[Official] Brazilian Grand Prix 2016: Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[Born Racer]

Interlagos – this is one of the great circuits and almost always stages drama and emotion. It has hosted opening and closing races to many seasons and now bringing us the penultimate Grand Prix of 2016, there is a drivers' title to play for. The raucous and ebullient fans cheer from the grandstands that sit so close to the circuit that they make an amphitheatre of it. The track plunges downhill into Turn 1, setting the drivers off on a rollercoaster ride of a lap, with some interesting gradient changes affecting the corners. It is a bit like Suzuka in that regard, but less polished a place, and although like many a circuit, any bumps have been smoothed out, it remains nonetheless a traditional track with a rough-round-the-edges quality.

The only track with facilities that eschew the contemporary slickness of 21st Century Formula 1 (even when Bernie Ecclestone was busy panning Silverstone seemingly every month, Interlagos curiously escaped his ire), São Paulo continues to bring us nailbiting tension, spectacular overtakes and big upsets year on year. Before we go back to the new world of the Middle East, let us enjoy a final fling at raw racing in an oldschool setting at a place with evocative corner names instead of mere numbered turns.

There is so much for us to look forward to. Triple World Champion Lewis Hamilton arrives in Interlagos having yet to ever win a Brazilian Grand Prix. In 2008, he took his first championship by the skin of his teeth, in the famous race where Felipe Massa was supposedly “world champion for 30 seconds”. This notion is actually a complete misconception as Ferrari and Felipe celebrated too early. It had been raining and Hamilton and race leader Massa both pitted for intermediates, but in their haste to celebrate, the Scuderia had not allowed for Hamilton finding a way past Timo Glock who was slithering about on his dry-weather tyres. That he did so at the final corner of the season to take the points he needed capped one of the most dramatic endings to a sporting event in recorded history. The Constructors’ Championship seemed little comfort for Ferrari, as a mechanic headbutted a glass wall in the pits and Fiat president Luca di Montezemolo reportedly broke a TV.

2008 was one of two home victories for Felipe Massa, who is heading into his swansong Brazilian Grand Prix. The other was in 2006 when he led from pole to the finish. It was Michael Schumacher who made all the headlines, though, in what was expected to be his final race, after having hit problems in qualifying, which restricted him to 10th on the grid. He was relegated to 19th place on Lap 9 after a collision and made it back to fourth, overtaking Kimi Räikkönen near the end.

It was the Finn who won his only world championship to date the next year, when he also took his sole win in Interlagos so far, vanquishing McLaren pair Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso who finished the season tied on points, but with Lewis coming out ahead in the title race on countback. Lewis had been heading into the race with a decent chance of an astonishing and unique championship in a debut year. However, he ran wide at the end of the Reta Oposta and then hit car trouble.

It nearly wasn't the only win for Kimi. In 2003, Renault’s Fernando Alonso shunted on the start-finish straight, bringing out the red flags in a wet race in which he speared into the inside wall. Räikkönen was declared the victor on countback, despite Giancarlo Fisichella taking the chequered flag having overtaken the McLaren driver. The Jordan winner entered the pits on fire in a strange ending to the race. The decision to award the win to Räikkönen was overturned in the F.I.A. Court of Appeal in Paris a few days later when it was confirmed that Fisi was in fact the winner, because he had crossed the line in the lead twice before Alonso’s crash (the race result was taken from the running order two laps before the race stoppage). Fisichella claimed his winner’s trophy back from Kimi in a bizarre start-finish ceremony at the next Grand Prix, taking Jordan’s final win in Formula 1.

In 2012, Vettel took his third consecutive championship, despite spinning on the first lap and narrowly avoiding being hit. This year, Vettel has had a tough season, with a stronger challenge from Räikkönen and a Ferrari that has largely been outperformed by Red Bull.

Another memorable year was 2001, when Juan-Pablo Montoya announced his presence on the Formula 1 scene with an audacious move on Michael Schumacher to take the lead, before being taken out by current F1 star Max Verstappen’s father Jos.

Back in 1997, eventual world champion of that year Jacques Villeneuve won the race after having got in a tangle at the first corner. Unlike these days, if there was a red flag back then, you could jump into the spare car.

All these examples are fairly modern, but Brazilian Grands Prix had started being run at the Gavea circuit in Rio de Janeiro in 1936. Interlagos was first developed when in the late 1930s, two property developers bought the land, only to discover it was unsuitable for housing. It was finished in 1940. Just like the previous race in Mexico City, the first Grand Prix held at the circuit wasn’t a world championship event, joining the Formula 1 World Championship the following year. Argentina's Carlos Reutemann won the first Braziian Grand Prix in his Brabham, while São Paulo native Emerson Fittipaldi took the spoils in the inaugural Formula 1 race for Lotus.

