(Pirelli Motorsport Media)
The Formula One circus heads to Sao Paulo this weekend for the Brazilian Grand Prix at the Interlagos circuit which is shortest circuit on the Formula One calendar. Following the United States Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Pirelli will once again bring the Soft and the Medium compound tyre.
It will be the third race in succession that the teams will use the Soft and Medium compound tyre's for the penultimate race of the 2014 Formula One season.
Brazil has a rich history of Formula One with legend triple world champion Ayrton Senna having come from Brazil. Today, there is is just one Brazilian on the grid with Felipe Massa racing with the Williams Martini Racing Team,
His compatriot, Felipe Nasr is also the Williams Martini Racing Team's test and reserve driver. The Brazilian fans are some of the most passionate racing fans on the calendar.
The Interlagos circuit is a fast flowing circuit with a very tight braking zone into turn one with a long straight following T1 and T2 down to T4 with a big load of pressure placed on the Pirelli rubber.
Speaking ahead of this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery stated:
'Brazil is one of the biggest markets in the world for Pirelli, so it’s a pleasure to be there among our friends and supporters.
The lap takes a lot out of the tyres due to the almost non-stop succession of corners, a number of which are high-speed. So getting the most out of the tyres and the strategy is clearly going to be of vital importance in the race.
We’ve seen a number of wet races in the past at Interlagos, which seems to be a strong possibility this year as well. All of this adds to the reputation of the Brazilian Grand Prix for hosting dramatic races where nobody knows what to expect, so it’s likely that we can look forward to another exciting weekend in front of a crowd that is truly passionate about Formula One.'
Pirelli consultant and former F1 driver Jean Alesi stated:
'I raced at Interlagos 12 times: I love it although it is extremely physically demanding for the driver, as the car is constantly cornering and you are subjected to a lot of forces. In particular, it placed heavy demands on your neck muscles and this situation was even more tricky in the past when Brazil came at the beginning of the season, so you were not used to it.
I remember the track being bumpy: on Friday the surface tended to be quite slippery before delivering more and more grip as the weekend went on, also because of the character of the asphalt, which was quite abrasive. Now we will see if it is the same.'
© Ben Johnston 2014
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