infiniti 2013 grand prix travel guide #19 brazil

INFINITI
2013 GRAND PRIX TRAVEL GUIDE
#19 BRAZIL
1
BRAZILIAN GRAND PRIX
21-24 November 2013
REMEMBER TO PACK:
Plain clothes to wear to and from
of the circuit. Team personnel are
encouraged to wear t-shirts over their
uniforms so as not to be targeted by
armed thieves, who line the streets
around the circuit. Keep your doors
locked at all times!
PRACTICAL INFO:
TIME ZONE: GMT -3hrs
INTERNATIONAL DIALING CODE: +55
CURRENCY: Brazilian Real
EXCHANGE RATE: 1 BRL = 0.33 EUR
TEXT © ADAM HAY-NICHOLLS / DESIGN: REALISE CREATIVE
POLICE/FIRE/AMBULANCE: 911
2
TAXI COMPANIES:
Airport Taxi – 33663375
Radio Taxis – 61970423
Cooperativa Use Taxi – 55832000
CIRCUIT ADDRESS:
Jose Carlos Pace Autodrome
Avenida Senador
Teotonio Vilelia, 259
04801-890
Sao Paulo
Brazil
T: +55 11 5666 8822
OFFICIAL WEBSITE:
autodromodeinterlagos.com.br
Formula One is massively popular in Brazil,
and the fans that line the grandstands are
also the loudest that you’ll find at any track,
cheering on the Brazilian drivers and banging
their samba drums.
The Interlagos circuit isn’t short on atmosphere.
What it is short on are the state-of-the-art
facilities that most of the circuits on the
calendar provide. Another aspect of Interlagos,
which should make one wary, are the instances
of armed robbery which specifically target F1
personnel on the road outside the circuit gates.
The population and environment of Sao Paulo
is diverse, and districts within it range from
extremely luxurious boulevards to the favelas
of the poor. The division is further exacerbated
by the fact that there are more helicopters
here than in Manhattan and the wealthy elite
fly back and forth from their mansions to city
centre helipads, avoiding the traffic, poverty
and crime below.
1
BRAZIL GP CIRCUIT GUIDE
TURN 1
KM/H: 106
GEAR: 3
The Jose Carlos Pace Autodrome has some
excellent corners and severe gradient changes,
which are very popular with the drivers and
make set-up a challenge. The focus is on optimal
aerodynamic efficiency.
An even more challenging aspect are the
notorious bumps, which have a huge effect on
the cars at speed, and require a high ride-height
and soft suspension settings. The Interlagos track
is very abrasive, so harder compound tyres are a
must. The high altitude and thin air sap around
eight percent of an engine’s power over a lap.
The first corner, the Senna S, drops down from
the start/finish straight and is often the scene of
first lap incidents. Down at Turn 3, the marshland
is home to many snakes and is the last place you
want to suffer a breakdown. From here, the track
runs back behind the paddock and this is where
the most bone-shaking bumps are to be found,
throughout the fast Turns 5 to 9.
It’s through Juncao that the drivers need to get
a particularly good exit, as the rest of the lap is
flat-out from there, up the hill around the curving
pit-straight.
2
TURN 3
KM/H: 257
GEAR: 5
SENNA S
KM/H: 166
GEAR: 3
CURVA DO
LARANJINHA
KM/H: 231
GEAR: 5
LOCAL START TIME: 14h00
NUMBER OF LAPS: 71
CIRCUIT LENGTH: 4.309km
RACE DISTANCE: 305.909km
GRAND PRIX DEBUT: 1973
TURN 6
KM/H: 218
GEAR: 5
TURN 15
KM/H: 309
GEAR: 7
LAP RECORD: Juan Pablo Montoya
(Williams, 2004), 1:11.473
TURN 8
KM/H: 76
GEAR: 2
2012 QUALIFYING RESULTS
1) Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2) Jenson Button (McLaren)
3) Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
4) Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
2012 RACE RESULTS:
1) Jenson Button (McLaren)
2) Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
3) Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
4) Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing)
6) Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing)
TURN 9
KM/H: 104
GEAR: 2
TURN 4
TURN 5
KM/H: 154 KM/H: 251
GEAR: 3
GEAR: 5
TURN 12
KM/H: 130
GEAR: 3
TURN 13
BICO DE PATO
KM/H: 72
GEAR: 2
SUBIDA DOS
BOXES
KM/H: 276
GEAR: 6
MURGULHO
KM/H: 235
GEAR: 5
3
SLEEP
HILTON MORUMBI
****
FASANO
GP BRAZIL / SLEEP
GP BRAZIL / SLEEP
A popular hotel for teams, the Hilton’s
facilities include a high-rise pool and wellappointed gym, smartly furnished rooms
with nice big desks at which to work,
beds so comfy you won’t be seen before
lunchtime, and a bar where many
a buttoned-up team principal has let his
hair down. Downstairs, in the Shopping
Nacoes Unidas, you have a good choice
of restaurants. Full marks to the concierge
at this hotel, for whom nothing is too
much trouble.
