Circuit info
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Interesting facts
Ayrton Senna went years without winning in front of his home crowd, until 1991, when he nursed a failing gearbox home stuck in sixth gear for the final laps, crossing the line barely three seconds ahead of Riccardo Patrese's Williams. The name 'Interlagos' means 'between lakes,' referring to two artificial reservoirs, Guarapiranga and Billings, built for São Paulo's water and power supply in the early 20th century; French architect Alfred Agache suggested the name after Switzerland's Interlaken. The original circuit was built between 1938 and 1940 and opened on 12 May 1940, on land originally earmarked for housing. The original 7.96 km layout dropped off the Formula 1 calendar after 1980 because its notoriously bumpy surface was incompatible with the ground-effect cars of the era; a $15 million rebuild shortened it to 4.325 km, and F1 returned in 1990. The track was renamed in 1985 for José Carlos Pace, a driver killed in a 1977 plane crash; in August 2024 his remains were moved from a vandalised mausoleum to be reburied at the circuit bearing his name, making him the first deceased driver ever buried at a Formula 1 track. The region is known for rapid weather swings, São Paulo is nicknamed 'the land of drizzle', and during 2023 qualifying a storm tore part of a roof off the paddock complex. The undulating, anti-clockwise circuit tests drivers with constant elevation changes and runs alongside Interlagos, one of São Paulo's busiest districts. The circuit is located in São Paulo, Brazil. Formula 1 has raced here since 1973, with 42 races held so far, most recently in 2025. The first race here was won by Emerson Fittipaldi, in 1973. The most recent winner here was Lando Norris, in 2025. Michael Schumacher has won here more than anyone else, 4 times. Among constructors, McLaren has been the most successful here, with 9 wins. The lap record here is held by Valtteri Bottas, at 1:10.540 (Mercedes, 2018).