Sao Paulo Grand Prix
The Formula 1 season is heading into its final stretch, and one of the most electric races on the calendar is just around the corner, the São Paulo Grand Prix 2025, held at the legendary Autódromo José Carlos Pace (better known as Interlagos) in Brazil.
Whether you’re lucky enough to be there in person or tuning in from home, here’s everything you need to know. from track insights and weekend schedule to fan tips, travel advice, and on-track strategy.
Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Location: Interlagos, São Paulo, Brazil
Circuit length: 4.309 km (71 laps)
Direction: Anti-clockwise
Famous for: Elevation changes, passionate fans, and unpredictable weather.
Few tracks capture the soul of Formula 1 like Interlagos. It’s short, twisty, and fast — with iconic corners like the Senna S, Ferradura, and Juncão that challenge both driver and car. The bumpy surface, altitude, and high-speed nature often make it one of the most exciting races of the year.
Why fans love it:
- Compact layout with close racing.
- Plenty of overtaking opportunities (especially Turn 1 & 4).
- Intense local atmosphere and passionate Brazilian fans.
- Historic races, from Senna’s legendary wins to Hamilton’s title deciders.
Sprint weekend
Free Practice -> Sprint Qualifying -> Sprint Race -> Qualifying -> Qatar Grand Prix
The Brazilian gp weekend is not a regular weekend; it’s a Sprint Weekend, which brings a different format than usual. This means there will only be one Free Practice session (FP1), which will take place on Friday. Teams and drivers will have just one hour to assess how their car performs on the track and fine-tune their setups. After FP1, the Sprint Qualifying session will take place. This session is shorter than a regular qualifying and has different tire rules. For example, in Q1, drivers are required to use specific tire compounds, which adds a layer of strategy. (For further clarification, Sprint Qualifying is typically a single, 30-minute session that determines the grid for the Sprint Race.
On Saturday, the Sprint Race will take place. The number of laps in a Sprint Race is much fewer than the original Grand Prix. This is typically around 100 km (approximately 30 minutes of racing), so there is usually no need for a pit stop. After the Sprint Race, the drivers will take part in another Qualifying session, this time for the Grand Prix that will take place on Sunday. This qualifying session follows the usual format, with drivers competing for the grid positions for the main event of the weekend.
his compressed format adds excitement and strategy, giving teams and drivers multiple chances to perform while reducing the usual downtime between sessions.
Here are the points that can be scored during a Sprint Race:
- 1st: 8 points
- 2nd: 7 points
- 3rd: 6 points
- 4th: 5 points
- 5th: 4 points
- 6th: 3 points
- 7th: 2 points
- 8th: 1 point
What time does the Brazilian Grand Prix start in my time zone?
Free practice
- 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGT) → 21:30
- 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JST) → 22:30
- 🇨🇳 Beijing (CST) → 21:30
- 🇮🇳 India (IST) → 20:00
- 🇦🇪 Dubai (GST) → 18:30
- 🇩🇪 Berlin (CET) → 14:30
- 🇬🇧 Londen (GMT) → 13:30
- 🇺🇸 New York (EDT) → 09:30
- 🇺🇸 Las Vegas (PDT) → 06:30
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne (AEDT) → 00:30
Sprint Qualifying
- 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGT) → 02:30
- 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JST) → 03:30
- 🇨🇳 Beijing (CST) → 02:30
- 🇮🇳 India (IST) → 20:00
- 🇦🇪 Dubai (GST) → 22:30
- 🇩🇪 Berlin (CET) → 18:30
- 🇬🇧 Londen (GMT) → 17:30
- 🇺🇸 New York (EDT) → 13:00
- 🇺🇸 Las Vegas (PDT) → 10:00
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne (AEDT) → 05:30
Sprint race
- 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGT) → 21:00
- 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JST) → 22:00
- 🇨🇳 Beijing (CST) → 21:00
- 🇮🇳 India (IST) → 19:30
- 🇦🇪 Dubai (GST) → 18:00
- 🇩🇪 Berlin (CET) → 14:00
- 🇬🇧 Londen (GMT) → 13:00
- 🇺🇸 New York (EDT) → 09:00
- 🇺🇸 Las Vegas (PDT) → 06:00
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne (AEDT) → 00:00
Qualifying
- 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGT) → 02:00
- 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JST) → 03:00
- 🇨🇳 Beijing (CST) → 02:00
- 🇮🇳 India (IST) → 19:30
- 🇦🇪 Dubai (GST) → 22:00
- 🇩🇪 Berlin (CET) → 18:00
- 🇬🇧 Londen (GMT) → 17:00
- 🇺🇸 New York (EDT) → 12:30
- 🇺🇸 Las Vegas (PDT) → 09:30
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne (AEDT) → 05:00
Brazilian grand prix
- 🇸🇬 Singapore (SGT) → 01:00
- 🇯🇵 Tokyo (JST) → 02:00
- 🇨🇳 Beijing (CST) → 01:00
- 🇮🇳 India (IST) → 18:30
- 🇦🇪 Dubai (GST) → 21:00
- 🇩🇪 Berlin (CET) → 17:00
- 🇬🇧 Londen (GMT) → 16:00
- 🇺🇸 New York (EDT) → 12:00
- 🇺🇸 Las Vegas (PDT) → 09:00
- 🇦🇺 Melbourne (AEDT) → 04:00
Records and Statistics at the Circuit of The Americas
Fastest lap (race): The official fastest lap during an F1 Grand Prix at Interlagos is 1:10.540, set by Valtteri Bottas driving a Mercedes-powered car in 2018.
Most wins (team / constructor at this circuit): Ferrari is the most successful constructor at Interlagos, with 9 wins.
Track length: The current Grand Prix layout of Interlagos is 4.309 km long.
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