Between the lakes
Interlagos, officially the Autódromo José Carlos Pace after the Brazilian driver Carlos Pace, sits in the south of São Paulo. It opened in 1940, and its name means "between lakes": it was built between two reservoirs.
It is one of the few circuits that runs anticlockwise, so drivers' necks get a workout in the opposite direction. The lap is short, bumpy and hilly, and the weather is famously changeable.
Interlagos has settled several championships. The most famous came in 2008, when the title changed hands in the final corners of the last lap of the season.
Corner by corner
- The opening esses. A steep downhill left, then a right, straight after the start.
- Curva do Sol and Reta Oposta. A long left onto the back straight, a good place to pass.
- Descida do Lago. A heavy stop into a downhill left.
- The infield. A twisting middle section of slower corners, climbing and falling with the hillside.
- Junção. The left-hander that starts the long uphill run back to the line.
- The climb to the line. A long, curving, full-throttle drag uphill, where slipstreaming cars often line up an overtake into the first corner.
How to be fast here
Get a good exit from Junção: the run to the line is so long that speed there decides the whole lap. Brake in a straight line for the opening esses and Descida do Lago, and keep the car steady over the bumps.
Race it on Late Brake
Late Brake's Interlagos follows the real circuit's shape at true scale, run anticlockwise like the real thing. Set a lap and race your own ghost, take on up to three AI rivals, or race friends online, free in your browser. Beat the medal times above to unlock new car colours.