Autódromo José Carlos Pace - Interlagos

Interlagos runs anti-clockwise over a natural hillside in São Paulo, and its combination of short lap, elevation change and abrasive surface makes it one of the most consistently entertaining races of the year. The original 1940 circuit measured almost 8 km; the current layout, shortened in 1990, keeps the best of it.

The lap begins with the plunge into the Senna S, a downhill left-right that is the circuit's main overtaking point, and ends with the long, uphill Subida dos Boxes — a full-throttle climb that starts at Junção and does not end until the start-finish line. Because that final sector is effectively one long acceleration zone, a car with good traction out of Junção can carry a slipstream all the way to turn one.

Its altitude, roughly 800 m above sea level, costs engines power and reduces aerodynamic downforce. Add the São Paulo weather, which delivers sudden heavy rain with little warning, and Interlagos has produced more late-season drama than any other venue — including the 2008 title, settled at the final corner of the final lap.