Who holds the record for most DNFs in Brazil? What happened for the first time at the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix? And which record did Sebastian Vettel equal here in 2013? Here’s Interlagos in Numbers!
0
2018 marked the first time that no Brazilian drivers raced in the Brazilian Grand Prix.
1
Stéphane Sarrazin made his one and only Grand Prix appearance at Interlagos in 1999. Competing with Minardi, he retired from the race.
2
Two drivers have finished on the podium at Interlagos without completing the race. Heinz-Harald Frentzen ran out of fuel on the final lap in 1999, but was classified in third position. Meanwhile, a big crash for Fernando Alonso brought the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix to an early end. As per the regulations, Alonso was running in third place two laps prior to the red flag being shown, meaning that he was awarded the final spot on the podium. Alonso’s crash in the 2003 race left him hospitalised, making him unable to appear on the podium. The race is the most recent time in F1 history that only two drivers appeared in the podium celebrations.
3.651km
The current layout of Interlagos is 3.651km shorter than the original track configuration. The original track had a further in-field section, making it 7.960km in total. It was cut down to its current 4.309km state for 1990, when the track returned to the calendar after a ten-year absence.
4
Michael Schumacher has the most wins at Interlagos, with four victories. Alain Prost holds the record for most Brazilian Grand Prix wins, with one at Interlagos and five at the Jacarepagua circuit in Rio.
5
The constructors’ championship has been settled at Interlagos on five occasions. It first happened in 2006, when Renault claimed their most recent championship win. Ferrari, Brawn GP and Red Bull won titles here in 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively, while Mercedes took their fifth consecutive crown at Interlagos in 2018.
6
In addition to the teams’ titles decided here, the drivers’ championship has been decided on six occasions at Interlagos. Five drivers’ titles were decided here in consecutive seasons between 2005 and 2009, during which four different drivers – Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button – clinched the title at the circuit. Sebastian Vettel is the only other driver to have won the title here, which he did in the dramatic 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix.
8
A Brazilian driver has won the Brazilian Grand Prix eight times. Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Felipe Massa each won their home event twice during their careers. Piquet’s two wins are the only two which came at Jacarepagua, not Interlagos.
9
For nine consecutive seasons between 1995 and 2003, Rubens Barrichello failed to finish his home Grand Prix at Interlagos. His unlucky streak finally came to an end in 2004, when he finished in third place – the only time that he finished on the podium at the Brazilian Grand Prix in 19 attempts.
11
With his nine consecutive retirements, it’s no surprise that Rubens Barrichello holds the record for most overall DNFs at Interlagos. Additional non-finishes in 1993 and 2007 bring his total of DNFs here to eleven. That’s five more than any other driver!
13
Sebastian Vettel recorded his thirteenth win of the 2013 season at Interlagos, equalling Michael Schumacher’s record for most wins in a season. It was also his ninth consecutive victory – a record for most consecutive wins in Formula 1.
16
In the last sixteen Interlagos races, there has been just one occasion where the driver that was leading the championship after the Brazilian Grand Prix has failed to go on and win the title. That was Fernando Alonso, who was leading the closely fought 2010 championship by eight points after the Interlagos round.
43%
The overall pole to win conversion rate at Interlagos is just over 43%. From the 30 races held at Interlagos up until 2012, the polesitter won on only ten occasions. Since 2012 however, six of the seven races have been won from pole. The only one that wasn’t is the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix, which Sebastian Vettel won from second on the grid.
48
The 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix will mark the 48th time that the event has been held as a round of the championship. It was also held as a non-championship race in 1972, the year before it joined the F1 calendar proper. The cancellation of the 2020 Brazilian Grand Prix marked the first time since 1972 that the race did not appear on the schedule.
141ft
There is an overall elevation change of 141ft around the Interlagos track.