Carlos Sainz Jr. feels the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace is “all about the history” as Formula One heads to Brazil for the penultimate round of the championship.
The Brazilian Grand Prix has witnessed some legendary moments in the sports history and Sainz admits that he does enjoy driving these “legendary” circuits.
“Interlagos is all about the history, and I really enjoy racing at these old, legendary circuits.
“The Brazilian Grand Prix is the location of a lot of famous Formula 1 stories and drivers, including, of course, Ayrton Senna, and that makes the weekend even more special.
“In terms of the culture, it’s bright and loud, kind of like Mexico last time out, but different in its own unique way.
“The food in Brazil is also one of my favourites; I’m a big fan of meat dishes and São Paulo is very good for these types of restaurants.”
The Renault Sport Formula One Team driver describes the track as a “rollercoaster ride” and loves the atmosphere as he compares it to a “football match”.
“The track is quite challenging with a number of elevation changes and a variety of cambers in the corners. It feels like a rollercoaster ride!
“The in-field bit is tough as it’s twisty with a couple of blind and sharp turns where it can be easy to lock the inside wheel.
“You have to get into a rhythm around the circuit and try not to compromise any corners as that hampers you for next the turn.
“The Grandstands are always packed-out there, but the atmosphere feels more like a football match than a Formula 1 race, it’s always so loud!”
The weather can be very unpredictable at Interlagos and Sainz is hoping for a bit of wet weather to try and repeat his sixth place from 2016.
“Interlagos is synonymous with unpredictable weather. There are usually a couple of surprises year on year. It can be hot and dry and then suddenly the torrential rain will pour in.
“I remember a couple of years ago, we were fifteenth on the grid, but it rained on race day and suddenly we were in amongst it and we managed a solid sixth place finish.
“Adapting quickly to the conditions is a good skill to have in Brazil, so we’ll see what happens! Maybe rain would be a good thing.”
