Lewis Hamilton would love to celebrate his honorary Brazilian citizenship with a winning return this weekend to Sao Paulo's Interlagos, the circuit where last year he enjoyed one of his greatest victories.
Lewis Hamilton after the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Formula One's seven-times world champion is still chasing his first success of the season and to do it in the penultimate race, at the home of his late boyhood idol Ayrton Senna, would be quite something.
The 37-year-old Briton is battling against the odds, however.
"On paper, it shouldn't be quite as strong a circuit for us as Mexico, but regardless, we want to keep up our momentum from recent races. So, we will keep working hard to hopefully be in the mix once again," said his Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.
Hamilton, who has won in every season since his debut in 2007, finished second in the previous race in Mexico.
He has triumphed three times in Brazil, including two of the last three races at Interlagos, and accepted honorary citizenship this week.
Formula One currently has no Brazilian driver and the last home winner was Felipe Massa in 2008, when Hamilton won his first title with McLaren.
SPRINT FORMAT
Last year's race, like this weekend's, was run to the sprint format and Hamilton went from last on the grid on Saturday to fifth at the finish, then taking a five-place drop for Sunday's main event and roaring back from 10th to win.
"It's a track that both of our drivers have typically gone well at and it's a sprint race where we can pick up more points," said Mercedes' strategy chief James Vowles.
"And when you have a car within a few tenths of your competition, you can make things happen."
With both titles won by Max Verstappen and Red Bull, Mercedes are fighting Ferrari for second place. The Italians are 40 points ahead with 96 available from Brazil and the final round in Abu Dhabi.
Plenty is at stake from the last two races, with the division of revenues decided by the positions in the constructors' standings.
Renault-owned Alpine and McLaren are separated by only seven points in the battle for fourth while Aston Martin are four behind sixth-placed Alfa Romeo.
Haas, in eighth, are a point clear of Red Bull-owned AlphaTauri.
"Thanks to the Sprint format we have two attempts in which to score points and extend our lead to McLaren heading into the final Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi," said Alpine's double world champion Fernando Alonso.
At the top, Verstappen will be seeking to extend his record tally of wins in a season to 15 while Red Bull are eyeing a 10th win in a row.
If they succeed, the final Sunday at Yas Marina could see Red Bull equal McLaren's 1988 record of 11 successive wins in a single season and send them into 2023 chasing Ferrari's all-time best of 14 in 1952-53.
"While the focus has, for sure, already shifted to next year with the car, we also focus on the car we have at the moment," said Verstappen, who won the season's two previous sprints, after Mexico.
"We try to win the next two races, that's for sure."
Felipe Massa wins in Brazil in 2008 Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Formula One statistics for the Sao Paulo Grand Prix at Brazil's Interlagos circuit, the penultimate round of the 22-race season.
Lap distance: 4.309km. Total distance: 305.909km (71 laps)
2021 pole position: Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Mercedes (winner of Saturday sprint)
2021 winner: Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes
Race lap record: Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Mercedes, 1:10.540 seconds (2018)
Note: The weekend will be run to the Sprint format, with qualifying on Friday for Saturday's 100km sprint race that determines Sunday's starting grid.
BRAZIL
Three current drivers have won in Brazil: Sebastian Vettel (2010, 2013, 2017), Hamilton (2016, 2018, 2021), Max Verstappen (2019).
Brazil has been on the calendar since 1973, starting at Interlagos before moving to Rio de Janeiro and returning to Sao Paulo. The circuit is named after Brazilian driver Jose Carlos Pace, who won there in 1975 and died in 1977.
Hamilton clinched his first title in Brazil with McLaren in 2008 following an overtake on the last corner of the final lap.
Sunday will be the 49th world championship grand prix in Brazil, and 39th at Interlagos. Michael Schumacher won a record four times at the Sao Paulo circuit.
There is no Brazilian driver on the starting grid. The country has produced six race winning drivers and three world champions.
SPRINT
Points are awarded to the top eight on Saturday.
The other two Sprint races of 2022 were at Italy's Imola in April and Austria's Red Bull Ring in July. Both were won by Verstappen.
TITLE
Both titles have been won by Red Bull, with Verstappen taking the drivers' crown in Japan on Oct. 9 and the team winning the constructors' for the first time since 2013 in Austin on Oct. 23.
RACE WINS
Red Bull have won 16 of 20 races, with five one-twos, and Ferrari the rest.
Red Bull have won nine races in a row, equalling their best ever run in 2013.
Verstappen has won 14, a record for most victories in a single season.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc has won three times, Perez twice and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz once.
Verstappen is chasing his 35th career win.
Hamilton has a record 103 wins and 190 podiums from 308 starts. The seven-times world champion last won a race in Saudi Arabia in December and is now on the longest streak of his career without a win.
Ferrari have won 242 races since 1950. McLaren have 183 wins, Mercedes 124, Williams 115 and Red Bull 91.
POLE POSITION
Leclerc has had nine poles this year, Verstappen six, Sainz three, Perez and Mercedes' George Russell one each. Hamilton has a record 103, most recently in Saudi Arabia last year.
FASTEST LAP
Eight drivers have taken fastest laps this season.
5 - Verstappen (Imola, Miami, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands)
3 - Leclerc (Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia)
- Perez (Spain, Azerbaijan and Italy)
- Russell (Singapore, Austin, Mexico)
2 - Sainz (Canada, France)
- Hamilton (Britain, Hungary)
1 - Lando Norris (Monaco), Guanyu Zhou (Japan)
MILESTONE
Verstappen has a record 416 points this season, three more than the previous highest tally set by Hamilton in 2019.
Alpine's Fernando Alonso is making his 19th start at Interlagos, equalling retired Brazilian Rubens Barrichello for most starts at the circuit. The Spaniard won both his titles at Interlagos in 2005 and 2006.
-Reuters