The land on which the circuit is located was originally bought in 1926 by property developers. Following difficulties, it was decided to build a racing circuit instead; construction started in 1938 and the track was inaugurated on 12 May 1940. Its design was inspired by tracks such as the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Roosevelt Raceway in the United States, Brooklands in England, and Montlhéry in France.
The traditional name of the circuit, Interlagos (in Portuguese, "between lakes"), comes from its location on the neighborhood of the same name, a region between two large artificial lakes, Guarapiranga and Billings. The name "Interlagos" was suggested by the French architect and urban planner Alfred Agache. Interlagos was renamed in 1985 to "Autódromo José Carlos Pace" in honor of the Brazilian Formula One driver José Carlos Pace, also known as "Moco", who died in a plane crash in 1977.
Formula One started racing at Interlagos in 1972, when the event was run as a non-championship race, won by Carlos Reutemann. The first World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix was held there in 1973, and it was won by Emerson Fittipaldi. Fittipaldi won the race again the following year, and José Carlos Pace won his only race at Interlagos in 1975.
Due to safety concerns with the 7.960 km (4.946 mi) original layout, the last Formula One race held on the original Interlagos was in 1980. Formula One returned to the circuit in 1990 after it had been shortened and modified at a cost of $15 million. The track layout, aside from the pit exit being extended along the "Curva do Sol" turn, has remained the same since 1990.
The circuit has hosted the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix since 1973, with the current contract set to expire in 2030. It previously hosted the Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix in 1992, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft in 1996, the FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010, and the FIA World Endurance Championship from 2012 to 2014, only to return in 2024. As the major racetrack in the country, it also hosted many national championships such as Stock Car Brasil, Campeonato Sudamericano de GT, Fórmula Truck, Copa Truck, Formula 3 Sudamericana, Brazilian Formula Three Championship, and Mil Milhas Brasil.
In addition, the Prova Ciclística 9 de Julho road cycling race was held at the venue from 2002 to 2006 and from 2008 to 2013. A local version of the Lollapalooza music festival has been held at the venue since 2014.
One of the main characteristics of Interlagos is that it was not built on flat terrain, but follows the ups and downs of hilly ground. The circuit runs counterclockwise, where the centrifugal forces push the drivers' necks to the right. The hilly course is also a good feature for road cycling races.
Additionally, the region where the track is located is known for having rapid changes in weather with outbursts of rain being common. This can add a degree of unpredictability to the races and is classically associated with the circuit. The city of São Paulo is known by the nickname "Land of the Drizzle."
Race start is in the "Tribunas" section and features a long straight with an upward inclination, then comes "S do Senna" (the Senna S) [1,2], a pair of alternating downward turns. "S do Senna" connects with "Curva do Sol" (Curve of the Sun) [3], a large-radius left turn that leads to "Reta Oposta" (Opposite Straight), the track's longest straight. Reta Oposta is succeeded by a pair of downhill left turns called "Descida do Lago" (Lake's Descent) [4,5].
This is followed by a slow section, with small, kart-like turns and elevation changes. The first of these turns is known as "Ferradura" (Horseshoe) [6,7] downhill and right into "Laranjinha" (Little Orange) [8], another right turn and the slowest point of the circuit; the next turn leads into "Pinheirinho" (Little Pine Tree) [9], left on a plain field; then comes "Bico de Pato" (Duck Bill) [10] a right turn with a tight hairpin like shape; and then "Mergulho" (Dive) [11], a constant-radius left-hand turn that slings the driver straight into a harder left at "Junção" (Junction) [12].
Turn [13] "Café" (Coffee), is a left up-hill kink and marks the start of the long top-speed section. Rising up through "Subida dos Boxes" (Up to the Pits) [14], the driver encounters a long uphill left turn with a gradient of 10%. At the end of it comes Arquibancadas (Bleachers) [15], a wide high velocity left turn that connects to the "Tribunas" straight to complete the final section of the track.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
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