Is this to make up for them no longer cheating? 
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Hey they bent the rules, Merc have bent the rules as well a few times 
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MIKA!!! Fantastic interview, by the way. Mika is such a treat to listen to.
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The 2019 Brazilian F1 Grand Prix Preview
Pode ser uma borracha morta até o final do Campeonato de 2019, mas o Brasil realiza regularmente corridas emocionantes quando o Grande Prêmio de Fórmula 1 chega a Interlagos. E ainda há algumas batalhas acirradas por bônus de motorista e bolsas de premiação entre os 18 pilotos e 9 equipes que não são Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas ou Mercedes F1. De qualquer forma, bem-vindo ao Brasil Race Fans!!
It may be a dead rubber as far the 2019 Championships go, but Brazil regularly throws up exciting races when the Formula 1 Grand Prix arrives at Interlagos. And there’s still some close battles for driver bonuses and team prize purses amongst the the 18 drivers and 9 teams that aren’t Lewis Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas or Mercedes F1. Either way, welcome to Brazil Race Fans!!
The 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix is Round 19 of 2019 F1 season, and the penultimate race for the year. It takes place over 71 laps of the 4.309-kilometre Autódromo José Carlos Pace in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
With Lewis Hamilton securing the 2019 F1 Driver’s Championship crown last time around in the USA to go with his Mercedes team’s Constructor’s Championship title, the focus on the points tables shifts to the battles for the lower placings.
Seb Vettel is in prime position to close the gap to his Ferrari rookie teammate Charles Leclerc this weekend, as Leclerc faces a grid penalty for taking new components this weekend. And both the Ferrari drivers will be hoping to shift Red Bull’s Max Verstappen below the two of them on the table.
In the lower half of the Top 10, Albon, Sainz and Gasly are separated by just 7 points. 15 points is the spread from Ricciardo in P9 (46) down to Raikkonen in P14 (31) with the two of them and Norris, Kyvat, Hulkenburg and Perez all with a shout for a season Top 10 placing.
On the Constructor’s table, the Top 5 are pretty much set, but again, it’s in the bottom half of the table that things could get a little spicy… Racing Point and Toro Rosso are separated by just a single point for the P6 spot, while Alfa Romeo and Haas have a 7 point gap for P8.
(Also quietly holding thumbs for George Russell to score at least one point in the next two races and not have to end his maiden F1 season with a duck.)
THE CIRCUIT
Official named the Autódromo José Carlos Pace but still colloquially referred to as Interlagos (literally “between the lakes”), the circuit is the second shortest on the current F1 calendar after Monaco. It has 15 corners and is run in a counter-clockwise direction.
Interlagos, is a motorsport circuit located in the city of São Paulo, in the neighborhood of Interlagos. It is named after Brazilian Formula One driver Carlos Pace, who died in a plane crash in 1977. It has hosted the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix since 1973.
The circuit’s current lap records were both set during last year’s Grand Prix by the Mercedes team drivers:
- Outright Lap Record = 1:07.281 (Lewis Hamilton)
- Race Record = 1:10.540 (Valtteri Bottas)
Race start is in the “Tribunas” section and features a pretty long straight section, then comes “S do Senna” (“Senna’s S”) [Turns 1 & 2], a series of turns (left then right) that are considered extremely difficult because both of them have a different angle, a different radius, a different length, a different inclination (inward or outward) and a different shape (besides the terrain goes down and then up again).
The classic Grand Prix circuit is one where most of the turns are named more interestingly than just “Turn 1”, “Turn2”, etc.
“Senna’s S” connects with “Curva do Sol” (“Sun Turn”), a round-shaped large-radius left-turn that leads to “Reta Oposta” (“Opposite Straight”, a reference to the disused longer back straight of the pre-1990 circuit, to which it runs parallel), the track’s longest (but not the fastest) straight. Reta Oposta is succeeded by a pair of downhill left turns that are called “Descida do Lago” (“Lake Descent”) into a short straight sector that climbs up towards the back of the pit buildings.
