Formula One moves from Asia to South America for this weekend's Brazilian Grand Prix, the last of the flyaway races for some time. At Interlagos, Ferrari will want to get their season back on track, while McLaren, Williams, Renault and the rest aim to keep the World Champions at bay. Atlas F1's Craig Scarborough previews the event and all the teams that will take place in the third Grand Prix of the 2003 season

Interlagos in Brazil sees the third race and the end of the 2003 season's opening chapter. And while the first two flyaway races were hindered by rain and accidents, Brazil usually promises this and more.

On a smog-free day, the Interlagos circuit is within sight of Sao Paolo, birthplace of the Late Ayrton Senna and the spiritual home for all the South American drivers since the demise of the race in Rio. This track places unusually heavy demands on the drivers, cars and teams because of the track layout, the weather and the reputation of the track owners in providing poor security and organisation. Despite these demands, it is generally a popular track, providing as it does a number of overtaking opportunities as well as unpredictable races.

Malaysia saw the first signs of the new qualifying rules producing mixed up grids; Interlagos, with its heat and long pitlane, will again create a mix of one and two race strategies, pushing some light running midfield teams up the grid for the start of Sundays race.

Set-Up and Layout

The track is split into two very different sections; the fast sweeping straight over the start/finish line and the technical section over the in field for the balance of the lap. The track is bumpy throughout the circuit, and the teams will be running the cars at raised ride heights in order to preserve the regulatory planks under the cars and the protect the cars delicate systems from too many impacts.

The fast section of the lap starts on the exit of Mergulho, through a second gear corner before climbing with ever increasing speed around Arquisbancadas and onto the main straight in top gear, before the heavy braking into the best overtaking opportunities through Curva 1 and the Senna esses. These lead on to a short straight which can be used for overtaking if the leading car has lost momentum through the preceding sequence, an overtaking manoeuvre which can take from Mergulho to Descida do Lago to complete.

Top speed is crucial here, and needs to come from power as well as low drag as the main straight is uphill, yet the need for good braking performance to complete the overtaking requires downforce. There is a sequence of ten corners to complete a lap, and these tighter bends are all stop-start low gear sequences. The teams traditionally run less wing in the race than in qualifying to allow for overtaking, but this year less wing adjustment is allowed between the sessions, further adding to the team strategy formula and possibly mixing up the grid as teams optimise for either the race or qualifying.

The weather is Brazil is similar to Malaysia, hot and humid, and last years win for Ferrari was at odds with the perceived notion that Michelin produce the better hot weather tyre. In Malaysia the softer Bridgestone tyres were not even lasting a two-stop strategy, so a recalculation for this race is in order. With monsoon-like rain a possibility the tyre suppliers are concerned that the single specification of wet tyre they can bring to a race may not suit the conditions or the clerk of the course's decision on when to bring out the safety car.

Bridgestone have shown they have a good intermediate tyre, and there has been less of a difference in full wet tyres; should the clerk decide it needs to rain very heavily before deploying the safety car then Bridgestone may have an advantage; if he lets the race run in full wet conditions, then Michelin may have a better tyre.

Aside from the bumps and heat Interlagos also has one last punishment for the drivers; its direction. The track runs anticlockwise, and this places added strain to the drivers already heavily stressed necks. This year, with the HANS collars, many drivers may struggle with comfort in the race as they have yet to build up resistance to the collar on that side of their bodies. Barrichello ran without one in Sepang and Justin Wilson injured himself with his. For this race the FIA have stated there can be no excuses for not running with one. Rubens has had a new support moulded to improve his comfort, so driver fitness will be called into action this weekend.

A Lap of Interlagos with Kimi Raikkonen

Powering along the uphill start-finish straight at Interlagos, you reach some 184mph/296km/h in seventh gear, before braking hard as the track gradient drops sharply on the entrance to the Descida do Sol. Your speed drops to 55mph/88km/h in second gear as you negotiate the tight left, which provides the best opportunity for overtaking. A flowing right-left sequence follows immediately, you push slightly on the throttle to increase your speed slightly through the right of the 'S' do Senna, which is taken at 92mph/148km/h in third gear, as is where the pit exit feeds back onto the track.

