The Interlagos circuit first held a Grand Prix in 1973, sharing the Brazilian Grand Prix with Jacarepagua, which is located near Rio de Janeiro. The race returned to a redesigned Interlagos in 1990 and has been run there ever since. With its long uphill start/finish straight, twisty infield section and extremely bumpy surface, it is a very challenging circuit for the drivers, the chassis and the engine. Being an anticlockwise circuit it is particularly demanding on the driver̢̮??s neck, as the majority of circuits run clockwise. A lap of the Sao Paulo circuit, described by Alexander Wurz, runs as follows: Starting a lap of the anti-clockwise Interlagos circuit, you push hard on the throttle reaching 184mph in seventh gear, as the track gradient drops sharply on the entrance to the Descida do Sol. As you brake hard for the tight left turn, which provides excellent overtaking opportunities, your speed is reduced to 55mph in second gear. Dabbing the throttle, your speed increases slightly as you negotiate the right-left flick of the 'S' do Senna, which is taken at 92mph in third gear. This is immediately followed by the long left hander, which is quite bumpy but still flat out, and leads you onto the fast Reta Oposta straight. Powering up through the gears you reach 180mph in seventh gear, braking hard for the double apex of Descida do Lago, which is negotiated at 89mph in third gear. The entrance to the first tight left provides another good overtaking opportunity. Exiting the second apex, which is very bumpy and should be flat out, you blast along the short straight that leads to Ferradura, braking from 171mph in fifth gear to 115mph in fourth to negotiate the difficult and slippery right hander which is off camber in the exit. A short burst of power leads to a slow, tight right hander, which is taken in first gear, and is immediately followed by the second gear 55mph left hand of Pinheirinho. Exiting in third gear, your speed builds up to about 99mph before braking hard for the Bico de Pato hairpin, the slowest point on the track, which is taken in first gear at 46mph. The bumpy left hander of Mergulho follows, which can be taken flat out in qualifying at 125mph in forth, before braking hard for the important left hander of Junc̮̣̉̉o, which is taken in second gear at 50mph. This leads you uphill through the long left hander of Subida do Boxes, which takes you back onto the long start-finish straight. Lap information provided by West McLaren Mercedes.
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