Setting the scene for the Brazilian Grand Prix

Whatever air of malaise that had set in around the paddock during the recent post-title clincher races has been blown away by Formula 1's arrival at Interlagos. The garage and hospitality areas are poky, the facilities relatively threadbare and it's inevitable that a few thefts will interrupt the weekend for some luckless individuals. That said, it's a fantastic venue that oozes history, atmosphere and unbounded fan enthusiasm.

Interlagos - more correctly called Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace in memory of the 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix winner - is a track that guarantees drama, whether in qualifying or the race. Who could forget Nico Hulkenberg's astonishing pole position laps last year (for those who have forgotten, he set the two fastest times of the Q3 session)? Or Giancarlo Fisichella's sensational win for Jordan in 2003 in a rain-hit race? Or Juan Pablo Montoya's sensational pass on Michael Schumacher and near-victory in only his third grand prix, until the lapped Jos Verstappen intervened in '01? And that's to name only a few of the great memories that this year's race will surely add to.