The left of Curva do Sol that follows, is long bend, which is usually quite bumpy, but is taken flat out, at 125mph/201km/h. It is important to increase your speed and take a good line through the corner as it swings you onto the long Reta Oposta straight. Pushing hard on the throttle, you reach 180mph/290km/h in seventh gear, braking hard for the double apex of Descida do Lago, which is negotiated at 89mph/143km/h in third gear.

The entrance to the first tight left provides another good overtaking opportunity. Exiting the second apex, which is very bumpy and should be again be taken flat out to ensure you have speed on the exit, you blast along the short straight that leads to Ferra dura. You brake from 171mph/275km/h in fifth gear to 115mph/185km/h in fourth to negotiate the difficult and slippery right hander which is off camber in the exit. Another short burst of power leads to a slow, tight right hander, which is taken in first gear, and is immediately followed by the second gear 55mph/88km/h left hand of Pinheirinho.

Exiting in third gear, your speed builds up to about 99mph/160km/h before braking hard for the Bico de Pato hairpin, the slowest point on the track, which is taken in first gear at 46mph/74km/h. The bumpy left hander of Mergulho follows, which can be taken flat out in qualifying at 125mph/201km/h in forth, before braking hard for the important left hander of Juncão, which is taken in second gear at 50mph/80km/h. This leads you uphill through the long left hander of Subida do Boxes, which takes you back onto the long start-finish straight.

Team by Team

Ferrari

After two races without a victory, and with several major crashes and breakdowns in the new car, the press are building up a crisis at Ferrari. On paper at least the season opener has not gone Ferrari's way; on a clear lap the F2002 is still a quick car, but in race trim it seems less happy on its Bridgestone tyres in comparison to McLaren's old car on Michelins.

Bad judgement on strategy in Australia and bad driving in Malaysia has blighted their championship defence; this sort of luck often comes after a world championship, such as Mika Hakkinen's 2000 season, and it seems Michael Schumacher needed three championships to reach this point. Barrichello has had an equally poor start; a HANS induced crash and a bad strategy on too-soft Bridgestones hides his performances, but he seems less comfortable in the revised car than last year. Perhaps the F2002 isn't responding to the new Bridgestone tyres after all.

Interlagos seems made for the F2002 as we remember it from last year; good top speed, good brakes and slow corner grip; yet it would follow from recent races that Ferrari may struggle to keep ahead of McLaren. This weekend temperatures, tyres and race incidents all need to go Ferrari's way to net a win; otherwise podiums are the realistic objective to kick start their season.

Williams

Rather than stepping up their game Williams seem to be going backwards; they have a car that is not working properly and a driver who appears not to have come to grips with one-lap qualifying. It is fair to say the new Williams FW25 is not a car easy to set up, but Ralf Schumacher's second successive poor showing is drawing attention to the team at a time when they are trying to renegotiate a BMW engine deal.

As with McLaren, race performance is markedly better than in qualifying; Montoya brought home a good result in Australia before having a Jaguar mount his rear wing in Sepang, while Schumacher put in his better drive coming through the field in Malaysia. More new aero parts are due for this race; these seem to have been developed too quickly to be the full solution to whatever is afflicting the cars aerodynamics, but the team will not need much to turn around their fortunes and, with top speed a priority here, a podium is possible if Ferrari or McLaren falter.

McLaren

Two wins from two races, with one for each driver; Ron Dennis' tears in Sepang must have been from relief after several barren seasons. Yet there was the feeling the tears were for Raikkonen, rather than the team. The young Finns place in the team's heart is clear, with a lot more praise coming for his performances than for Coulthard. The Scotsman's fury at retirement in a race proven car produced comments only likely to cement this fondness for Raikkonen at McLaren.

