Grand Prix of Sao Paulo: Commentary before the stage

Pirelli

Mario Isola: “The Brazilian Interlagos Circuit in Sao Paulo is known for the exciting races there. The length of the circle is only 4309 meters and this is one of the shortest circuits in the championship, shorter than only the city ring in Monaco and the circuit in Mexico City.

Moreover, traffic there drives counter-clockwise and the circuit is located on the hills, which gives it a unique character. After the 1st bend there is a steep descent, after which a long climb with several bends follows, after which a long straight stretch towards the finish begins.

The track has 15 turns – five right and nine left, so the direction of travel changes several times. Interlagos has a little bit of everything: there are slow corners and medium-fast corners, and the car’s aerodynamic body kits are tuned for a fairly high level of downforce.

If we talk about the forces acting on the tires, on this circuit we can talk about an approximate balance between longitudinal and lateral loads.

Asphalt is quite abrasive, which is typical of stationary race tracks with a long history. The degradation of rubber is predominantly thermal in nature, which is why the compounds C2, C3 and C4 were chosen for the Brazilian phase.

The most likely tactic would be a two pit stop plan, as the single pit stop option requires economical use of tire resources, and this will affect race pace.

During the Brazilian Grand Prix, the safety car entered the track frequently, which is also one of the most important variables affecting the outcome of the race. Weather conditions can also change very quickly at this time of year.

The Interlagos round will be the last of the season, including a sprint, so teams and drivers will have another chance to evaluate the behavior of the tires over a long series of laps.”

Red Bull racing

Max Verstappen: “The stage in Brazil completes the series of stages built up and will host the last sprint of the season. After a successful race in Mexico City, we are confident that we will perform well this weekend, but we must remain focused.

It’s incredible that I have already won sixteen races this season. I didn’t think it would be possible to beat last year’s total, but the team is having a great season. I appreciate the hard work and commitment of everyone on the team, and I’m happy to see the results of our work visible on the track. I will try to win the 17th race!”

Sergio Perez: “The race in Mexico City was devastating for me, but that’s what happens in sport. You can’t allow yourself to keep thinking about what happened. I wanted to win the home race more than any other, but the opportunity was lost and now my goal is to finish second in the drivers’ standings at the end of the season.

You must have a successful weekend in Brazil. I am confident that we can show results. Last weekend everything started to work thanks to the steps taken: I feel comfortable in the car and together with the team we found the right settings and speed.

The challenges in Brazil are completely different to those in Mexico City, but it is an interesting circuit and there are two points opportunities this weekend. It is of course more difficult to find the settings in the sprint stages, but we want to maximize our chances.”

Mercedes AMG Petronas

Toto Wolff: “We left Mexico City maintaining our lead over Ferrari for second place in the Constructors’ Championship. This is an important fight for us and the team is determined to succeed.

Considering the difficult start of the weekend in Mexico City and our starting positions, second place is a good result. The car had a strong race pace, but we know there is still a lot to be done to get the most out of the W14 over the three days. Lewis Hamilton performed very strongly and reached the podium, and George Russell gave his best, although closer to the finish his car’s tires lost their effectiveness.

The final phase of the built series awaits us in Brazil. The team made a good step forward in the last races, but the round in Mexico City showed that the W14 is not easy to work with. We will arrive at Interlagos with a solid base to work from, but we will see what results we can achieve.

Of course we have pleasant memories of the Brazilian stage, especially the last two visits: Lewis won in 2021 and George won in 2022. The local fans are passionate Formula 1 fans and always give us a warm welcome. I hope our car is fast and we can give them a great show.”

Aston Martin

Interview: Felipe Drugovich

Ferrari

Frederik Vasseur: “The last stage of the American series of three Grand Prix in a row is just around the corner, the last stage this year with a Saturday sprint. In Austin and Mexico City we performed well in qualifying, winning pole position twice in a row and occupying the entire front row of the grid last weekend. But during the races it became clear that we were still vulnerable to attack. However, we reached the podium twice and earned more points than the other competitors in the race for second place in the championship.

At the moment we are still 22 points behind, the task is not easy, but we will do our best. The Mercedes cars are very fast, but we have to think about our results, move forward and perform better in all areas, especially when it comes to tire management and race strategy. Carlos and Charles are very motivated, as is the whole team on track and in Maranello. We will fight until the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi.”