A: Av. das Nacoes Unidas 12901, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 2845 0000
*****
This understated and supremely elegant
luxury boutique hotel’s décor hints at the
1940s but has all mod cons. Rooms have
Eames chairs, leather headboards, parquet
floors and huge windows. Its restaurant
serves some of the best Italian cuisine in
the country and its bar, Baretto, hosts a
constant stream of jazz stars. It also has
a breathtaking rooftop spa.
A: Rua Vittorio Fassano 88, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3062 4000
4
5
SLEEP
HOTEL UNIQUE
*****
A hotel that lives up to its name, the
Unique looks like an abstract Noah’s Ark
looming above the Jardins district. The 95
all-white bedrooms with wooden floors are
unusually shaped and come with plasma
TVs and remote controlled drapes. Flavio
Briatore always took the Presidential Suite.
The rooftop SKYE restaurant and bar is
party central.
A: Av. Brg. Luis Antonio 4700, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3055 4710
GRAND HYATT
*****
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TRANSAMERICA
****
Once upon a time this was the most
luxurious hotel in Sao Paulo. Now it’s
starting to feel a little tired, but it’s still a
popular choice and very convenient for
Interlagos. The service is good, and the
caipirinhas in the bar will knock your socks off.
A: Av. das das Nacoes Unidas 18591,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 5693 4050
GP BRAZIL / SLEEP
GP BRAZIL / SLEEP
Located opposite the Hilton (although for
safety’s sake you’re advised to cab it rather
than walk between the two), the Hyatt offers
typically luxurious rooms with tremendous
power showers, indoor and outdoor pools,
and three restaurants. Kinu, which serves
modern Japanese cuisine, is one of the best
restaurants in town.
A: Av. das Nacoes Unidas 13301, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 2838 1234
7
EAT
G P B R A Z I L / E AT
JAM WAREHOUSE $$$$
Sao Paulo is home to the largest Japanese
community outside of Japan. So it’s no
surprise that stellar sushi is to be found here.
One of the best joints is Jam, which is on a
level with Nobu and has prices to match.
This is where Rubens Barrichello stocks up
on sashimi and sake. The tempura is whisper
thin and the presentation is, well, art basically.
A: Rua Lopes Neto 308, Itaim Bibi, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3473 3273
8
9
EAT
D.O.M $$$$$
Run by Brazil’s top chef, Alex Atala, he
takes Brazilian ingredients – black beans,
codfish, ferofa – and gives them a French
twist. The result is worth writing home
about. The service is impeccable, but
you might need that English-Portuguese
dictionary, for little ingles is spoken here.
A: Rua Barao de Capanema 549, Jardins,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3088 0761
FIGUEIRA RUBAIYAT $$$$
10
here, the house specialty is beef, raised
on the owner’s personal cattle ranch. The
oysters and grilled prawns here make an
excellent entrée.
A: Rua Haddock Lobo 1738, Jardins,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3087 1399
POMODORI $$$$
One of the most popular Italian restaurants
in a city that’s plentiful with them. The
place is a loving homage to the northern
trattorias of Milan and Turin. Ossobuco
is served with risotto Milanese and bone
marrow; rabbit is rustically roasted and
perfumed with black truffle. The miniscule
kitchen must break the world record for
cooks per square metre.
A: Rua Dr Renato Paes de Barros 534,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3168 3123
the start. There are three locations in Sao
Paulo – try to eat at the original.
A: Av. Moreira Guimaraes 964, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 5056 1795
FOGO DE CHAO $$$$
You may end up eating here every night of
your stay – that’s what most of the paddock
does. It’s the most famous churrascaria in
town, and in exchange for a wad of Reals
you will be fed and watered until you burst.
You’re given a beer mat that’s red one side,
green the other. When you fancy more food,
flip it to green. The waiters carve at the
table, and the meat is simply sublime. Be
picky, though, because they’ll try to fill you
up on the cheaper parts of the animal at
G P B R A Z I L / E AT
G P B R A Z I L / E AT
The most beautiful restaurant in Sao Paulo
enables diners to eat outdoors, indoors! It’s
built around the spreading limbs of an old
fig tree. Like most of the places you’ll visit
EAT
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DRINK
DRINK
GP BRAZIL / DRINK
GP BRAZIL / DRINK
ASTOR
The Astor draws upon discerning Paulistas
in search of boho surroundings, cold beers,
and cocktails with a kick. Once you’ve
nailed a couple of sake-caipirinhas, there’s
a speakeasy-style club downstairs: The
Sub Astor.
