheering. You'll often hear Ayrton Senna's name being sung, but all the drivers get incredible support.
Driving Interlagos
"I’ve never driven a Formula car at Interlagos – only closed-roof cars – but it's a really fun track to drive.
"It's a small circuit but there's a lot of character to it. At every corner you find different challenges, especially at the Senna 'S' at the start of the lap where you brake and turn at the top of the hill and the track falls away through the entire section.
"You need to think a lot while you're driving at Interlagos. It's not like you can take every corner the same way or with the same technique, and there's a lot of history as well at the circuit, which makes it extra special.
"Interlagos also has a very cool F1 grid before the start of the Grand Prix because the fans are close to the cars and they're all shouting and cheering. You'll often hear Ayrton Senna's name being sung, but all the drivers get incredible support."
Tchau for now
"Perhaps I'm biased but Brazil rocks! From the beaches to the cities to the countryside, there's a huge amount you can do in my country. I love going back in a Grand Prix weekend because São Paulo comes alive but I'm sure you'll love visiting no matter when you go."
Felipe Drugovich
Felipe has earnt plaudits for his performances as Aston Martin Aramco Test and Reserve Driver – his sound judgement and maturity, both in and out of the cockpit, belying his young age. An aspiring Grand Prix driver, Felipe wants to put Brazil back on the F1 map.
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