McLaren

Lando Norris: “Further on lies Brazil, which completes a series of structured stages, and where the final sprint of the season awaits us. The circuit has a rich history and heritage associated with McLaren and Ayrton Senna. I always enjoy coming to this stage and I hope we score a lot of points this weekend.

The car had excellent speed in Mexico City, which allowed me to gain twelve places, which I’m quite happy with. We know what we can do, so we just have to go out on the track and do our job.”

Oscar Piastri: “I’m looking forward to the race in Brazil. I like sprint stages because you have a better chance of earning points with this format. I have never raced in Brazil, but I am happy to compete on the legendary track.

The last few races have been encouraging, especially considering the team’s form early in the season. The stage in Mexico City turned out to be difficult for me, but together with the team we made an assessment and I will take the experience gained into account. This weekend our goal is to earn points.”

Andrea Stella, team manager: “We had a strong performance in Mexico City, earning points with two cars, but now all attention is turning to the race in Brazil. We remain encouraged by the car’s performance and I hope we can be competitive again.

The final phase of the series is upon us and the team remains focused. We have had a busy few weeks, but everyone is motivated to continue performing at the highest level. The final sprint of the season is just around the corner and that offers the opportunity to earn a lot of points. Our aim is to maximize our chances this weekend.”

Alps

Interview: Pierre Gasly | Esteban Ocon

Williams

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Haas F1

Interview: Günter Steiner | Nico Hulkenberg | Kevin Magnussen

Alfa Romeo

Valtteri Bottas: “There is no denying that it was tough in Mexico City, especially considering the results of our starting positions. It’s a pity that we did not manage to earn points – it was not our day, luck turned away from us.

There are three races left until the end of the season in which we have to do our best both on and off the track. Qualifying pace allows progression to the final, but the focus must remain on maximizing potential in the race.

In the past Interlagos has suited our car – the lap is short and on this track a lot depends on the driver and the car. Here you can fight and there are opportunities to overtake. I hope this is our option. We aim to get back on our feet quickly and regain the losses.”

Guanyu Zhou: “The stage in Mexico City is a closed chapter. We have the opportunity to make a quick comeback this weekend in Brazil, where the final stage of the series will take place. Interlagos is one of the most iconic tracks on the calendar and a track where I thoroughly enjoyed racing last year.

The sixth and final sprint of the season awaits us, so it is crucial to get everything right in one training session. We are all motivated and ready to bounce back after some difficult weekends.

At the beginning of the month it seemed that if we did everything right, we would get good results. This goal must remain unchanged: we are ready to unleash the car’s full potential and fight for points.”

AlphaTauri

Daniel Ricciardo: “The weekend in Mexico City went great from start to finish – I’m very happy. We had a good car and we made the best of it. I stayed in the city for a few days before heading to Sao Paulo.

Interlagos is a very short circuit with not many corners, so you have to try to get a clear lap. In case of an error, it is simply impossible to make up for lost time. This track places a high strain on the neck due to driving counterclockwise. In addition, asphalt offers little grip, which also makes the task more difficult. Interlagos is also at a high altitude above sea level, but compared to Mexico City, where you feel the difficulty of simply walking up the stairs, the altitude in Sao Paulo is almost unnoticeable.

Another sprint weekend awaits us. I’m looking forward to it because I have more confidence in the car and the set-up. I have already ridden two stages in a row since my return and am ready for the sprint in Interlagos. But it is difficult to say whether the circuit suits our car. I haven’t done enough races to know which tracks suit us and which don’t.

In Mexico City we looked better than expected, which gives us confidence for Brazil. I hope to reach the qualifying final again and finish in the top ten.”

Yuki Tsunoda: “In Mexico City we were able to earn points with two cars. Since I started at the back of the pack, such a result would be excellent for me. I knew I had to overtake Oscar Piastri as soon as possible, but I was too impatient. I have drawn conclusions for the future.

The most important thing is that the car was fast last weekend and that the new features worked. We have made up ground in the Constructors’ Championship and expect to be competitive at Interlagos as the slow corners suit our car. I have to stay focused, hopefully we earn more points.

It rains a lot in Sao Paulo, but I would prefer dry weather this weekend because it will be easier and there will be less strategy problems. We can just focus on finding maximum speed.

I’ve ridden in the rain in Brazil in the past, so a wet track won’t be a problem. I’m ready!”