A: Rua Delfina 163, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3815 1364
DROSOPHYLA
A secret garden hideaway with incredible
cocktails, Drosophyla’s décor is charmingly
chaotic and colorful, in contrast to the quiet
doorway on a gloomy street on which it’s
found. The men’s toilets are decorated
12
with hilarious filthy images of vintage
women’s underwear adverts. The crowd
is very mixed, with bright young things
and aging party animals, and there’s a
terrific buzz.
A: Rua Pedro Taques 80, Consolacao,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3120 5535
Z CARNICERIA
This hipster hangout is found in a former
beef-packing shop, which lay dormant
for 20 years until being repurposed. The
interior remains faithful; stark white-tiled
walls and a meat counter bar top. There are
even a few meat hooks dangling from the
ceiling. DJs move in late in the evening and
the place has a fantastic buzz, staying open
well into the mid morning at weekends.
A: Rua Augusta 934, Bela Vista, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 2936 0934
LA in downtown SP.
A: Av. Brigadeiro Luis Antonio 4700,
Jardim Paulista, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3055 4710
SKYE BAR
FRANGO
There’s no better place to enjoy the Sao
Paulo skyline at night, caipirinha in hand,
than this stylish restaurant on the top floor
of Hotel Unique – itself a prized location
among visiting supermodels and music
video directors, which has been built in
the shape of the ark. You can dance with
the beautiful people on the open-air deck,
absorb the uninterrupted views or take a
dip in the inviting roof-top pool. A slice of
This bar/restaurant specializes in beer,
and there are over 250 different brews from
which to choose. Try some of the Brazilian
beers from small local breweries like
Colorado Indica IPA. Order with a side
of pork scratchings – simply the best
in the world!
A: Largo da Matriz Nossa Sra do Ó, 168
Freguesia do Ó, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3932 4818
13
PARTY
G P B R A Z I L / PA RTY
PACHA
International super-brand Pacha’s Sao
Paulo outpost is a stucco-fortress, and
features an arena-style main dance room,
and sprawling lounges and terrace. When
Kimi Raikkonen clinched his title, he came
here to make everyone cocktails. Lewis
Hamilton was on the wheels of steel that
night. But Thriller does appear to be the
only thing in his record bag.
A: Rua Mergenthaler 829, Vila Leopoldina,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 2189 3700
14
15
PART Y
DISCO
G P B R A Z I L / PA RTY
G P B R A Z I L / PA RTY
So fancy it doesn’t need a proper name,
this trendy club is kitted-out with glittering,
futuristic décor, although the music remains
more electro and chart dance hits than bighair disco. Dress up and bring plenty
of money, as the drinks and cover charge
are pricey.
A: Rua Atilio Inocennti 160, Vila Olimpia,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3078 0404
BAR SECRETO
So exclusive they don’t even have a phone
number. The all-black drinking den features
retro lamps, burning candles, leather couches,
oil paintings and old furniture, and there are
curtained-off rooms upstairs for clandestine
schmoozing. Madonna hired the whole place
for a party a few years ago, and Bono once
sang karaoke here.
A: Rua Alvaro Anes 97, Pinheiros, Sao Paulo
LOTUS
Any club that puts the coordinates of its
helipad on its website has to be pretty
upscale. This is the sister club to the famous
Lotus in New York, and was the scene of
Fernando Alonso’s celebrations when he won
his first title with Renault back in ’05.
A: Rua Eng. Mesquita Sampaio 807, Santo
Amaro, Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 4301 3372
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17
SHOP
DASLU
Shopping malls are to Sao Paulo what
Versailles was to France: All about style
and power. The most upscale mall, or
‘shopping’ as they are simply known
here, is Daslu. Celebrities and the wealthy
elite touch down by helicopter before
loading up with Gucci and Dior shopping
bags. The place is vast – a 17,000 square
meter maze of retail opportunities, which
uniformed staff will happily guide you
through. Strategically-placed espresso
bars are on hand every couple of hundred
meters, to keep you energized.
A: Av. Chedid Jafet 131, Sao Paulo
SHOP
T: +55 11 3841 4000
RUA OSCAR FRIERE
Named after the physician who
developed the city’s first morgue, this
tree-lined street is far from dead. It
is alive with some of the biggest brands
– both international and homegrown
– including Diesel, Fendi, Alexandre
Herchcovitch and Osklen. According
to a survey, this street is the second
most glitzy in the Americas, after
Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue. In your face,
Rodeo Drive!