With the drivers delivering good drives the leap in pace of the MP4/17D is hard to pinpoint; the engine is up a claimed 55bhp from last year, the gearbox with its clever clutch software, and the revised aerodynamics all contribute, but the Michelin tyres are believed to be credited with most of the extra pace. This is all the more believable as the car lacks pace over a single lap or in a straight line, although McLaren are no doubt playing their strategy very well to meet the new rules. Michelin need to be seen to run well in a cooler European race to prove their gains are permanent, yet for Interlagos the McLaren/Michelin package should have it all, and a race win is more likely than a pole position.

Renault

Best of the rest and in a place to challenge a weakened Williams' team is the perception of Renault at the moment. Two well-called strategies for each race this year have put Renault where they are, although pit problems slowed them in Sepang, and they may struggle at Interlagos. With the demand for top speed the Renault simply doesn't run fast enough to protect itself in the race on the fast straights; even claiming pole position will be enough for the slower straight-line speed in comparison to McLaren and Ferrari. The team will run very low wing levels to recover some speed, but this will come at the cost of the cars exceptional braking and cornering abilities.

Both drivers are proving themselves well this season; Trulli seems to have gained some confidence, which is remarkable considering the exposure his teammate Alonso is getting, which is bound to be even more intensive after his pole and podium outing last time out. For the race a challenge to Williams and points would be fair, and the team can look forward to the European tracks that should suit the car much better.

Sauber

Sauber are running at a solid if not fast pace this season; the car goes well, and both drivers are putting in the type of great drives of which they are capable, although there seems to be some potential as yet unlocked in the package. Bridgestone customer tyres are a likely suspect in their package; Malaysia proving particularly bad for the tyres, and both Saubers suffered from chronic degradation. Should Brazil be cooler, or Bridgestone provide a better tyre, Sauber could be fighting up towards Renault.

Jordan

Like Sauber, Jordan are not fulfilling their potential. The car lacks development, its lack of pace is obvious around the qualifying laps; Fisichella's careful set-up work gets around the problem, somehow finding some sort of balance of grip front to rear, but not a lot. Firman still seems out of his depth and needs to put in a solid weekend, without errors or excuses. Expect a finish and maybe some points, most likely for Fisichella, this weekend.

Jaguar

Jaguar are struggling on all fronts; poor engineering, poor reliability and poor driving. Mark Webber is leading the team, but while there has been some improvement from Pizzonia his reckless approach to the first corner in Sepang put several important cars out of the running. Jaguar must hope for a clean weekend without major problems to build upon for the coming European season.

BAR

As with so many teams this year BAR have got the basic package right, but little glitches are wasting time throughout the weekend, and the poisonous teammate atmosphere is doing no one any good except the media. Again Bridgestone tyres have not been the tyre of choice for the opening two races, and shouldn't be expected to be in Brazil. Button's steadier progress is getting results, while Villeneuve's hot and cold approach is exacerbated by poor reliability. Two strong drives throughout the race are now important to consolidate the team.

Minardi

As it's now clear that Minardi have old Cosworth engines, old tyres, one driver who admitted a year off has made it tough to rejoin F1 and another who was hospitalised by his seat and head restraint it's a miracle the team can be motivated to appear at every race, let alone find the funding to do so. The team is much loved around the sport, but the new rules and the teams finances are placing a bigger gap between them and the rest to the field; making it to Imola may be the team's only goal for now.

Toyota

If the team has all the elements to make a great car and team then these parts are not gelling right now. Flashes of excellence have come from the team during the opening races, but these have not been backed up by results. Once more the upcoming race has good form predicted for the team, yet the worrying nervousness of Panis' car in qualifying and da Matta's inconsistent sector times suggest the car is a handful, and all the straightline speed in the world is not going to compensate for the cars behaviour over the Interlagos bumps. If the team can have a consistent weekend and get back to testing to work through the chassis deficiencies then they should be happy.