“Nada ultrapassa essa emoção,” is the slogan greeting followers at Interlagos’ entrances. Nothing surpasses this emotion.
Stroll by means of the tunnels beneath the Autodromo Carlos Tempo and it is apparent why. The bowl-shaped venue in the course of Sao Paulo’s bustling metropolis is one in all motor racing’s most revered cathedrals, its historical grandstands steeped in historical past.
Ayrton Senna memorials within the grandstands
Photograph by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photographs
The occasion posters lining the doorway tunnels date all the way in which again to the inaugural race in 1972, timeless reminders of the numerous title deciders Interlagos has hosted and the house wins that propelled the recognition of legendary world champions like Emerson Fittipaldi, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna.
Naturally the late Senna continues to be revered like a deity, along with his trademark blue Nacional caps sported by throngs of Brazil’s passionate followers. An enormous mural of the three-time World Champion adorns the principle paddock constructing, whereas Sebastian Vettel travelled to the occasion to host a tribute and Lewis Hamilton carried out an emotional demo in his hero’s 1990 McLaren, which he mentioned was the “biggest honour” of his life.
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1st place, celebrates with a Brazilian flag on the rostrum
Photograph by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Photographs
One thing is lacking
Following a long-standing streak of Brazilians on the grid, the nation’s final full-time F1 driver Felipe Massa is but to discover a successor after his retirement on the finish of 2017. The 2018 season was the primary in 48 years with no Brazilian, with simply two cameos by Fittipaldi’s grandson, Pietro (Fittipaldi), since then.
Brazilians have not been in a position to switch all their vitality and ’emoção’ onto a house hero for seven years, as an alternative adopting Senna apostle Hamilton as one in all their very own, the seven-time world champion being awarded honorary Brazilian citizenship in 2022.
That void was much more placing this weekend whereas hundreds of Argentinians flocked to their neighboring nation to cheer on Williams sensation Franco Colapinto. The 2024 version had been largely offered out for some time, however Colapinto followers nonetheless managed to seek out tickets on the resale market to observe the 21-year-old on the closest they need to a house race in the intervening time.
The Argentinian’s arrival has led to a surge of curiosity in South America, however F1 followers from the one nation within the continent truly internet hosting a race can solely watch on with envy for now, with hopes that F2 title protagonist Gabriel Bortoleto can break that streak subsequent yr if he’s signed by Sauber, as is now extensively anticipated.
An emotional Felipe Massa proudly slaps the Prancing Horse insignia on his chest as he celebrates victory and a effectively fought season in entrance of his residence followers.
Photograph by: Rainer W. Schlegelmilch / Motorsport Photographs
Brazil, what took you so lengthy?
However why has it taken so lengthy for Massa to have a successor? The previous Ferrari driver suggests a tough patch at grassroots degree is a big a part of the reason. “Sadly, it is taking actually so lengthy to have one other Brazilian in System 1 and it’s extremely tough to say why,” Massa, a two-time winner of his residence grand prix, informed Motorsport.com.
“We did not have any class prior to now like System 4 and possibly the bottom of Brazil was not so sturdy as in comparison with the previous. After I was racing in Europe in System Renault, in each class we had a Brazilian profitable races, preventing for the championship. And now it is tough to have the identical outcomes as we had prior to now. However within the final three years issues have been altering. We now have some good Brazilians round and I hope to see Bortoleto in F1 quickly.
“An important factor is that youngsters have to go to Europe on the proper time when they’re prepared, with some expertise in vehicles right here in Brazil. That is why Brazil wanted to have a great [single-seater] class and now we now have System 4 [which supported the F1 weekend]. It is changing into extra aggressive yr by yr and that is crucial.”
Oscar Piastri, McLaren F1 Workforce, 2nd place, Lando Norris, McLaren F1 Workforce, 1st place, Max Verstappen, Pink Bull Racing, third place, obtain their Dash trophies from Emerson Fittipaldi
Photograph by: Steven Tee / Motorsport Photographs
Two-time F1 World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi, who was in attendance at his residence race as a McLaren ambassador, concurred with Massa that every thing begins on the backside. “The bottom of motorsports, karting, is essential,” he informed Motorsport.com. “And the Brazilian federation is presently encouraging karting in Brazil. I am certain new skills will emerge, however there was an absence of encouragement on the grassroots degree in Brazil.