A: Rua Oscar Friere, Sao Paulo
MERCADO MUNICIPAL
The city’s first grocery market, this
enormous neo-baroque building has
recently undergone a major renovation,
and is now the quintessential hotspot
for food lovers. There are over 300
stands selling anything edible, including
meat, veg, cheese, fish and spices
from all over Brazil. There are several
bars and snack places inside, where
you can scoff while you take in the local
color. Don’t miss the salt cod pastel at
Hocca Bar.
A: Rua da Cantareira 306, Centro, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 3228 0673
GP BRAZIL / SHOP
GP BRAZIL / SHOP
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19
TOURISM
TOURISM
FOOTBALL
IBIRAPUERA PARK
CEMITERIO DO MORUMBI
Sao Paulo’s answer to New York’s Central
Park, this is one of the city’s biggest green
areas – two square kilometers, in fact.
Everyday thousands come jogging, walking
and picnicking here. The buildings here
were designed by Oscar Niemeyer, including
the Museum of Contemporary Art. This
contains the biggest collection of 20th
Century Western art in Latin America, with
works by Picasso, Miro, Kandinsky and Chagall.
A: Av. Pedro Alvares Cabral 0, Sao Paulo
T: +55 11 5574 517
The final resting place of Ayrton Senna
da Silva is in contrast to the bold life that
he led. His is a small, modest plaque, set
among many others, on a grassy slope
that gazes out at the non-descript highrises of Morumbi. The brass plaque reads:
‘Nada pode me separar do amor de Deu’. It
means: ‘Nothing can separate me from the
love of God’. Or from the love of his fellow
Brazilians and F1 fans around the world.
A: Rua Deputado Laercio Corte 468,
Morumbi, Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3759 1000
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Charles Miller s/n, Pacaembu, Sao Paulo
MEMORIAL DA AMERICA LATINA
Designed by Brazil’s architectural maestro
Oscar Niemeyer (who has also designed
trophies for the Brazilian Grand Prix), this
impressive complex is a monument to
Latin America’s long and bloody battle
for democracy. The centre includes
photographs and museum pieces, some
impressive and symbolic sculpture, such as
the famous ‘big hand’, and an auditorium
where diverse leaders Bill Clinton and Fidel
Castro have given speeches. After the GP in
2008, Red Bull threw a big party here with a
DJ set by Gorillaz.
A: Avenida Auro Soares M Andrade 564,
Sao Paulo / T: +55 11 3824 6112
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G P B R A Z I L / T O U R I SM
G P B R A Z I L / T O U R I SM
Estadio do Morumbi is home to Sao
Paulo Football Club and hosts the state
championship games, known as ‘classicos’
which take place on Wednesday and
Saturday nights. Tickets are R$30-$120.
Soccer is Brazil’s greatest passion, and the
atmosphere of 80,000 fans is electric. It was
in this stadium back in 2006 that Red Bull
threw what is generally considered to be
the greatest party in the history of Formula
One. Another place football fans should
visit is the Museu do Football, which is at the
Corinthians stadium, Estadio do Pacaembu.
Pele keeps his 1970 World Cup Final shirt here.
A: Estadio do Morumbi, Praca Roberto
Gomes Pedrosa 1, Sao Paulo / A: Museu
do Football, Estadio do Pacaembu, Praca
ROADTRIP
COSTA VERDE
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G P B R A Z I L / R O A DT R I P
G P B R A Z I L / R O A DT R I P
The drive from Sao Paulo, via Santos, to Rio
de Janiero along the coast-hugging Costa
Verde takes about eight and a half hours,
and there are several beautiful port towns
along the route where you may wish to take
a little holiday. Paraty is considered one of
the most romantic spots in the world, full of
pastel-colored colonial buildings, and the
stunning Ilha Grande is just a short boat
ride away. The coast road – officially named
the Rodoviário Doutor Manoel Hyppolito
Rêgo, or BR101 – has several “trechos
sinuosos”, zigzagging roads that wind up
steep hills. The climbs open up vistas of
the many beaches on Sao Paulo’s northern
coast – 33 of them. Some are long, surferfriendly, classically Brazilian; others are
coves at the foot of cliffs. The Costa Verde
is celebrated for these beaches, and also
for its wilderness. Nature here is exuberant:
palms burst from cliff walls, mist drifts over
forested valleys, pink and orange flowers
erupt on the roadside. Everywhere the
jungle is invading, spilling over, reclaiming
territory. The mountainous foliage, after 350
miles, makes way for the concrete of Rio
and a whole different jungle.
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DOWNTOWN-CIRCUIT
Follow the line of the old river out
of town on the Avenue Marginal
Pinheiros. Then turn right onto Avenue
Interlagos and follow the signs into
the circuit.
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AIRPORTS
Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport (GRU)
is the city’s biggest airport, 25km
from downtown Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo
Congonhas Airport (CGH) is 8km
outside the centre.
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JOSE CARLOS PACE
AUTODROME
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