BRAZILIAN GP AT INTERLAGOS 2012

The week is finally winding down towards Friday where first practice will take place at the final grand prix of this very long season. It is the 20th race of the year and it will decide the winner of the world championship battle this year between Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso.

The Brazilian GP takes place at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace or better known to F1 fans as the Interlagos circuit. The track is located in the city of São Paulo, renamed after Carlos Pace, a Brazilian Formula One driver who had died in a 1977 plane crash. The circuit is one of a minority of non-oval racing circuits to go in an anti-clockwise direction (Austin, Imola, Istanbul Park, Yas Marina Circuit, Laguna Seca, Singapore, Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, Korea International Circuit, Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, and Miller Motorsports Park being notable others).

The circuit is known for its many inclines and formerly bumpy surface, which could take its toll on F1 cars because they have a very low ride height and little suspension travel. The track is therefore very tough on the car and also physically tough on the drivers, especially since the circuit is anti-clockwise, where the centrifugal forces in the many hard left turns push the drivers' necks to the right, instead of left as in the majority of circuits on the F1 calendar. (This is frequently a topic of broadcast commentary at this circuit as well as at Istanbul Park.)

Interlagos has one of the longest pit-lanes ever used in Formula One, starting just before the start-finish straight and rejoining the main course after Curva do Sol. Funny enough, it is one of the shortest tracks on the calendar with a lap time of below 1.15.xxx. Sebastian Vettel qualified here in 2011 with a time of 1.11.918.

Track Details
Location : Sao Paolo, Brazil
Capacity : 119,000
Length : 4.309 km
Turns : 15
Race distance : 71 laps (305.909 km)

Aerodynamic setup : Med/High downforce

Average speed : 210km/h
Top speed : 323km/h (with DRS open) 311km/h without

Full throttle : 60% of the lap time (ave/high)

Total fuel needed for race distance : 144 kilos (ave/low)

Fuel consumption : 2.10 kg per lap (low)
Brake wear : light

Number of braking events : 6

Time spent braking : 16% of the lap
Loss time for a Pit stop : 15.5 seconds
Total time needed for a pit stop : 20 seconds
Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried) : 0.27 seconds (ave)

As for the DRS zone this race, The FIA has confirmed that there will be one DRS zone at Interlagos this weekend for the 2012 world championship finale. As in 2011, the activation zone is on the back straight leading from Curva do Sol (Turn 3) to Descida do Lago (Turn 4), with the detection zone at the apex of Turn 2.

Changes to the circuit ahead of thisd year's race include the installation of new debris fences on both sides of the track between turns 3 and 4, while a kerb has been installed on the apex of turn 15. Tube inserts have also been placed in the tyre barrier at the end of the wall at the pit entry.

This race is also famous for its fanatical fans who turn up in the thousands and who literally fill the place to the brim. The roar of fans can drown out the sound of an F1 car at full throttle sometimes. Even the drivers can hear them while driving!