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The Brazilian Grand Prix is renowned for its festive atmosphere, and the action on the track never fails to captivate the audience.
Formula 1 has been racing in Brazil since 1972, alternating between the Jacarepaguá and Interlagos circuits. These two venues have been the scene of moments that seemed impossible at the time. 1986: Mansell goes too far
The season opened with the first Grand Prix. After losing the championship to Alain Prost, the two Williams drivers were eager to take revenge on the Frenchman. Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet both had top-level cars, but their rivalry ran deep. Instead of joining forces against McLaren, they engaged in a psychological duel.
At Jacarepaguá, Mansell wanted to prove that he was the team leader. However, on the first lap, the Briton confirmed his reputation for aggression by skidding onto the grass and crashing into the safety barrier. His race was over after just a few meters, leaving his teammate to take the victory.
1991: Senna's first home victory
Three-time world champion Ayrton Senna had become a national hero in Brazil, but he had to wait until 1991 to claim his first victory on home soil. He secured pole position on Saturday and benefited from a puncture suffered by his closest rival, Nigel Mansell, during the race. With victory seemingly assured, Senna's gearbox locked up in sixth gear. Undeterred, he still crossed the finish line first, with Riccardo Patrese less than three seconds behind him. Exhausted and visibly emotional, Senna needed help getting out of his car and even struggled to lift the trophy on the podium.
2003: Alonso's spectacular crash
Renault was in good shape in 2003, two years after its return to the sport. In the rain, Mark Webber had a serious accident at the entrance to the pit lane, destroying his Jaguar but escaping unharmed. The impact scattered debris, including tires, across the track, as there was no tire recovery system at the time. The safety car arrived late, and Fernando Alonso, who was approaching at high speed, was unable to avoid the debris. He crashed into the tire wall, his Renault was shredded and thrown across the circuit. The FIA waved the red flag; Alonso suffered a minor injury to his left ankle and was taken away for treatment. Using the last valid lap times, officials classified him third, meaning he missed the podium but still received his trophy.
2016: Verstappen's mastery in the rain
In torrential rain, the young Red Bull driver delivered one of the most impressive performances of the hybrid era. In his first season with a top team, Max Verstappen claimed his maiden victory, making daring overtakes on the sport's biggest names. At Interlagos, he repeated this feat. At the start of the race, he aquaplaned on the long climb to the starting line but managed to regain control before hitting the wall. Drawing on his experience of karting in the rain, he made several overtakes in the Curva do Sol, including one on the outside of Nico Rosberg, and eventually finished third.
2021: Hamilton's stunning comeback
During the title battle with Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton received a new engine for the Brazilian Grand Prix, which gave him more power but earned him a five-place grid penalty for an illegal change. Qualifying ended with Hamilton being disqualified after officials ruled that his DRS was too small, relegating him to the back of the grid for the sprint race. He fought his way back up to fifth place. For the main race, the penalty was applied, relegating him to tenth position, but he fought his way back through the field, eventually overtaking Verstappen after several daring maneuvers. This result reduced the gap in the championship and kept his hopes of an eighth world title alive, until the controversy that unfolded in Abu Dhabi.
