São Paulo Grand Prix at Interlagos
Last updated 27 Oct 2026Photo: Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Pick São Paulo for one of the loudest, most passionate crowds of the year, an old-school track where you can see a lot of the lap from many seats, and weather that often turns the race upside down. Think twice if you want an assigned seat: most sectors are first come, first served, and gate queues were hours long in 2024. Tickets sell out within minutes of going on sale.
Sources:Formula 1: São Paulo GP 2026 · GP São Paulo: schedule · Wikipedia: Interlagos Circuit
Sources:GP São Paulo: grandstands · GP São Paulo: directions · 2025 fan information (Autoracing) · Track outline: © OpenStreetMap contributors
All times are local (Brasília time). Gates open at 8am all three days.
Gates 8am
When to arrive: The quietest day. Learn the train route and find your gate, and top up your cashless card.
Gates 8am
When to arrive: Much busier than Friday. Afternoon storms are common in November, so carry a rain jacket.
Gates 8am
When to arrive: Come early: in unnumbered sectors the best seats go first, and in 2025 nobody was let in after 3pm.
Sources:GP São Paulo: schedule · 2025 fan information (Autoracing)
Interlagos is in the south of the city. There's no parking for fans and the roads around it close, so the train is the easiest way in. Tap an option for the details.
The official race train runs from Pinheiros to Cidade Dutra (in 2025 it also stopped at Morumbi), a special stop a few minutes' walk from Gate G. It costs R$35 return (about US$7) and is booked online through ViaMobilidade. In 2025 returns ran at set times, every 30 minutes from 4:30pm to 8pm on Saturday and Sunday, with their own queue at the station.
Regular trains run to Autódromo station, about 600 m from the gates. A ride costs about R$5 (US$1). Change from Metro Line 4 at Pinheiros or Line 5 at Santo Amaro. Fans say some foreign cards are rejected at the ticket machines, so carry some cash.
In 2025 SPTrans ran express buses on Saturday and Sunday from Congonhas Airport, Trianon-MASP on Avenida Paulista, Shopping SP Market and Terminal Santo Amaro, plus a circular bus from Autódromo station to the main gates. Shift ran paid coaches from several shopping centres for R$180 return.
Drop-off points move on race weekend. In 2025 they were Praça Moscou (gates B, 8, M and D), Praça Piemonte (H, K, N and R) and Praça Ramiro Cabral da Silva (A, T and Heineken Village). Expect surge prices and long waits after the race.
Don't. There's no parking for fans at the circuit, and only accredited vehicles can get through the closed streets around it.
Most international flights land at Guarulhos (GRU), about 25 km north-east of the centre and an hour or more from Interlagos. Congonhas is much closer but only has domestic flights.
Book a Monday flight home. Traffic after the race is brutal, and fans say a Sunday-night flight is a gamble.
Sources:GP São Paulo: directions · 2025 fan information (Autoracing) · Cidade Dutra express station (Diário do Transporte) · Fan experiences on r/GrandPrixTravel
Interlagos is about 20 km south of the centre, and the area around the circuit has little for visitors. Most fans stay in central or west São Paulo near a train or Metro station, ideally on Line 9 or near Pinheiros, where the express train starts.
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Most popular
The city's main avenue, with plenty of hotels, museums and good Metro links. Fans often recommend it as a base.
To the track: Metro Line 4 to Pinheiros, then the train.
See hotels in Avenida Paulista and Jardins →
Easiest trip
Business districts with modern hotels along the Pinheiros river. Line 9 stops right here, so it's a straight run to the circuit with no changes.
To the track: Line 9 straight to Autódromo.
See hotels in Itaim Bibi, Vila Olímpia and Brooklin →Sources:GPDestinations: where to stay · GP São Paulo: directions · Fan experiences on r/GrandPrixTravel
You can't bring drinks in, and food and drink inside are paid for with the circuit's cashless card.
Everything is paid with a prepaid cashless card that's valid for the three days. In 2025 you could top it up online in advance. Fans say to do that, because some foreign cards failed at the circuit.
In 2025 drinks came in reusable cups with a R$7 deposit (about US$1), refunded when you returned the cup. Free water points were in the sectors without included food. You need photo ID to buy alcohol.
Food changes from sector to sector. A fan spent about R$150 to 200 a day (US$30 to 40) on food and drink in 2022. Sector B includes a buffet and open bar.