In 1974, the start was delayed when officials had to sweep the track to clear away broken glass that the excitable crowd had put on it. When the flag dropped to signal the start of the race, it caught several drivers out and Reutemann went into the lead. After his tyres went off, leader Ronnie Peterson battled with Emerson Fittipaldi, but Peterson developed a puncture (possibly from some of the glass). The race was stopped on Lap 32 of 40, due to heavy rain, and home hero Fittipaldi took his second Brazilian win on the bounce, this time for McLaren-Ford.

In 1975, São Paulo native Carlos Pace won his only Formula 1 race in Brazil. He was to be killed in a plane accident two years later and the circuit is now named after him, being the Autódromo José Carlos Pace. The following year, Tom Pryce scored his only podium, for Shadow, in third behind winner Niki Lauda and second-placed Patrick Depailler in his Tyrrell-Ford. Ferrari's Reutemann won from Hunt and Lauda in 1977, while in 1978 Reutemann won again in the Ferrari (the first ever win for a Michelin-shod car), with Emerson Fittipaldi securing an excellent second place in his own team's car. The next year, it was a Ligier 1-2, Laffite leading home Depailler. It was another French 1-2 in 1980, this time with Jabouille’s Renault winning in front of Pironi’s Ligier.

The race switched to the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio in 1981. Reutemann led home Alan Jones and ignored an instruction from Williams to let Jones past. Jones refused to show up to the podium celebrations.

In 1982, Nelson Piquet came home first in his Brabham and eventual world champion Keke Rosberg was second in his Williams, but both cars were disqualified, due to their ballast water tank, which cooled the brakes, emptied during the race and filled up at the end. These disqualifications led to the FOCA teams boycotting San Marino a fortnight later. Alain Prost was therefore declared the winner for Renault.

Nigel Mansell won on his debut for Ferrari in 1989, the first person since Mario Andretti to do so in 1971 and the last until Kimi Räikkönen in 2007. A spectator ran across the track just as he crossed the line.

The race switched back to a reconfigured Interlagos in 1991.

In 1994, there was a four-car collision between Eddie Irvine, Martin Brundle, Jos Verstappen and Éric Bernard, which led to Irvine being banned for three races. It can make you wince to watch how Brundle’s neck shook about in the cockpit. Ayrton Senna spun out in his Williams while chasing down and closing down the gap to eventual race winner Michael Schumacher.

Interlagos is full of tricky camber changes, ascents and descents. The drivers dive into Turn 1, a downhill left-hander nowadays known as the Senna ‘S’, which then goes 90 right and which is followed by a long left-hander, the Curva do Sol. This takes them onto the Reta Oposta, an opportunity for overtaking present here particularly on the opening lap depending on the exit from the previous corner. From my understanding of Portuguese, ‘Reta Oposto’ should mean ‘back straight’. The explanation for why this would therefore be the back straight lies in a comparison with the old layout used before the 80s. The track used to go left at Curva 1 and go out wider than the Senna ‘S’ takes them nowadays. So, the Curva do Sol was a corner which was on the infield of the old circuit and was followed by the Reta Oposto. A look at an old track map shows the wider layout of the former configuration.

Back to 2016 and the drivers enter the Descida do Lago, which is a really quick left-hander for which they brake extremely late (around 50 metres before the turn). They have to maintain speed and not run wide, which it is easy to do. There are two apexes here. This takes them back onto another brief straight before they begin to ascend again. The tremendous Ferradura (which means ‘Horse Shoe’) and Laranjinha (named after a fruit) is effectively a long double-apex right-hander and getting themselves on the apex is essential to winding the car up the hill effectively. Once they plateau, drivers enter some of the tricky, technical corners, the cambers presenting them with an added challenge. Right-hander Turn 8 doesn’t seem to have a name and goes into the Pinheirinho (Little Pine Tree) left-hander. ‘Bico do Pato’ (Duck Bill) follows and is a lot like Turn 8, but it’s particularly easy to lock up here on the way in.

Mergulho is a quick left-hander where drivers keep their foot planted but have to be careful to balance the car on the correct line before they dare to brake as late as possible for Junçao, carrying a lot of speed in, but maintaining traction up the hill before taking the Subida dos Boxes and Arquibancadas curves, two left-handers which are basically a case of maintaining speed and possibly lining themselves up for a pass. What a magnificent circuit Interlagos is.

If the track wasn't exciting enough, the weather also loves to throw a spanner in the works, as we have so often seen. Rain is forecast for Sunday, so this could liven up the championship battle. Nico Rosberg’s 19-point lead in the title race means the situation is as follows regarding Nico’s chances of claiming a maiden title and in so doing, becoming only the second son of a world champion to become world champion himself (after Damon Hill twenty years ago).
If Rosberg finishes first, Rosberg is champion come what may. If Rosberg is 2nd, Hamilton has to be 4th or lower. If Rosberg is third, Hamilton has to be 6th or lower. If Rosberg is 4th, Hamilton has to be 8th or lower. If Rosberg is 5th, Hamilton has to be 9th or lower. If Rosberg is 6th, Hamilton has to be 10th or lower.