This is followed by a slow and difficult section, with small, kart-like turns and elevation changes. These turns are “Ferradura” (“Horseshoe”) downhill and right into “Laranjinha” (“Little Orange”), another right (the slowest point of the circuit); then the right-hand Turn 8 leads into “Pinheirinho” (“Small Pine Tree”), left on a plain field; “Bico de Pato” (“Duck Bill”) a right-hand turn complex (first, an easy right kink into the tighter-radius near-hairpin give the distinctive turn its shape and name); and then “Mergulho” (“Dive”), a constant-radius left-hand turn that slings the driver straight into a harder left at “Junção” (“Junction”).
Turn 13, a left up-hill kink, marks the start of the long, thrilling and dangerous top-speed section. Rising up through “Subida dos Boxes” (“Up to the Pits”), the driver encounters a long left turn that sometimes seems straight and sometimes bends in more clearly. As the name implies, Subida dos Boxes is uphill (with a gradient of 10%, quite steep, indeed) and demands a lot of power from the cars. At the end of it, Arquibancadas (“Bleachers”) forms the end of what was once called “Cotovelo” (“Elbow”). At this point the track seems inclined inwards (or somewhat crooked) as the cars approach top speed back through the “Tribunas” straight. The series of left turns from the exit of Junção all the way to Turn 1 into Senna’s S is typically taken at full throttle and treated as a long straight.
Here’s a quick guided lap around the circuit with Nico Hulkenberg:
THE TYRES
For the penultimate race of the season, Formula 1 remains in the American continent for the Brazilian Grand Prix, at the iconic Interlagos venue where so many stories from Formula 1 history have been written. This year, Pirelli takes the C1 as the White hard tyre, the C2 as the Yellow medium, and the C3 as the Red soft. This is the hardest possible combination of compounds, and a step harder from what was chosen for Brazil last year.
The track is one of the shortest but also one of the most challenging of the year. There are some big elevation changes and it can be bumpy, which makes it hard for the tyres to find traction and increases the physical demands on the drivers. The track was resurfaced quite recently, which had an effect on wear and degradation.
In 2018, the medium, soft and supersoft tyres were nominated. Despite a tyre nomination that is slower on paper this year, we’re likely to see faster lap times – as has already been the case at several races this year – thanks to the continual evolution of the cars.
The harder tyre choice for this year in Brazil is designed to limit degradation, and so help drivers to push more during each stint.
The weather characteristics of Interlagos are among the most random of the year. In the past, we’ve seen some of the hottest track temperatures of the season, well in excess of 55 degrees centigrade – and also torrential rain.
The asphalt was entirely resurfaced in 2014 and it’s now had plenty of time to mature: it was also cleaned thoroughly with high pressure water jets last year. As a result, it’s about average when it comes to roughness and presents no particular challenges in terms of the actual surface.
Interlagos contains 15 corners within the second- shortest lap of the year, which means that there aren’t many long corners, keeping the lateral demands quite low. The front-right tyre is worked the hardest on this anti-clockwise track.
A one-stopper was the winning strategy last year, with Lewis Hamilton going from supersoft to medium. But there was lots of variation, with three different tactical approaches from the three leading teams and five different strategies in the top six.
THE WEATHER
The weather often plays a major part in the outcome of a Brazilian Grand Prix. With relatively high temperature and humidity levels, atmospheric changes are rapid, and rain is frequent. And that rain can vary from light showers to torrential downpours.
While early forecasts did show rain through Friday and Saturday this weekend, things have calmed significantly in more recent weather updates. Race day looks dry, cool and comfortable for all concerned:
Here’s F1’s 5 Most Shocking Moments video and 5 Onboards that highlight an occasion or two where weather has been integral in the results of a race:
THE SCHEDULE
We like to give the Brazilians a couple of hours to recuperate from their nightly carnivals and caipirinhas, so expect the track action to take place in the latter part of your weekend days.
THE PRE-RACE PRESSER
And just for a change, and because we so rarely see them these days (and because I’ve done this one so late that it’s available!), here’s the highlights from yesterday’s Driver’s Press Conference:
2019 Brazil Grand Prix: Pre-Race Press Conference
That’s pretty much I’ve got for you this week. Just one more to go after this to wrap up the season. Until then… Race On!!
The 2019 Brazilian F1 Grand Prix Preview
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I cannot waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait!