São Paulo is one of the world's great food cities. Try a pastel and a caldo de cana at a street market, a feijoada on Saturday, or a churrascaria.
Sources:GP São Paulo: FAQ · 2025 fan information (Autoracing) · Fan experiences on r/GrandPrixTravel
Nothing bigger than 25 x 25 x 25 cm, or anything that won't fit between your feet. That rules out most backpacks, so bring a small bag. There's no left-luggage at the circuit.
Amazon shop: rain poncho · travel sunscreen · small crossbody bag · power bank · earplugs (affiliate links)
Sources:2026 visitor rules (brasilf1.com) · 2025 fan information (Autoracing) · GP São Paulo: FAQ
Tickets are sold through Eventim, the official ticket seller, up to four per person. The 2026 race is sold out apart from occasional late releases, so resellers are the main option left. Fans say the organisers often release a few last-minute tickets on Eventim one or two weeks before the race. The box office at the circuit only sells tickets if any are left. Children under 5 can't go in, and everyone else needs a ticket.
| Sector | Where it is | From (BRL) |
|---|---|---|
| G | End of the back straight, uncovered | R$990 (about US$190) |
| A | Curve onto the main straight, view of the infield | R$1,590 (about US$310) |
| R | Curva do Sol and the start of the back straight, covered | R$2,150 (about US$420) |
| Heineken Village | Infield lawn with bars and DJs, over-18s only | R$2,480 (about US$490) |
| H | Between the Senna S and Curva do Sol, covered | R$2,850 (about US$560) |
| M | Main straight, facing the pits, covered | R$3,550 (about US$700) |
| D | The Senna S, covered | R$4,680 (about US$920) |
| B | Start, podium and flag, covered, food and drink included | R$5,290 (about US$1,040) |
Full-price, three-day tickets from the 2026 sale. Half-price tickets exist for some groups, mostly Brazilian residents, and the ID checks at the gate are strict.
Best for turn 1
The start, lap-one chaos and one of the best overtaking spots, under a roof. Fans say food and drink were included here in 2024, but the queues for them were long.
Best for value under cover
Covered, with the exit of the Senna S, the pit exit, Curva do Sol and the start of the back straight. Fans say the middle, about halfway up, is best: signage blocks Turn 1 from the top rows.
Best for overtakes
The cheapest seats, at the end of the back straight where many of the overtakes happen. It's uncovered and first come, first served: fans arrive at 5 or 6am on Sunday for the top rows near the corner, and most people stand.
Best for atmosphere
The curve onto the main straight, with a view across the infield and trees for shade. Fans love the atmosphere here. Uncovered, and the seats aren't assigned, so get there early.
Best for start + podium
The starting grid, the chequered flag and the podium, with numbered, covered seats and a buffet and open bar included. The most expensive grandstand.
Best for pit stops
Numbered seats under a roof on the main straight, looking straight at the pit garages.
Sources:GP São Paulo: grandstands · 2026 ticket prices by sector (Exame) · GP São Paulo: FAQ · Fan experiences on r/GrandPrixTravel
In 2024 fans queued two to three hours at some gates, and some missed the start of sessions. Most sectors are first come, first served, so early arrivals get the best seats too.
The weather at Interlagos changes fast. Fans describe weekends of either getting soaked or sunburnt, sometimes both on the same day.
It skips the worst of the station crowds. On the way back, look for its separate queue outside Autódromo station.
Getting out after the race can take hours, and fans say Sunday-night flights are a gamble.
Keep your phone and wallet out of sight in crowds and on trains, especially on the walk back after dark.
It's the only official seller and the cheapest. Tickets go on sale about a year before the race and sell out in minutes, so create your account early.
Sources:2025 fan information (Autoracing) · GP São Paulo: FAQ · Fan experiences on r/GrandPrixTravel
| Year | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 2024 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2023 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2022 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 2021 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2019 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2018 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2017 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari |
| 2016 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes |
| 2015 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
Sources:Formula 1: São Paulo facts and stats · Wikipedia: Interlagos Circuit · Formula 1: São Paulo GP 2026
Sources:Wikipedia: Interlagos Circuit · Formula 1: São Paulo facts and stats
Live race-week prices in the two most popular areas.
We check every rule, price and time against official sources. Spotted something out of date? Email [email protected].
