The end of the season right around the corner, we are rapidly approaching the conclusion of this Formula One season. This weekend is the penultimate round of the championship, being held at Autódromo José Carlos Pace in São Paulo, Brazil.
With the World Drivers’ Championship and World Constructors’ Championship titles already wrapped up, the highest fight is for runner-up in the championship. Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel are still in the fight for second position, but the most interesting battle is between the two Finns, Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Räikkönen, as Bottas leads Räikkönen by only three points for fourth position. Of course, there are some battles further down the field as well.
The Autódromo José Carlos Pace, formerly Interlagos, is named after José Carlos Pace, a Brazilian Formula One driver who was killed in a plane crash 13 days after the 1977 South African Grand Prix, which claimed the lives of driver Tom Pryce and safety marshal Jansen Van Vuuren. The circuit is unique for its many changes in elevation because the circuit is located in a natural bowl in the surrounding landscape. The maximum change in elevation is a staggering estimated 40 meters. Because of the changes in elevation, standing water becomes a big concern in wet conditions, should they occur. The circuit also boasts one of the shortest lap times of the current Formula One circuits. The track is quite hard on the turbo engines, but easy on the brakes, as there are only six major braking areas on the lap.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg will start the race on equal terms, after each topped two sessions in the weekend. Rosberg will be on pole for the fifth consecutive time, but that rarely does any good for him. Hamilton has had lots of success at this circuit in the past; more so than Rosberg. Hamilton has an average finishing position of P5, out of his six finishes in Brazil. Rosberg has an average of approximately P7 in his seven finishes. There’s no doubt that there will be another Mercedes 1-2 finish if both cars can complete the race distance, given the fact that the Mercedes power units have so much performance here. The real question is which Mercedes driver will top the podium. It just seems that Hamilton will have the physiological edge over his teammate, given the season that he has had.
The bottom step of the podium is pretty straight forward. Sebastian Vettel has set the third fastest time in all of the sessions this weekend. It shows that the Ferrari is running consistently in lap times. The only real competition for third could be from his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen, but Vettel has outperformed his teammate time and time again. This race should be no different in that regard.
Nico Hülkenberg has been improving throughout the weekend. He will start from sixth on the grid, but should be able to improve his lap times enough to get to fourth position. I think that Force India has shocked us many times this season with their performance. The only thing hindering them is bad luck, as only one Force India car seems to do well in the weekend. The fifth position will be Valtteri Bottas’. Starting a row in front of Räikkönen, Bottas already has the advantage in the ‘Feud of the Finns’. Bottas has been consistently decreasing his lap times, whereas Räikkönen has been holding fairly steady.
Overall, this race is very important for the championship. Vettel needs to gain some points on Rosberg, or else the battle for runner-up in the championship will come to a close today. It is also important for Bottas, Räikkönen and Massa to finish as best as possible, as they battle for fourth place in the World Drivers’ Championship. Of course, best of luck to the two Felipes on the field this weekend, as both Massa and Nasr compete in their home Grand Prix.
