With 31 drivers, 101 victories and 8 world titles, Brazil is a superpower in Formula 1. Only drivers from England and Germany were more successful in the premier class. Still, next weekend, at the fiftieth Brazilian Grand Prix, there will be no Brazilian at Interlagos for the fourth time in a row. The country craves a new Senna.
Bruno Bozzetti has been mesmerized by Rubens Barrichello’s 1994 Jordan car in a conference center in the heart of São Paulo. In a futuristic, semi-circular building on the edge of the famous Ibirapuera Park, Brazil’s motorsport history of the past five decades has been brought together under one roof especially for the anniversary race.
The conference room is full of racing relics, such as the helmet-packed racing suit that folk hero and three-time champion Ayrton Senna wore to his last victory in Brazil in 1993. Barrichello’s Jordan, who raced in Formula 1 between 1993 and 2011 (eleven victories), stands out. somewhat shrill. The Brazilian is mainly remembered as the friendly second man at Ferrari, who occasionally won a race in Michael Schumacher’s heyday.
It is different for Bozzetti, who comes from the southern city of Porto Alegre. “He’s a great person and a great father. That’s how I live my life, he’s the type of person I want to be. Rubens is more special to me than Senna’, says Bozzetti.
It shows: Brazilians have a lot to choose from when it comes to racing heroes. At the same time as Europe, the country embraced the car and with it motorsport. The first car drove on Brazilian roads in 1891, five years earlier than in the Netherlands. Immediately the interest in racing arose among mainly the well-to-do Brazilians.
After decades of racing on unsafe street circuits, the need arose in the country for a permanent track. The undeveloped area between two artificial lakes in the south of São Paulo, christened Interlagos (between the lakes), turned out to be perfect for it. English, American and French circuits were used as inspiration for the construction in 1940.
It led to a unique circuit full of fast corners and height differences. Formula 1 got the track on the radar in the early 1970s. After a first practice race in 1972, which did not count towards the World Cup, Interlagos (renamed the Autódromo José Carlos Pace in 1985) became firmly established on the F1 calendar.
Fifty years later, the circuit breathes that long, rich history every square meter. Cidade Dutra, the district in which the circuit is located, has become entwined with Interlagos. Walls are painted with images of racing drivers, especially Senna, who crashed in 1994. The rusted entrance gates now stand between the houses.
The circuit itself is pure and raw. Megalomaniac pit buildings, like on the newer tracks, are absent. The cramped garages and paddock, where the teams operate, still look just like they did in the 1970s. The same goes for the stands, which in some places are little more than concrete steps with much of the paint peeling off.
It is indicative of the faded glory that hangs around Brazilian racing. After the first Brazilian GP, the country was inundated with top drivers; Brazilians won no less than eight titles between 1972 and 1991. After that it was done with the successes. Rubens Barrichello was the last Brazilian to win a race in 2009. Pietro Fittipaldi was the last Brazilian to drive a GP in 2020, when he replaced the injured Haas driver Grosjean for two races.
Journalist Felipe Rosa de Farias Mendes writes about Formula 1 for Estadão, one of Brazil’s largest newspapers. According to him, there are several reasons why his country has been waiting for new F1 glory for decades. ‘First of all, we are a poor country and motorsport is expensive,’ says Mendes. ‘In addition, the structure is not in order. We have lost many talent championships in recent years due to the economic crisis. It is permanent in Brazil, regardless of the president. Finally, the infrastructure is not good.’
As an example, he cites the recent demolition of the Jacarepaguá circuit in Rio de Janeiro, where Formula 1 raced in the 1980s. The track had to give way due to facilities for the 2016 Olympics. “That was a big loss. There’s probably a lot of racing talent in Rio, but they don’t have a place to show it,” Mendes said.
In addition, the icons of the past that should inspire talents are anything but undisputed. For example, three-time champion Nelson Piquet is almost invisible at the temporary exhibition about the Brazilian GP. His three signed helmets are easy to miss among the dozens of other helmets. That doesn’t apply to stuff from his fellow champions Senna or Emerson Fittipaldi, which are featured with large billboards.
It may have to do with the statements with which Piquet regularly causes a stir. In June he described seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as ‘neguinho’ in an interview. That word can be translated as ‘negro’. Max Verstappen then distanced himself from his father-in-law’s words; Verstappen is in a relationship with Piquet’s daughter Kelly.
Last week Piquet made the news again. He is a staunch supporter of the right-wing former president Bolsonaro. After saying in a video that as far as he is concerned the new president Lula belongs “in the graveyard”, the Brazilian prosecutor’s office called for a police investigation into possible incitement to violence.
“We’ve had some disappointments with some of our drivers,” said Estadão journalist Mendes with a sense of understatement. For example, when Emerson Fittipaldi wanted to become a senator in Italy this year for a far-right party, it disappointed many fans. And Nelson Piquet’s meddling in politics doesn’t help either.’
Race fan Bruno Bozzetti acknowledges that a new world champion would in every way be a huge boost for motorsport in his country. “Or maybe a race winner will help too.” He hopes for F1 success for Felipe Drugovich, the new Formula 2 champion. “He has all the tools to become the best ever,” he says. “We may have lost a lot of fans in Brazil after Senna, but I’m not one of them.”