Hot off the back of another Vettel victory at the United States Grand Prix, the F1 paddock heads to Brazil and São Paulo for the final round of the 2013 season.
The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known by its former name Interlagos, will host its 31st race this weekend. It will mark the end of the current 2.4 litre V8 engine era as the sport switches to 1.6 litre V6 powerplants in 2014.
It will also be Mark Webber's final F1 race. He is a fantastic personality and a very talented driver, so he will be missed from the paddock. Earlier in the year, I wrote a special post on the Aussie for Car Throttle so check that out here.
Unlike recent Brazilian Grands Prix, the two world titles have been decided for quite some time, with Vettel and Red Bull securing their fourth championships at the Indian Grand Prix.
The Interlagos circuit has hosted some thrilling championship climaxes, including last season. Sebastian Vettel recovered from a first lap crash to take his third consecutive title. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button also have fond memories from the circuit after securing their sole F1 titles there in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The bumpy and charming track will undergo dramatic changes over the next few years, relocating the pit and paddock complex to the back straight and completing major facility upgrades.
The 2.676 mile layout is one full of contrasts. The first two sectors require low drag and downforce levels, as they are largely made up of long straights that need power and good straightline speed. However, the second sector is notoriously tight and twisty, requiring high downforce for traction and grip in the slow speed corners.
It is a shorted version of the former 4.975 mile circuit which hosted the first F1 championship round in Brazil in 1973. Emerson Fittipaldi won the first two races in Brazil, being the first of five drivers to win on home turf in the race's history. The track was notoriously bumpy and was taken off the calendar for 1981 due to safety concerns. The race returned in 1990 after a $15 million facelift, which included shortening the circuit to its current design and smoothing the track surface. It has remained almost unchanged ever since.
Like the last round in Austin, Texas, the track contains plenty of elevation changes. However, they are natural undulations rather than the engineered rises and falls of the Circuit of the Americas. Due to this, power is crucial but engines lose 13% of their power, the highest loss of any circuit, due to its position 800m above sea-level.
A lap of Interlagos, which means "between lakes," starts on the long start/finish straight that leads to the first two corners, a third gear, downhill left-right chicane that is named after two-time Brazilian Grand Prix winner Ayrton Senna. This is a strong overtaking opportunity due to the heavy braking zone, as cars decelerate from just under 200mph to 70mph for the first apex.
Turn three – named ‘Curva do Sol’ - is a long-radius, fifth gear left-hander that is taken flat-out and leads on to the longest, but not fastest, straight on the circuit. The first sector ends at the end of the straight.
The pit exit unusually feeds cars downhill on the inside of turns one, two and three. They return to the track to the left on the back straight, which is where the first of two DRS zones will be positioned. This provides a strong overtaking option due to the third-gear left that follows.
Turn five is a flat-out left before a short burst on the power, leading uphill, ahead of the twisty infield section. Ferradura (turn six) is a fifth gear, high-speed right-hander before the 124mph turn seven, where Pastor Maldonado crashed during last year's race.
Turn eight is a second-gear right-hand hairpin that is swiftly followed by a long, second-gear, 180 degree left. Turn 10 is another tricky right-hand hairpin taken in second gear. A good exit is crucial as it leads on to the fifth-gear, high-speed right of turn 11. This is also where the second sector ends.
Turn 13 is a third-gear left and is a crucial part of the circuit with the flat-out, uphill section that follows. A good exit is vital to take momentum through the next three corners. The turn is the last time that the brakes are applied until turn one. It is known for being the location of Lewis Hamilton's last lap overtake on Timo Glock's Toyota in 2008, handing him the world title.
Turns 13, 14 and 15 are all taken flat-out as cars go up through the gears. This fast section of the circuit is particularly tricky in wet conditions. They are all left-handers that lead on to the start/finish straight - where the second DRS zone will be - with the pit entry to the left and just after the final corner.
Pirelli will bring the hard and medium compound tyres to Brazil, as the track surface isn't very abrasive. However, the intermediate and wet weather tyres could well make an appearance - the last time both tyres were used on a race weekend was the Belgian Grand Prix in August.
The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was a complicated race which started in dry conditions. Short showers in the early stages prompted some drivers to pit for intermediates, but it soon stopped. However, the rain arrived later in the race which caused the whole field to pit for the green-banded Pirelli rubber.
Vettel could match Michael Schumacher's record, set in 2004, for the most race wins in one season - 13 - this weekend. The four-time champion won the race from second on the grid in 2010.
Fernando Alonso secured the runner-up spot in the drivers' standings at the US Grand Prix but the battle for third still needs to be decided. With Kimi Raikkonen not racing in Brazil after back surgery, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber have been left to fight over the position.
The fight for second in the teams' championship is also yet to be decided. Mercedes currently hold a 15 point lead over Ferrari and Lotus are a further 18 points behind. It looks likely that the Enstone based outfit will remain in fourth place, although this is F1 and anything can happen.
