Talking Points: Andy Stevenson on making every tenth count and mastering the São Paulo Grand Prix

The São Paulo Grand Prix is one of the most anticipated race weekends of the year, bringing a heady mix of wheel-to-wheel racing, testing climatic conditions, and an electric atmosphere cascading down from the grandstands. Aston Martin Aramco Sporting Director Andy Stevenson explains why it's one of his favourite events and how the team will be approaching the Sprint weekend.

Samba, Seleção, and Sprint. The F1 paddock makes its annual trip to Brazil for the ever-popular São Paulo Grand Prix.

Autódromo José Carlos Pace, better known as Interlagos, has held countless classics over the years to the rhythm of a fervent carnival atmosphere.

It's as venerated as it is vibrant, owing to its propensity to deliver inclement weather with little warning and close-quarters racing.

Sporting Director Andy Stevenson gives his guide to meeting the challenges of racing in Brazil, discusses his priorities at the tail-end of the year, and recalls some of his favourite memories from previous visits to São Paulo.

What are you focusing on most in the closing stages of this season?

"There's lots going on, including planning for 2026, but I'm staying very much in the moment because this season's not over. We've still got four Grands Prix and two Sprints to compete in which are extremely important.

"There are a lot of points at stake and we're in the middle of a tight midfield battle which is separated by little more than a tenth on any given race weekend.

"Our aim is to finish as high as we possibly can in the championship and we'll do everything we can to achieve that. There's so much still to play for.

"It's an extremely busy time of year, by the time we next get a few days off it'll be Christmas, but it’s exciting."

Anything can happen and you just have to be there to take advantage.

The São Paulo Grand Prix is often one of the most unpredictable of the year. What's our approach to this race weekend?

"We need to be ready to capitalise on any opportunities that come our way.

"We know Interlagos often provides an exciting race because of factors like changeable weather and so we need to optimise and execute our weekend as well as we can, navigating any treacherous conditions.

"It looks like the weather is going to be particularly tricky on Saturday when we've got both the Sprint and Qualifying to contend with, but we'll be giving it our all. It's a challenge to look forward to.

"In my Jordan Grand Prix days, the 2003 edition of this race was a prime example of taking opportunity in the chaos.

"The race was stopped because of bad weather and on-track incidents, and a countback error led to Kimi Räikkönen being awarded the victory and Giancarlo Fisichella second place for our team.

"We were fairly convinced we'd won the race, but we needed to prove our case, so we took the ECU from Giancarlo's car to present at a hearing, and that evidence was enough for us to be awarded victory.

"What people perhaps don't know about that story is the person looking after the ECU left it in a suitcase in one of the hire vehicles we'd used that weekend, assuming we were also using them to get to the airport... which we weren't.

"So, while we were at our hotel celebrating what was then a podium that we were confident would become a win, it dawned on us the hire vehicle had been taken away. It took us about six hours to relocate that vehicle and recover the ECU.

"That weekend summed up racing in Brazil. Anything can happen and you just have to be there to take advantage. We'd got ourselves into a position to be in with a chance of victory.

"As a team, we never gave up. The great thing about our sport is, depending on what happens on the day, you can win a Grand Prix. And that's the attitude you need every single race weekend."

It's also the penultimate Sprint weekend of the year. What's your assessment of how we meet the demands of the format?

"The Sprint weekend schedule has been honed and is very efficient, and the teams deserve credit for their involvement in refining it.

"I think we handle them very well and that is a testament to our entire operation. That starts with preparation and production of parts at the AMR Technology Campus, through getting the parts sent out to the various races, and then making sure that they're in the correct specification once they're at the track, which takes a huge amount of organisation. And then it's down to the mechanics to get the cars built and ready in a very short period of time.

"Sprint weekends are intense, but we have the processes in place to ensure we're ready for whatever comes our way."

We usually see entertaining racing at Interlagos. Why is that the case?

"Aside from the weather, the circuit layout lends itself well to close racing with several overtaking opportunities. Chief among these being the long run to Turn One where we've seen countless overtakes over the years.

"It's a circuit where you can take different lines, especially through the technical Sector Two, when you're battling a competitor and we saw that with Fernando in 2023 as he used his great racecraft to earn a podium.

"Interlagos has a bit of everything and drivers can approach it in different ways, meaning there's usually good, hard racing through the field."

I was really fortunate to be in Brazil in 1991 when Ayrton Senna mania was at its peak.

The Brazilian fans are famed for the atmosphere they generate at the circuit. What is that like to experience?

"This is one of the standout races of the year because of the atmosphere.

"Sitting on the pit wall, you can tell the cars are coming because of the emotion and the reaction of the fans in the grandstand. It's like a Mexican wave of sound down the start/finish straight; it's phenomenal.

"I was really fortunate to be in Brazil in 1991 when Ayrton Senna mania was at its peak.

"It was one of my first Grands Prix, but I'd never seen anything like it and nor have I since. We'd get near to the circuit and you couldn't see anything. It was a sea of people.

"And as we'd be driving through, the fans would be clapping and cheering, chanting Senna's name, and banging on our team bus. They were just so enthusiastic.

"I count myself lucky to have seen that, and I don't know whether we'll ever see anything as magical as that again.

"Memories like that are why I have such a fondness for this race weekend."

São Paulo Grand Prix