As we return to Interlagos, our Test and Reserve driver Felipe Drugovich shares his memories of racing in Brazil and discusses why Brazilian fans are so passionate about Formula One.
Brazil has a unique and special connection with Formula One. Why do you think that is?
"Brazil has such a long relationship with F1 and such a strong culture that goes hand in hand with the sport. We've got so many legends, like Ayrton Senna, and so many incredible circuits – some of which I've been lucky to visit.
"I've also been lucky enough to have the support of my sponsors – but even then, coming from Brazil and wanting to make it into high-level motorsport isn't easy; you have to move 10,000 kilometres away from home just to make it work.
“Brazilians are very passionate and committed when it comes to racing – when we do it, we do it properly."
Which racing drivers did you look up to growing up, and throughout your career?
"Ayrton Senna, of course. And our family has been quite close to Felipe Nasr's family.
"When Felipe raced in F1, I followed him very closely and tried to learn as much as I could from him. I was still karting at the time, so for me it was like a dream to follow him. It was a very special moment to see him race at Interlagos – it's always special to see a home driver at your home track."
What are your memories of Interlagos?
"Interlagos has so much life and character, the atmosphere is feverish. I first visited the Grand Prix in 2011 when I won the Brazilian karting championship. I turned up and everyone looked like astronauts in their helmets and suits – it felt like NASA.
"It was such a different world for me coming from go-karts.
"When I was there in 2022 on my way to the Formula 2 title, people were shouting my name from the grandstands. I couldn't believe it. I had to ask myself if it was real."
"The car feels alive at Interlagos – it's moving around all the time, and you can really feel that you're pushing the car hard here."
Felipe Drugovich-Test and Reserve Driver
How do you maximise a lap at São Paulo, and what makes this race so exciting?
"Interlagos is a very old-style circuit, it's very bumpy. You have to use the kerbs as much as you can, and the car has to be able to cope with those demands. It also requires a lot of commitment; you almost feel like you're going to spin out attacking those medium- and high-speed corners.
"That seems obvious because F1 drivers are always on the limit, but the car feels alive at Interlagos – it's moving around all the time, and you can really feel that you're pushing the car hard here.
"That's part of the reason races at this circuit are so exciting – and this year we have the Sprint too."
How do you rate Lance's and Fernando's season so far?
"Very highly. The last couple of races have been difficult for various reasons, but that doesn't overshadow just how good they've been. Their consistency has been great, and we've scored 236 points so far compared to 55 last year.
"Our team is growing and everyone is working well together. While the race at Mexico City wasn't easy, the atmosphere at this team is special and everything is gradually coming together as the team continues to build on its journey."
Cautions are frequent at Interlagos. In the past five races here, there have been six Safety Car deployments and three Virtual Safety Car deployments. Furthermore, in the last five races, there have been four races with at least one Safety Car deployment.
02
Overtaking
Interlagos isn't an easy circuit on which to overtake. Last year there were 56 overtakes, with 84 per cent of them using DRS. There are two DRS zones here: one on the main straight, and one on the straight between Turns Three and Four.
03
Strategy
Pirelli has allocated the same tyres as they did for last year's race: the C2, C3 and C4 compounds. Being a Sprint weekend, there's just one hour of practice to hone set-ups. A two-stop strategy is becoming more common at this circuit.
How is the Safety Car kitted out to lead the pack and keep drivers safe?
A common sight at Interlagos, the Safety Car is fitted with state-of-the-art technology. We delve into the Aston Martin Vantage FIA Safety Car to see how it performs the task of keeping drivers, team members, marshals and spectators safe.
To help Stewards know where the Safety Car is on track and how fast it's going, the car is fitted with an FIA transponder. The cockpit – for driver Bernd Mayländer – features coloured LEDs to indicate whether a red or yellow flag is being flown on respective track sections. Medical warning lights are fitted in the car to indicate whether an incident on track has exceeded a G-force threshold, which also summons the Medical Car.
The FIA Safety Car is fitted with screens featuring video, timing and telemetry for co-driver Richard Darker to watch the field following behind and keep an eye on stricken cars. Data comes from GPS tracking and an in-car WLAN connection.
The Safety Car also needs to be able to lead a field of Formula Cars at high speed. For this, the Vantage Safety Car is set-up for the track and capable of hitting more than 190mph, accelerating from 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds.
The run to the first corner is short at Interlagos, with drivers braking hard into the Senna ‘S' and accelerating as early as possible for a launch through Curva do Sol and onto the following DRS straight. Turns Four and Five are simple left-handers that begin Sector Two of the track.
Turn Six, Ferradura, is a high-speed right-hander that leads uphill to Turn Eight, where drivers slow down and then exit onto a downhill left-hand hairpin where use of the kerb is essential to gaining time. This isn't so easy in the wet. The hairpin of Turn Nine exits uphill into a small kink and the left-hand hairpin of Turn 10.
Exiting Turn 10, drivers go flat-out into the Turn 11 left-hander – Mergulho – and enter the third sector of the track. Turn 12, Junção, is a hard-braking left-hander and, from there, drivers accelerate through the final three left-hand bends – with DRS through Turn 15 and past the finish line.
We look at the weather conditions at Interlagos together with Global Partner NetApp, a global hybrid cloud storage partner with solutions that perform across a diverse environment, allowing us to gain insights on weather-related data as well as telemetry data.
Friday will take place in overcast conditions. The day is set to be dry until the afternoon, when there is a chance of showers that could affect Qualifying. Temperatures are set to peak at 29 degrees Celsius during Free Practice One, and cool slightly in the afternoon.
On Saturday, it's mostly cloudy with a small chance of rain in the morning – but conditions are set to dry for Sprint Shootout and the Sprint. Temperatures for the Sprint will however be much cooler with a high of around 22 degrees Celsius.
On Sunday it's set to be sunny, and a dry race is expected.
In Formula One, you're constantly learning. Every lap, every mile, every second, is an opportunity to further your understanding and, ultimately, discover ways to unlock performance. In partnership with XP Inc., here are some of the key points for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
0.5
Only once since 2014 has this Grand Prix been won from below the first row. Qualifying is crucial at Interlagos.
2.65
The average margin of victory in seconds for this Grand Prix since 2014, reflecting the short lap and high rate of Safety Cars.
6.75
The average rate of retirement in per cent this season. This is the second-lowest rate in Formula One history – but there are three races remaining.
150
The run in metres from pole position to Turn One. Drivers often jostle for position through the opening corners and down to Turn Four.
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