NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix

Formula 1 travels to the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace – also known as Interlagos – this weekend for Round 21 on the 2025 calendar, the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

With the Sprint format in play, Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday, November 7, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, November 8, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, November 9.

Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 1973
• Track Length – 4.309km
• Lap record – 1m 10.540s, Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 2018
• Most pole positions – Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen, Felipe Massa, Rubens Barrichello, Lewis Hamilton (3)
• Most wins – Michael Schumacher (4)
• Trivia – Interlagos was built in 1938, on a plot of land unsuitable for housing. The circuit is named after Jose Carlos Pace, who won here in 1975 for Brabham.
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 200 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2024 – 72
• Safety Car probability – 86%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 43%*
• Pit stop time loss – 20.8 seconds

*From the previous seven races in Sao Paulo

The driver's verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Interlagos has a tricky first corner, you can brake much later than you imagine and carry speed into the apex – but go too late and it's easy to lock up the front left.

The middle sector here is all about the flow, the corners come thick and fast. One lock-up in either of the tight right-handers and it puts you off line and out of sync for the whole lot. It's easy to lock up as well because you are loaded laterally on the entries there. It's a technical sector where the rhythm is everything.

The final corner is critical, it's all about exit speed to carry you onto the whopping straight back up the hill. You've got to get the right balance between opening up the corner and taking too much kerb as well, which can unsettle the car and cost you exit speed.

Overall it's a short but fun circuit to drive. The anti-clockwise nature and long, loaded left-handers make this one a bit harder physically for the drivers as well. By the end of this race you might be feeling it on the neck, which isn't used to being loaded up so much on that side.

Last five Sao Paulo polesitters

• 2024 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
• 2021 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2019 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Last five Sao Paulo winners

• 2024 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2023 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
• 2022 – George Russell (Mercedes)
• 2021 – Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
• 2019 – Max Verstappen (Red Bull)

Tyre and strategy insight

“This year’s compound selection for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix harks back to 2023, with the C2, C3 and C4 as hard, medium and soft, therefore one step harder than the trio used last year,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview.

“Last year, the dry weather tyres were not required for the race, but when used on Friday and Saturday morning, they showed high levels of wear, as well as graining, especially on the rear axle. The circuit had been completed resurfaced, thus leaving a very smooth surface, less abrasive than in previous years, although still with plenty of bumps around the track.

“If conditions are similar, with the inevitable variations due to the ageing of the asphalt, the decision to bring harder compounds could thus extend the performance life of the tyres, which are already more resistant to degradation than the 2024 range. That might allow the soft to come into play, which last year was only used for Sprint Qualifying.

“The layout at Interlagos is interesting, with hints of an anti-clockwise oval circuit, which the drivers deal with 71 times in the race. It boasts 15 corners with relatively balanced lateral and longitudinal forces that do not put any undue strain on the tyres, as they are subjected to loads distributed equally between the front and rear axles.

“The combination of several straights and much twistier sections offers plenty of overtaking opportunities, although it also means there’s a higher risk of Safety Cars and incidents. At this time of year, the weather and temperature can be very variable, with a risk of frequent rain and the inevitable use of wet weather tyres.

“A further peculiarity of Interlagos is the bumpy nature of the track, as a result of it being built on relatively unstable ground: just one more challenge for drivers and teams to deal with in terms of set-up and tyre management.”

Current form

With four rounds remaining in the 2025 season, the battle for the Drivers’ Championship is still very much on. The fight took another twist last time out in Mexico after Lando Norris returned to the top of the standings for the first time since April, though the Briton leads by only one point from team mate Oscar Piastri.

Max Verstappen, meanwhile, has continued to close the gap in third place, with the Red Bull driver now just 36 points adrift of Norris. Of the three title contenders, Norris arguably arrives into the weekend with the momentum off the back of a dominant victory in Mexico City.

However, Piastri will be keen to bounce back following a trickier run of late that has seen him finish off the podium for the last four races, and the McLaren racer is likely to welcome the higher grip conditions at Interlagos.

But with the possibility of showers arriving during the event – a weekend in which the Sprint will make its penultimate appearance of the campaign – Verstappen would be one to watch in such conditions, given the Dutchman's stunning drive to victory on a wet track back in 2024.

A strong result for the reigning World Champion could see him gain even more ground in the championship, while a solid points haul for Red Bull might put the Milton Keynes-based outfit ahead of either Ferrari or Mercedes in the ongoing close duel for P2 in the Teams’ standings.

Behind that battle, Williams still have a firm grip on P5, while the midfield scrap remains as close as ever as only 12 points separate Racing Bulls, Aston Martin, Haas and Kick Sauber in the fight for sixth place. Who will have the edge this weekend in Sao Paulo?

Iconic moment

There are countless memorable moments from the career of Ayrton Senna, but one particular highlight came when the three-time champion scored an emotional victory in his home race during the 1991 season.

Having started from pole position, Senna led for 65 laps before the gearbox on his McLaren started to fail. With the rain clouds gathering and just one gear available to use, the Brazilian driver managed to make it across the line in P1, marking the first time that Senna had claimed a win in front of his local fans.

Hit go on the player below to relive that moment...