We enter the penultimate race weekend of the season in Brazil this weekend on the Interlagos circuit, a fantastic venue to visit and the scene of a number of dramatic and poignant grands prix for the McLaren Formula One team.
The undulating nature of the circuit is one of the most famous configurations on the calendar, and provides a real test for not only the car and driver but also the whole team.
It's one of a few races of the season where anything can happen โ and often does โ and can mean a challenging weekend for mechanics, engineers and strategists alike, because of the drama the weather conditions often create on this unforgiving circuit.
The difference between a solid points-scoring result and not is often the number of gambles the teams of strategists up and down the pitlane have to take depending on the given weather situation, which makes it one of the most exciting race weekends on the calendar.
For Fernando Alonso the weekend ahead is being treated with cautious optimism as he knows that statistically this circuit should suit the strengths of his McLaren package better than the past couple of venues he has visited.
โInterlagos is one of the great โclassic' tracks on the calendar, with an incredible history and a long list of famous names that have lifted the trophy. It's also one of the most dramatic grands prix of the year โ there are always incidents and action and the weather plays a big part in the outcome,โ Fernando said.
โThis circuit should suit our car better than the last couple of tracks, so we hope we can give ourselves the best chance in qualifying as starting position is very important in a race where a lot can happen. It's a really fun track โ a short lap with a good flow, and the new cars this year will make it feel even faster.โ
โDuring the race, if you can get a good rhythm through the final corner it really helps down the start-finish straight and into Turn One, and then you can attack the first corner going into the next lap. It's part of what makes this circuit so exciting.โ
"After the USA and Mexico, we're looking ahead to Brazil and Abu Dhabi with a bit more expectation as we knew those tracks would be really difficult for us. However, Mexico was definitely a surprise and we performed better than we anticipated.โ
โThis will surely be a tricky race and there are always risks to take with the weather and strategy, but if we can start the race from where we should be in qualifying, it could give us a good chance to score some points.โ
