Lights OutMediaInterlagos is a short lap, 4.309 kilometers, and it runs anti-clockwise. It’s round 20 of 23, here in Brazil, and Rafael Camara is making his F1 debut at his home race after replacing Esteban Ocon. From pole position to the Turn 1 braking point is only 202 meters, so the start here matters quite a bit.
Turns 1-2 are the Senna S, named for Ayrton Senna. It’s the first corner complex and a key overtaking spot, especially at the start. Turn 3 is the Curva do Sol, a long, sweeping left-hander. Turns 4-5 are the Descida do Lago, named for the drop down toward a lake behind the track. Turns 6-7 are the Ferradura, or horseshoe, named for its shape. Turn 8 is Laranjinha, or little orange. Turn 9 is Pinheirinho, or little pine tree, and it’s one of the few corners with no elevation change.
Turn 10 is Bico de Pato, or duck’s bill, also named for its shape. Turn 11 is Mergulho, or the dive, a plunge downhill. Turn 12 is Junção, or junction. Turn 13 is Café, a flick taken at full speed. Turn 14 is Subida dos Boxes, an uphill left-hander with about a 10% gradient, leading onto the pit straight. Turn 15 is Arquibancadas, or the bleachers, named for the big grandstands at Interlagos.
This track has constant elevation changes and a chaotic recent history of wet races, red flags, and safety cars. There’s an 86% chance of a safety car here, based on the last seven races, and there were 96 overtakes here just last year.
Pirelli nominated the C3 tire as hard, C4 as medium, and C5 as soft. That’s one step softer than last year. Resurfacing between Turns 3-5 and 8-9 may change grip and tire wear. A trip through the pit lane costs about 21.8 seconds here, and last year’s two-stop strategy was the most effective, so I suspect we’ll see that again this year, although the resurfacing could change things.
Here’s the weekend in Eastern time. There’s no sprint, so it’s FP1 on Friday at 10:30 am and FP2 at 2:00 pm, then FP3 on Saturday at 9:30 am and qualifying at 1:00 pm. The race is on Sunday at 12:00 pm. The weather could play a part too. F1.com’s forecast from Wednesday had a 30% chance of rain on Friday, a 50% chance on Saturday, mostly in the afternoon, which could affect qualifying, and a 40% chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Sunday. Talk about a weekend that could go any way.