The Interlagos Circuit in a file photo. (Image; Twitter/F1)

F1 track statistics: All you need to know about the Interlagos circuit

June 2, 2023June 2, 2023 Nilavro Ghosh

The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, also known as Interlagos, is a 4.309 km (2.677 mi) motorsport circuit located in the neighbourhood of Interlagos in the city of So Paulo. Adhemar de Barros, a federal intervener, inaugurated it on May 12, 1940. The circuit’s and the neighborhood’s traditional names derive from the fact that they are situated between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings, which were built at the beginning of the twentieth century to supply the city with water and electricity. The circuit was renamed in 1985 to honour Formula One driver José Carlos Pace, who died in a plane crash in 1977.

It is famous for hosting the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix and the Lollapalooza music festival. Since 1973, it has hosted the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix. It also hosted the 1992 Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix, the 1996 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, the 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship, and the 2012 to 2014 FIA World Endurance Championship. As the country’s main racecourse, it has also hosted a number of previous and ongoing national championships, including Stock Car Brasil, Campeonato Sudamericano de GT, Fórmula Truck, Copa Truck, Formula 3 Sudamericana, Brazilian Formula Three Championship, and Mil Milhas Brasil. The venue also hosted the Prova Ciclstica 9 de Julho road cycling race.

The land on which the circuit is built was purchased in 1926 by property developers looking to build housing.[1] Due to difficulties, including the 1929 stock market crash, it was decided to construct a racing circuit instead; construction began in 1938, and the track was inaugurated on May 12, 1940. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Roosevelt Raceway (1937 layout) in the United States, Brooklands in England, and Montlhéry in France inspired the design. The circuit’s traditional name derives from its location in the Interlagos neighbourhood, which is situated between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings, which were built in the early twentieth century to supply the city with water and electricity.

Track specifications

City	Interlagos, Sao Paolo, Brazil
Opened	May 12, 1940
Length	4.309 km
Turns	15
F1 lap record	1:10.540 (Valterri Bottas, Mercedes, 2018)

Most wins

Formula One legend Alain Prost is the most successful driver at Interlagos with six wins to his name. Carlos Reutemann and Michael Schumacher occupy P2 with four wins each while P3 belongs to Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton with three wins each.

Driver	Wins
Alain Prost	6
Carlos Reutemann, Michael Schumacher	4
Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton	3

Most pole positions

British driver Jim Clark is the man with the most poles at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez with four to his name. Ayrton Senna occupies P2 with three poles at the track while Nigel Mansell completes the podium with two poles.

Driver	Poles
Jim Clark	4
Ayrton Senna	3
Nigel Mansell	2

Most successful constructors

McLaren is the most successful constructor to have raced at Interlagos with 12 wins to their names. Ferrari comes in at P2 with 11 wins. Mercedes and Williams complete the podium with six wins each.