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Should be an entertaining race. McLaren just need to seal that 4th spot, but I doubt Renault will catch them.
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First Practice in Brazil:
Pretty subdued session with a very wet circuit from early morning rain. With the forecast for the rest of the weekend being dry all the way through, not much to learn this morning. Other than perhaps the drivers getting a rare opportunity to get a feeling for running the Wet tyres. Four drivers didn’t even bother posting times in the session.
Albon tops the timesheets, but is also frustrated at the end of the session when he risks a Softs lap on the drying surface and loses the car, colliding heavily with the barrier. Last minute spins also for Verstappen (on only his 4th lap of the session) and Kvyat under similar circumstances to Albon - going a little too early on the slicks, for no apparent benefit.
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Free Practice 2:
Dry circuit for the whole session means a lot more running for everyone than in the earlier session. Except for Robert Kubica. Big off through the Senna esses on his third lap that puts him into the barrier and out of the session. He’s fine, his car isn’t. Red flag flies.
Pretty quickly after the restart, things start to go as normal. Quali sim runs put the Ferrari pair just 0.02 apart at the top of the times, with Verstappen’s Red bull slotting in ahead of the Mercedes duo.
KMag and his Haas, DRic in his Renault and Kimi in his Alfa add some interesting variety to the Top 10 times, but noticeably they’re a full second off the fast five - and a second gap over one of the shortest laps on the calendar is BIG.
Very poor end of the session for the Toro Rosso team. First Gasly crawls to a stop with a blown engine. Shortly afterwards Kvyat’s TR shuts down completely, locking his rear axle and steering causing him to slide off at speed in Juncao and bring the session to a 5 minute shorter end.
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Free Practice 3:
Bernie E in the house! The little elf spent the session wandering around pitlane chatting to all and sundry 
The weather is dry and cloudy for the start of FP3, but it still takes a good 15 minutes for action on track to pick up as everyone waits for everyone else to put a bit of rubber on the circuit. Kubica is the only one to oblige.
Verstappen, Hamilton and Bottas top the early times but Leclerc and Vettel try to stamp Ferrari’s dominance in Sao Paulo and set the benchmarks on their first qualifying sim runs going almost half a second faster than the others. Then Hamilton heads out on fresh Softs (and clearly without sandbags) and knocks another 0.300 off their times, just to remind them exactly who is King. Bottas can’t seem to hook up a decent lap at all, while Verstappen (just 0.026 off Hamilton) and Albon land up sandwiching the red cars between them.
Seb got a nose cam:
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Brazilian GP Qualifying:
Surprise Max Attack! Verstappen takes a semi-unexpected second career pole - and gets to keep it this time! Sensational lap from the Dutchman to set the grid up with a car each for the top 3 teams, with their teammates in the next 3 places (although Leclerc does take a 10 place grid drop tomorrow for his engine replacement). And all of the top 6 still a full second clear of the rest.
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Bit of a bummer for Sainz, but he should be able to make up places tomorrow.
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Sweet Baby Cheeses - these red donkey drivers need to be smacked upside the head. Both of them. But Seb especially!!
Fantastic win for Max. And brilliant result for Albon until Hamilton screwed him over - deserved 2nd. Hamilton deserves penalty big time, robbed Alex. Go Gasly for P2, love it!!! And Carlos you frikken legend - P20 to P4. And maybe even a P3 if Lew gets the penalty.
As normal, even without rain, Brazil delivers a cracker! (Except for Ferrari. Chumps. But still #1 in my book.)
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Yea I don’t know what seb was thinking -aka nothing, he should have let charles thru and leave it like that. He was on the older tire. It wasnt on purpose tho, that much is clear - but stupidity
Poor Norris lost out the most I think. Max deserved this win, he did great. And yay for Sainz!
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Yay Sainz indeed!!! P3 afterall 
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5 second penalty for Hamilton. Drops him to 7th, and Sainz gets his first podium.
Sainz and others still under investigation for opening DRS under yellow flag, don’t pop the champagne corks just yet Macca fans.
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Dont ruin this for us now!
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No further action against Sainz. Sainz and McLaren get the P3 trophy 
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You forget Albon exists?
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