The land on which the circuit is built was originally bought in 1936 by property developers who wanted to build accommodation. However, it was discovered that the land was unsuitable for housing, so a racing circuit was built instead.
The traditional name of the circuit (literally, "between lakes") comes from the fact that it was built in a region between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings, which were built in the early 20th century to supply the city with water and electric power. In the 1970s it was renamed to honor the then recently deceased Formula One driver José Carlos Pace. There is a kart circuit inside it named after Ayrton Senna.
In 2006, multiple Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher drove in his final Grand Prix at this circuit before retiring. He finished fourth in the race, driving for the Scuderia Ferrari team.
Facilities, organisation and general safety at Interlagos and its surroundings are often criticised.
Notably, during a qualifying session for the 2000 Brazilian GP, the session had to be stopped three times due to advertising hoardings falling onto the track - one straight into the path of Jean Alesi's Prost. A practice session for the 2004 Brazilian Grand Prix had to be stopped because a stray dog had found its way onto the track. The circuit is also criticised for being very bumpy, and despite attempts to smooth the surface, drivers still complain.
Besides the facilities of the circuit, the area around the circuit does not carry the best reputation. Though Formula One drivers generally move between the track and the center of São Paulo by helicopter, general team staff, the media, typically do not travel in this fashion, leaving them open to potential jeopardy. In one incident, Toyota's team staff was attacked by gunmen on a nearby road at the 2006 Brazilian GP.[1] The traffic congestion surrounding events such as the Formula One, Stock Car, and Fórmula Truck races are also a source of trouble for São Paulo city officials.
Race start is in front of the "Tribunas" section and features a pretty long straight section, then comes "S do Senna" ("Senna's S"), a series of turns (left, right, then left again) that are considered extremely difficult because each of them has a different angle, a different radius, a different length, a different inclination (inward or outward) and a different shape (besides the terrain goes down and then up again).
"Senna's S" connects with "Curva do Sol" ("Sun Turn"), a round-shaped large-radius left-turn that leads to "Reta Oposta" ("Opposite Straight Line"), the track's longest (but not the fastest) straight line. Reta Oposta is succeeded by two leftwise, downhill turns that are called "Descida do Lago" ("Down to the Lake") and then "Mergulho" ("Dive"), a short straight sector that goes down again.
After "Mergulho" comes a slow and difficult section, with small, kart-like turns and unpredictable ups-and-downs. These turns are "Ferradura" ("Horseshoe") rightwise and downhill in two steps; "Pinheirinho" ("Small Pine Tree"), an S-type section (right, then left) on a plain field; "Bico de Pato" ("Duck's Beak"), two rightwise turns (one easy, the other very slow and difficult); and then two leftwise turns forming a section called "Junção" ("Junction").
After the slow section begins the long, thrilling and dangerous top-speed section. The first step is "Subida dos Boxes" ("Up to the Pits"), a long, left-wise turn that sometimes seems straight and sometimes bends in more clearly. As the name implies, Subida dos Boxes is uphill (quite steep, indeed) and demands a lot of power from the cars. At the end of it there are two turns (14 and 15) that form what was once called "Cotovelo" ("Elbow"). At this point the track seems inclined inwards (or somewhat crooked).
Pit Lanes
Interlagos has one of the longest pit-lanes ever used in Formula One, starting just before the start line and rejoining the main course after Curva do Sol. Entering the pits is not a trivial task, as the high speed and the left turning may force the car rightwards, out of the pits.
No comments:
Post a Comment