The historic Autódromo José Carlos Pace, known traditionally as Interlagos, plays host to BWT Alpine Formula One Team for the São Paulo Grand Prix, the final race of the Americas triple header.

Home to some of the most dramatic moments in the sport, Interlagos is one of the best loved circuits in Formula One. The venue has seen tense championship deciders, on-track battles and wet-weather masterclasses – including the team’s double podium finish with Pierre and Esteban Ocon in 2024. Built between two lakes, hence the name, the circuit sits within a natural bowl. The lap begins with the ‘Senna-S’ before entering a flowing and technical middle sector. The banked final corner leads into the final run to the line – a happy memory for Pierre as he pipped Lewis Hamilton to his first podium finish in Formula One in 2019 – surrounded by the amphitheatre of Brazilian fans.

Since 2021, São Paulo has hosted a Sprint weekend, however this year the event returns to the traditional format with three practice sessions. Following his debut practice appearance in Mexico City, Gabriele Minì will once again be behind the wheel of the A526 in Free Practice 1. This time, the Alpine Academy driver will take over Pierre’s car as part of the mandatory rookie programme.

Pierre Gasly

“Our weekend in Mexico City presented its challenges and ultimately resulted in a disappointing outcome for the team, with power issues and the yellow flag infringement. It just was not our day. Looking ahead, I’m now fully focused on the final race of this triple header in São Paulo. Interlagos is a special place for me, having secured my first Formula One podium there in 2019, and of course doing it again with our incredible result in 2024. The last few races have not been the easiest for us as a team, but this circuit has shown time and time again that anything can happen. It’s an iconic track and with such a short lap, the margins are really tight. Pair that with the amazing atmosphere created by the Brazilian fans, it will be an exciting weekend for everyone. As planned, I’ll sit out Friday’s Free Practice 1 session to allow Gabriele [Mini] to get back behind the wheel and I’m looking forward to getting up to speed when I take over in the afternoon. We’ll keep pushing as a team to maximise our performance, with the aim of returning from São Paulo with more points on the board.”

Franco Colapinto

“It was a shame to leave Mexico City with no points after a hard-fought afternoon. It was a very busy race, and the positive is we were able to execute it very well, show good pace and compete in the top ten which is what we must continue to do this weekend in São Paulo. It is always brilliant to race in South America and Interlagos, as the track is one of the best of the season. There are so many Argentinians joining the Brazilian fans in the grandstands to support us and I want to make sure we can give them a good race. The circuit is really historic and is somewhere that provides opportunities to capitalise on. We would like to translate the race pace we showed in Mexico City to this weekend and wrap up the triple header with a strong result.”

Gabriele Minì

“It’s great to be back behind the wheel of the A526 for the second weekend in a row, this time in Pierre’s car. Last week in Mexico City was an amazing first experience for me driving in an official Formula One session, and it will be great to build on that again this week. I’ll be looking to complete some good laps around a very different track in Interlagos and provide valuable data and information that can help us moving forward, while also continuing to improve on my side. Thanks again to the entire team for this opportunity - I’m really looking forward to getting back out on track in São Paulo.”

Did you know?

• Alpine has scored more points at Interlagos (64) than any other circuit since 2021.
• Interlagos has been one of Alpine’s most consistent circuits. Alpine has scored points at every race at the circuit since 2021.
• Pierre Gasly is set to make his 89th race start for the team, which will tie him for most race starts by an Alpine driver. He will be tied with Esteban Ocon.