Autódromo José Carlos Pace

Motorsport venue in Brazil

Interlagos, the Track Between Two Reservoirs

A hilly, counterclockwise circuit in southern São Paulo where weather, gradient and late season title fights have produced some of the sport's most famous races.

Interlagos means between the lakes, and for once a name is exactly accurate: the circuit sits in a São Paulo neighborhood between the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs. The land was bought in 1926 for housing, but after the crash of 1929 the plan changed and a racetrack was built instead, begun in 1938 and opened on the 12th of May 1940. Since 1985 it has officially honored José Carlos Pace, the Brazilian driver killed in a plane crash in 1977, and in 2024 he was buried at the circuit beside his bust.

The track follows rolling ground and runs counterclockwise, loading drivers' necks the opposite way to most of the calendar. From the start the lap drops through the Senna S, sweeps around Curva do Sol onto the Reta Oposta, then wriggles through a slow infield of tight, kart like turns before a long uphill left of about 10 percent climbs past the pits to the line. São Paulo weather can move from drizzle to downpour in short order, and the forecast is rarely the last word.

The original 7.960 km layout was fast, bumpy and poorly protected, and after drivers protested in 1980 the Brazilian Grand Prix moved to Rio. It returned in 1990 on a shortened course of 4.325 km, and the layout used since 1999 measures 4.309 km.

The first championship Brazilian Grand Prix here, in 1973, went to São Paulo's own Emerson Fittipaldi, who won again in 1974, and Pace took his only victory at the track in 1975. Interlagos has held 42 championship rounds from 1973 to 2025, and Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver with four wins. Its late place in the season has made it a stage for deciders. Kimi Räikkönen took the 2007 title here from third in the standings, and in 2008 Felipe Massa won the race but not the title, which Lewis Hamilton secured by passing Timo Glock on the final lap.

Since 2021 the race has been called the São Paulo Grand Prix, with a contract running to 2030, and the old track between the reservoirs remains Brazil's leading racing venue.

Every Grand Prix here

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