Constructors’ championship standings: http://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2016/team.html

Drivers’ championship standings: http://www.formula1.com/en/results.h...6/drivers.html

Brazilian Grand Prix tyre selections: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/h...elections.html


Circuit length: 4.309km
Number of laps: 71
Race distance: 305.909km
Dry weather tyre compounds: Soft, Medium and Hard
DRS Detection Zone 1: Senna ‘S’ (between Turns 1 and 2)
DRS Activation Zone 1: Reta Oposta (straight between Turns 3 and 4)
DRS Detection Zone 2: between Junçao and Subida Dos Boxes (Turns 13 and 14)
DRS Activation Zone 2: on start-finish straight
Speed trap: before Senna ‘S’ (Turn 1)

Lap Record: 1:11.473 (2004 – Juan-Pablo Montoya – Williams-BMW)
First Grand Prix: 1972
First World Championship Grand Prix: 1973
First World Championship Grand Prix on current layout: 1991



And the old layout:

[djinvicta]

With a bit of rain about, this could be a Red Bull race with the Mercs struggling..
Cheers BR..

[bjohnsonsmith]

This is one race and track that usually produces the goods. Let's hope it does this weekend.

[FAS33]

Cmon you can still win the title Ricciardo. Believe in yourself.

[chillibowl]

Fun Q3.

Ham over Ros but Kimi's lap is my highlight of the day.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by chillibowl

Fun Q3.

Ham over Ros but Kimi's lap is my highlight of the day.

Certainly was. I find Qualifying is far more fun and interesting to watch than the actual race these days. Hopefully the race will be as good.

I would like to see Nico win it tomorrow but unless Lulu has a DNF then it will go down to the season finale at Abu Dhabi.

[chillibowl]

ive been so back and forth all year on who i would like to see win so i hope it comes down to the last race.

[djinvicta]

With rain forecast, who knows?
Would like to Max in there with his elbows out, to take it to Abu Dhabi finale.

[canamman]

Finally a little zip in the Haas team.
Good sign they can deal with some
problem solving challenges. Fingers
crossed for a point or 2.

[coppice]

Great track , great crowd . Personally I care far more about a good race than who wins either race or championship but at least Brazil has an honourable motor sport record going back decades . For that reason alone I'm happy if championship decided today than at another character free Middle East apology for a grand prix circuit .

[Taxi645]

It may sacrilege, but I wonder if the track and the racing would benefit if they slightly changed the track layout between curves 4 and 5?

Now it's full throttle from just past the apex of turn 4 till turn 6. http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...E0&FORM=VRDGAR

If they would tighten turn 4 a bit, put a slight bend to the right between 4 and 5 it might have a few benefit's:

1 A slightly tighter turn 4 may aid overtaking at that corner.
2 The bit from turn 4 trough turn 5 becomes more interesting to drive because you'll have a set of slight esses (where the car has a lot of grip due to the compression, let's say 170kmh) and turn 5 is not so easily flat any more.
3 The lap time would probably go up 2-3s, from the current 1.10.x in qualifying.

Poor photoshop:

image hosting without account

image hosting 30 mb

[S griffin]

Good to see Fred in the top 10, hopefully he can get a good points finish today

[djinvicta]

Fred can I think. Rosberg may struggle. It's pouring with rain there with 90 minutes till lights out.

[billy bleach]

Give us a break Lewis. Didn't take his headfones off for the track parade interview ...sigh

[canamman]

Originally Posted by canamman

Finally a little zip in the Haas team.
Good sign they can deal with some
problem solving challenges. Fingers
crossed for a point or 2.

Well scratch that thought. Grosjean crashes in the rain on the warmup lap.
%&*# @#$%^& &^* !

[billy bleach]

Originally Posted by canamman

Well scratch that thought. Grosjean crashes in the rain on the warmup lap.
%&*# @#$%^& &^* !

Poor Guy. He didn't deserve that

[bjohnsonsmith]

The start's been delayed and there's talk of starting with the SC.

[Articus]

Verstappen should just hit someone and get it over with....Seems like that's what fans of the sport want. A down to the wire finale in Abu Dhabi.

[JeremySmith]

Wet race ..😃👍

[Articus]

Well, that's taken one element out of it....Race to start behind the SC.

[bjohnsonsmith]

It's definitely an SC start.

[dsg]

Safety Car start. Do FIA want Abu Dhabi to be the decider by giving Hamiltom a leg up?

[Akrapovic]

Big help for Lewis, a SC start. Don't think they need a delay and SC start tbh.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by dsg

Safety Car start. Do FIA want Abu Dhabi to be the decider by giving Hamiltom a leg up?

What with all the money Abu Dhabi shells out, I'm sure they would like the WDC decided there, rather than their GP being an after thought.

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

What with all the money Abu Dhabi shells out, I'm sure they would like the WDC decided there, rather than their GP being an after thought.

Time for F1 to introduce the Race for the Chase for the Quest for the Cup for the Thing!