Brazilian Grand Prix Fact-file:
Location: São Paulo, Brazil
Track Length: 2.676 miles
Direction: Anticlockwise
Turns: 15
Laps: 71
Gear changes per lap: 40
Full throttle: 74%
First race: 1973
Lap record: Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW Williams, 2004: 1m11.473
Tyre compounds: Medium and hard
2012 race winner: Jenson Button, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
2012 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 1m12.458
2012 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 1m18.069
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One (both available in HD)
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| (c) Getty Images |
It will also be Mark Webber's final F1 race. He is a fantastic personality and a very talented driver, so he will be missed from the paddock. Earlier in the year, I wrote a special post on the Aussie for Car Throttle so check that out here.
Unlike recent Brazilian Grands Prix, the two world titles have been decided for quite some time, with Vettel and Red Bull securing their fourth championships at the Indian Grand Prix.
The Interlagos circuit has hosted some thrilling championship climaxes, including last season. Sebastian Vettel recovered from a first lap crash to take his third consecutive title. Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button also have fond memories from the circuit after securing their sole F1 titles there in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The bumpy and charming track will undergo dramatic changes over the next few years, relocating the pit and paddock complex to the back straight and completing major facility upgrades.
 |
| (c) Caterham F1 Team |
It is a shorted version of the former 4.975 mile circuit which hosted the first F1 championship round in Brazil in 1973. Emerson Fittipaldi won the first two races in Brazil, being the first of five drivers to win on home turf in the race's history. The track was notoriously bumpy and was taken off the calendar for 1981 due to safety concerns. The race returned in 1990 after a $15 million facelift, which included shortening the circuit to its current design and smoothing the track surface. It has remained almost unchanged ever since.
Like the last round in Austin, Texas, the track contains plenty of elevation changes. However, they are natural undulations rather than the engineered rises and falls of the Circuit of the Americas. Due to this, power is crucial but engines lose 13% of their power, the highest loss of any circuit, due to its position 800m above sea-level.
A lap of Interlagos, which means "between lakes," starts on the long start/finish straight that leads to the first two corners, a third gear, downhill left-right chicane that is named after two-time Brazilian Grand Prix winner Ayrton Senna. This is a strong overtaking opportunity due to the heavy braking zone, as cars decelerate from just under 200mph to 70mph for the first apex.
 |
| (c) Sahara Force India F1 Team |
Turn three – named ‘Curva do Sol’ - is a long-radius, fifth gear left-hander that is taken flat-out and leads on to the longest, but not fastest, straight on the circuit. The first sector ends at the end of the straight.
The pit exit unusually feeds cars downhill on the inside of turns one, two and three. They return to the track to the left on the back straight, which is where the first of two DRS zones will be positioned. This provides a strong overtaking option due to the third-gear left that follows.
Turn five is a flat-out left before a short burst on the power, leading uphill, ahead of the twisty infield section. Ferradura (turn six) is a fifth gear, high-speed right-hander before the 124mph turn seven, where Pastor Maldonado crashed during last year's race.
Turn eight is a second-gear right-hand hairpin that is swiftly followed by a long, second-gear, 180 degree left. Turn 10 is another tricky right-hand hairpin taken in second gear. A good exit is crucial as it leads on to the fifth-gear, high-speed right of turn 11. This is also where the second sector ends.
Turn 13 is a third-gear left and is a crucial part of the circuit with the flat-out, uphill section that follows. A good exit is vital to take momentum through the next three corners. The turn is the last time that the brakes are applied until turn one. It is known for being the location of Lewis Hamilton's last lap overtake on Timo Glock's Toyota in 2008, handing him the world title.
Turns 13, 14 and 15 are all taken flat-out as cars go up through the gears. This fast section of the circuit is particularly tricky in wet conditions. They are all left-handers that lead on to the start/finish straight - where the second DRS zone will be - with the pit entry to the left and just after the final corner.
 |
| (c) Octane Photographic |
Pirelli will bring the hard and medium compound tyres to Brazil, as the track surface isn't very abrasive. However, the intermediate and wet weather tyres could well make an appearance - the last time both tyres were used on a race weekend was the Belgian Grand Prix in August.
The 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix was a complicated race which started in dry conditions. Short showers in the early stages prompted some drivers to pit for intermediates, but it soon stopped. However, the rain arrived later in the race which caused the whole field to pit for the green-banded Pirelli rubber.
Vettel could match Michael Schumacher's record, set in 2004, for the most race wins in one season - 13 - this weekend. The four-time champion won the race from second on the grid in 2010.
Fernando Alonso secured the runner-up spot in the drivers' standings at the US Grand Prix but the battle for third still needs to be decided. With Kimi Raikkonen not racing in Brazil after back surgery, Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber have been left to fight over the position.
The fight for second in the teams' championship is also yet to be decided. Mercedes currently hold a 15 point lead over Ferrari and Lotus are a further 18 points behind. It looks likely that the Enstone based outfit will remain in fourth place, although this is F1 and anything can happen.
Brazilian Grand Prix Fact-file:
 |
| (c) AllF1 |
Track Length: 2.676 miles
Direction: Anticlockwise
Turns: 15
Laps: 71
Gear changes per lap: 40
Full throttle: 74%
First race: 1973
Lap record: Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW Williams, 2004: 1m11.473
Tyre compounds: Medium and hard
2012 race winner: Jenson Button, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
2012 pole position: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 1m12.458
2012 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes: 1m18.069
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One (both available in HD)
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