Last year the title race was well and truly finished, with the main focus on F1 bidding farewell to Mark Webber while Felipe Massa took part in his final race for Ferrari. After the drama of 2012, this is a relatively boring race in Brazilian GP terms, with Sebastian Vettel taking pole position and duly converting to take a record breaking ninth consecutive grand prix victory in the same season. Rosberg actually got the jump in to Turn 1 but Vettel was back ahead on lap 2 and eased away, with Webber slotting in to second after having the pace to hold off Fernando Alonso, who completed the podium. Massa’s day was ruined by a drive through penalty which dropped him from fourth to seventh, also costing Ferrari second in the constructors’ championship as Hamilton limped home ninth after contact with Valtteri Bottas.Most successful driver at Interlagos: Michael Schumacher (4 wins)
Most successful team at Interlagos: Ferrari, McLaren (8 wins)*
*Indicates both the 8km and current track layouts
Track information
Lewis Hamilton:
You start the lap absolutely flat out into the low-grip Turn One. The corner really falls away from you quite steeply here and it’s so easy to lock up, but you need to make sure to get a really tight exit to enable you to be flat through Turns Two and Three. Positioning is crucial to carrying good speed through these two corners, as you’re then into the first DRS straight and one of the best overtaking opportunities around the circuit at Turn Four.
You can brake really late for this corner – way after the 100m line and closer to the 50m line – so you need to take as much speed as possible on the way in. You then take a little bit of the kerb on exit and run flat out through Turn Five, all the way up to Turn Six. Again, this is a corner where you can carry so much speed on entry – trying to just clip the apex and doing the same through Turn Seven and hanging the car out wide for the entry to Turn Eight.
Along with Turn Nine, this really does require you to use absolutely all of the kerb for the best line and is really tricky to get right. Turn Ten is next, which is really low grip and just seems to last forever. There’s so little traction but you have to find it as best you can, as you’re then flat out down the hill through Turn 11, where the car is constantly trying to step out on you.
Braking into Turn 12, the final corner in effect, is tough. Your tyres are so hot from the stop / start, high braking nature of the middle sector that the rear end can fishtail into here and it’s easy to overrun the corner. You have to keep up your minimum speed, though, as the lap ends with a flat-out run up the hill and across the line, where keeping the steering as straight and smooth as possible is crucial. It’s a long run and with the DRS zone included, this is the best chance to make an overtake stick.
Weather
Interlagos is famed for its unpredictable weather, with warm, sunny conditions able to turn in to thunderous downpours in an instant. Well, guess what? This weekend is no different. The current forecast is for thunderstorms throughout the weekend, with wet weather predicted on all three days of running. At present, Sunday has the lowest risk of rain at 80%, but there’s never any guarantee that the rain will hit the track. However, 2013 showed that threatening dark clouds will always make pit walls nervy.
Prediction
Hamilton’s run of form shows no sign of coming to an end, but Rosberg’s pole position and early lead in Austin shows he won’t go down without a fight. The forecast wet conditions have the potential to make the race more of a lottery, but the two Mercedes drivers are unlikely to be seriously challenged as the long run up to the start line requires strong engine performance. Expecting another shootout between the two title contenders, Interlagos has not been kind to Hamilton – even when he won the title here – as he boasts just one third place from seven races. His run of form has to come to an end at some point and we’re going to tip Rosberg to make the most of a tricky weekend to cut the gap in the title race.