The land was purchased in 1926 by property developers intending to build housing. The 1929 stock market crash disrupted those plans, and the site was redirected toward a racing circuit. Construction began in 1938, and the track opened on 12 May 1940 under the authority of the federal intervener of São Paulo state, Adhemar de Barros. Its original design drew inspiration from circuits including the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Roosevelt Raceway in the United States, Brooklands in England, and Montlhéry in France.
The name Interlagos — Portuguese for "between lakes" — reflects the circuit's location between two large artificial reservoirs, Guarapiranga and Billings, built in the early twentieth century to supply São Paulo with water and electricity. The name was suggested by French architect and urban planner Alfred Agache, drawing on the Swiss region of Interlaken.
In 1985, the circuit was renamed Autódromo José Carlos Pace in honor of the Brazilian Formula One driver José Carlos Pace, known as Moco, who won his only Formula One race at Interlagos in 1975 before dying in a plane crash in 1977. In August 2024, Pace's remains were transferred from a vandalized mausoleum and buried at the circuit itself, making him the first deceased driver ever to be interred at a race venue.
Formula One first raced at Interlagos in 1972 as a non-championship event won by Carlos Reutemann. The first World Championship Brazilian Grand Prix at the venue was held in 1973, won by São Paulo-born Emerson Fittipaldi, who was the defending world champion at the time. Fittipaldi won again in 1974, and Pace took his sole Grand Prix victory at his home circuit in 1975.
Safety concerns over the original 7.960 km layout — including a bumpy surface, inadequate barriers, deep ditches, and embankments — led to Formula One leaving the circuit after 1980. The races moved to the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro until Formula One returned to an extensively modified and shortened Interlagos in 1990.
The circuit's move to a late-season slot from 2004 onward made Interlagos the stage for multiple championship-deciding moments. Fernando Alonso clinched the 2005 and 2006 world titles in Brazil. Kimi Räikkönen won the 2007 World Championship here despite entering the final race seven points behind and in third place in the standings. In 2008, Felipe Massa won the race and needed Lewis Hamilton to finish outside the points for the championship — Hamilton's overtake of Timo Glock on the final lap denied Massa the title by a single point in one of the most dramatic conclusions in Formula One history.
Interlagos is distinguished by its hilly terrain. Unlike flat circuits, the track follows natural elevation changes that increase physical demands on both drivers and cars. The counterclockwise direction pushes centrifugal forces to the right side of a driver's neck, opposite to the majority of Formula One circuits. The São Paulo climate adds further unpredictability: the region is known for rapid weather changes, and sudden heavy rain showers during races have frequently altered outcomes.
The current 4.309 km layout dates from 1990, when the original circuit was substantially shortened from 7.87385 km. The reduction eliminated three long straight sections and nine fast curves, fundamentally changing the character of the track while addressing the safety concerns that had driven Formula One away.
The lap begins at the Tribunas section with an uphill straight, then descends through the Senna S (S do Senna), a pair of alternating turns named for Ayrton Senna. Curva do Sol (Curve of the Sun) leads to the Reta Oposta, the track's longest straight. The back section includes a series of slow, technical corners with elevation changes — Ferradura (Horseshoe), Laranjinha (Little Orange, the slowest point of the circuit), Pinheirinho (Little Pine Tree), Bico de Pato (Duck's Bill), and Mergulho (Dive). The lap concludes with a long uphill section through Subida dos Boxes and the wide, high-speed Arquibancadas bend before returning to the start-finish straight.
The stretch from Juncao through the Arquibancadas and back to Turn 1 constitutes one of the longest full-throttle sections in Formula One, comparable to the Rettifilo straight at Monza and the Kemmel Straight at Spa-Francorchamps.
Interlagos has one of the longest pit lanes used in Formula One, beginning just before the start-finish straight and rejoining the track after Curva do Sol. Safety modifications to the pit lane entrance were carried out for the 2007 and 2014 Brazilian Grands Prix.
In 2007, the most significant resurfacing work in the circuit's modern history was undertaken ahead of the Formula One race. The entire asphalt surface was replaced, producing a far smoother track. A new grandstand was added and the pit lane entrance was improved simultaneously. The circuit was closed for five months to allow the work to be completed.
Beyond Formula One, Interlagos has hosted the Brazilian motorcycle Grand Prix, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft, the FIA GT1 World Championship, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. It remains an active venue for Brazilian national series including Stock Car Brasil, the F4 Brazilian Championship, and the Brazilian Superbike Championship. The Lollapalooza music festival has been held at the venue annually since 2014.
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