17 down, two to go. The Brazilian Grand Prix has been the scene of numerous dramatic title showdowns in the past but this year both championships have been settled weeks before. That won’t prevent a carnival-like atmosphere at Interlagos, where the two Felipes - Massa and Nasr - will receive very vocal support from the Brazilian crowd. There remains the potential for fireworks between the Mercedes drivers as well after Lewis Hamilton claimed the team was having to work hard to keep Nico Rosberg happy, hinting he may have had his own chances of victory in Mexico hampered as a result.
FORM GUIDE
Mercedes will be seeing the weather forecast as its most likely threat this weekend, but it will hope Hamilton is on good form after delaying his arrival in Sao Paulo on medical advice due to a fever. Ferrari feels its pace in Mexico was masked by a “disastrous” race which saw both cars retire, leaving it confident it will be able to remain ahead of Williams and Red Bull. The latter could struggle due to a lack of high-speed corners and the need for good engine performance on the run up to the finish line, but rain could help its cause. Even despite that long uphill stretch, McLaren should be more competitive than it was in Mexico where the altitude really hurt the Honda power unit.
2014 RESULT
Pole position: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), 1:10.023
Top three: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes), Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Felipe Massa (Williams)
Fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 1:13.555
SESSION TIMES (All times local)
FP1: 10:00 - 11:30
FP2: 14:00 - 15:30
FP3: 11:00 - 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 - 15:00
Race: 1400
TYRE CHOICES
WEATHER FORECAST
Formula One race weekends have seen a lot of wet weather recently, and that trend is set to continue in Sao Paulo. Humid conditions are forecast to give way to thunderstorms on both Friday and Saturday with a strong chance of qualifying taking place in the wet. Race day should be a lot more settled, with temperatures dropping on Sunday and the current forecast only predicting a 20% chance of rain for the grand prix itself.
PODIUM PREDICTION
1st - Sebastian Vettel
2nd - Nico Rosberg
3rd - Lewis Hamilton
2014 BEST SHOT
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