“Whenever you’re already in System 1, it is easy for sponsors to seem. But it surely’s very tough for the drivers to get there. So, we want extra help on the grassroots degree and the brand new president of the confederation, Giovanni Guerra, is doing that. He is doing an incredible job.
“However we want much more help. The most important instance of that is Telmex [in Mexico], which is why we now have Sergio Perez. Colapinto joined now, however within the final 5 years we solely had one driver from Latin America.”
Lewis Hamilton delights the Brazilian followers with a drive in Ayrton Senna’s 1990 McLaren MP4/5B.
Photograph by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Photographs
“Discovering sponsors has by no means been straightforward…”
Brazil is the world’s seventh largest financial system by GDP however can be affected by big inequality and a comparatively unstable foreign money. The previous is already making the prices of entry-level karting a critical stumbling block for a big a part of the expertise pool. The latter is not serving to Brazilian sponsors fund drivers as soon as they begin competing abroad and enter the feeder system into F1 or IndyCar.
“Discovering sponsors has by no means been straightforward for Brazilian drivers,” mentioned Massa. “In my time, it was so tough to seek out sponsors, but additionally it was a bit cheaper than it’s now, which could make the scenario much more tough.”
IndyCar has seen the same Brazilian void in comparison with F1, with the profitable era of Helio Castroneves, the late Gil de Ferran and Tony Kanaan, combining for a complete of six Indianapolis 500 wins, by no means actually changed.
“The foreign money, the greenback to actual change is de facto dangerous for getting sponsors to take a position,” Kanaan defined to Motorsport.com. “It is six to at least one, so if you must make investments 1,000,000 US {dollars}, it is six million of our cash. That’s undoubtedly not serving to.
“The Brazilian motorsports scene is wholesome for certain and since Massa it’s extremely recognised, however clearly we’re missing an F1 driver proper now. We nonetheless had some in IndyCar, however except for the foreign money you additionally need to be in the suitable place on the proper time to have the ability to be aggressive and win races.
Gabriel Bortoleto, Invicta Racing
Photograph by: Invicta Virtuosi Racing
“We do have a pair good guys, like [Aston Martin reserve] Felipe Drugovich that has been ready ceaselessly, and in addition Bortoleto now, however the timing has been dangerous.”
Kanaan mentioned it could be unrealistic to count on Brazil’s glory days in F1 to return, however he is nonetheless optimistic over the nation’s long-term future in worldwide single-seater racing.
“I feel we’re by no means going to have a Senna once more, the identical manner I feel [Germany] isn’t going to have a Michael Schumacher, and the identical manner they are not going to seek out one other Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen,” he mentioned.
“However finally, I feel we’ll come again. Motorsports continues to be extraordinarily in style in Brazil. Not simply F1 but additionally IndyCar.”
Kanaan, Massa and Fittipaldi have all been impressed by McLaren junior Bortoleto, who’s effectively positioned to lastly return the Brazilian flag to the beginning grid, being on the verge of a Sauber deal for 2025.
“I hope he will get into F1,” Fittipaldi mentioned. “We’re rooting for him. He is very gifted and really succesful, a superb driver.”
Massa added: “Gabriel did an incredible job profitable System 3 within the first yr, possibly profitable System 2 within the first yr. That is undoubtedly one thing that we’ve not seen recently with a Brazilian driver. Will probably be actually optimistic to have a robust Brazilian in System 1 for a very long time, elevating our Brazilian flag. I am supporting him so much.”
If Bortoleto does make it onto the grid subsequent yr, the wait will lastly be over and Brazilian followers will now not need to envy their Argentinian rivals.
Discovering a approach to have each South American nations represented on the grid could be a lift to System 1 at massive. However most significantly, it would full the lacking piece of the puzzle to carry the “emoção” of one in all its marquee occasions to a fair larger degree.
Extra reporting by Joey Barnes
