Interlagos: A stunning backdrop for the 2024 Brazilian GP
The final stop on this American triple header sees F1 head to Brazil’s famous Interlagos circuit for the 2024 Brazilian GP. Another barnstorming weekend is in the works, continuing the trend of the 2024 F1 season.
With the Verstappen-Norris championship battle hitting new flashpoints in Mexico, you’d wonder what will happen around Interlagos. Verstappen outscored the Briton for the first time since the summer break, at Austin. Norris clawed back vital ground at Mexico after the Dutch driver accrued two ten-second penalties for his incidents. The Brazilian GP marks the perfect backdrop for part three of this championship rivalry.
There’s also the narrative of a three-way fight for the Constructors’ Championship, a feat made possible by Ferrari’s American resurgence. The scarlet cars haven’t been off the podium since F1 returned for its American triple header. Charles Leclerc took Ferrari’s first win in the Americas since 2006, while Carlos Sainz took the team’s first Mexican win since 1990. With their 1-2 in Austin and 1-3 at Mexico, the Prancing Horses have galloped past Red Bull to sit second. With only 29 points to play between the oldest competitors in the sport, it serves up a thrilling rivalry to watch and behold.
Interlagos, a racetrack known to serve up thrilling races. Championship battles hanging in the balance. Another sprint weekend. Round 21 in an enthralling season. It’s no secret that the 2024 Brazilian GP is one you absolutely must tune into.
Major talking points ahead of the 2024 Brazilian GP
Verstappen vs Norris: Part III – The battle between the two championship protagonists has risen with intensity every weekend. While Norris’s off-track overtake and subsequent penalty sparked off the lamp, Verstappen’s retaliation in Mexico added further fuel to the fire. The Dutchman copped two separate 10-second penalties, limiting him to a lonely sixth on the road.
Norris, on the other hand, recouped after the early incidents to split the Ferrari duo in second. This leaves him 47 points adrift, with the mammoth task of outscoring Verstappen by almost 12 points every race weekend. Norris has achieved this feat only once this season, at Albert Park, when he finished on the podium and Verstappen retired. It looks like a tall order, but with Verstappen taking a grid penalty for power unit components this weekend, an open goal for Norris to capitalise on.
A Sprint weekend, once again: Norris’s task is amplified by the fact that the Brazilian GP is a sprint weekend. His closest rival Verstappen, on the other hand, boasts a perfect Sprint record in 2024, having won all four sprint events.
This makes Norris’s task of outscoring Verstappen that much harder. Should the Dutchman continue his Sprint record, it would be a major dent in Norris’s championship chances. The McLaren driver will need to venture into newer ground of outscoring the championship leader in the Sprint, to keep the pressure on into the weekend.
Additionally, Sprint events have proven to be exciting and unpredictable around Interlagos in the past. Expect this year’s running to be no different, with the teams a lot closer this time around.
Ferrari’s rejuvenated American form: The Ferrari renaissance in the Americas has livened up a growing championship rivalry. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have taken one victory apiece at Austin and Mexico.
Both times, the SF24 proved to be the quickest in race trim. The Ferrari aced the medium-speed corners in Austin and Mexico. This was thanks to a series of upgrades culminating in a front-wing update ahead of Singapore.
With Brazil featuring a second sector of long-radius medium-speed corners, expect Ferrari to be in the ascendancy once again around Interlagos.
Perez in the spotlight: It wasn’t a fine home race at all for Sergio Perez. The Mexican struggled all weekend, largely in the slow-speed corners. This resulted in a Q1 knockout, while a penalty for a false start undid his comeback drive in the race. His scuffles with VCARB’s Liam Lawson didn’t help either.
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has sparked speculations, talking of stern decisions regarding Perez’s Red Bull seat. While he is undoubtedly under pressure, a good result at Interlagos would go a long way to alleviate speculations over Perez’s future in the team.
The venue for the weekend
The setting for this weekend’s action is the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, a fan favourite. Set amidst the city of São Paulo, the circuit has delivered plenty of exciting races in the past.
Key points of action are the series of corners comprising the first sector. The Senna ‘S’ and the Descida De Lago (turn four) are the two major overtaking spots on the track. This section can provide opportunities for drivers getting passed into turn 1 to re-pass the same driver into turn four. With a championship rivalry reaching boiling point, these corners could prove critical during the sprint and the Grand Prix.
The middle sector will once again be a challenge for drivers. Apart from wearing out the tyres, it’s extremely tricky to follow the car ahead, along the sequence of long radius corners. The exit off Juncao Corner will once again be critical, with a long run down to turn one following.
Ahead of the race weekend, the entire 2.67-mile track has been repaved. The fresh track surface is expected to be abrasive, albeit grippier. However, with rain on the horizon, it could be a weekend of slip-n-slide, and the pecking order could be shaken up across the weekend.
The challenge of Interlagos has been exemplified by only one Free Practice session before Sprint Qualifying. Drivers will find it a challenge to get used to the fresh track surface, as seen in the 60 minutes of running in FP1 a few minutes ago before the representative sessions to follow.
Weekend timings
The timings for the weekend (in GMT) are as follows:
Free Practice results: Lando Norris (P1) George Russell (P2) Oliver Bearman (P3)
Sprint qualifying: 18:30 – 19:15 (Friday, 1st November)
Sprint race: 14:00 – 15:00 (Saturday, 2nd November)
Qualifying: 18:00 – 19:00 (Saturday, 2nd November)
Main race: 17:00 GMT (Sunday, 3rd November)
Upgrades brought by teams for the weekend
An intense triple header away from their European bases meant as many as eight teams came into Brazil with no upgrades from Mexico. The only teams to bring upgrades were McLaren and KICK Sauber.
The former introduced a raft of upgrades in Mexico, and have introduced a circuit-specific rear wing at Interlagos. The team have introduced both high and low downforce configurations, keeping in mind the expected weather conditions for the weekend.
Meanwhile, KICK Sauber have introduced a circuit-specific rear wing and a front suspension upgrade, in their quest to secure their first points of the season so far.
