The Interlagos circuit sits in the neighbourhood of the same name in the south of São Paulo. Translated from Portuguese, Interlagos means "between lakes" – and that is exactly where track and neighbourhood are found: between two giant man-made reservoirs.

Guarapiranga lies to the west of the track, Billings to the east. Built in the early 20th century, they are two of the largest and most important reservoirs in the region, supplying the city's drinking water and generating power. They also shape the local climate.

A microclimate is a localised area that can differ from the surrounding region in temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind. Many factors shape one – large bodies of water among them.

At Interlagos, the reservoirs on either side of the circuit release large amounts of moisture into the local atmosphere through evaporation. When temperatures shift suddenly, that moisture can help storms to form.

São Paulo is also an urban heat island. The sprawling metropolis absorbs solar radiation and holds on to vast amounts of thermal energy. Where warm city air meets the cooler countryside around it, the atmosphere can turn unstable. And with the Atlantic Ocean around 50 km away, cool, moist air fronts roll inland and collide with the hotter air of the city. The result: storms that can build and break directly over the circuit.

Last weekend in Mexico City, Audi Revolut F1® Team raced at more than 2,200 metres. São Paulo sits lower, yet at around 800 metres above sea level it is still one of the highest venues on the F1® calendar. The circuit itself lies on a hillside once considered too steep for housing. The slope forces humid air upward. It cools rapidly, its moisture condenses and eventually falls as rain – a process known as orographic lift.

Add the start of Brazil's summer wet season, and storms can roll in within minutes. Qualifying at the 2023 São Paulo Grand Prix is the perfect example. The hour-long session stayed dry until its closing minutes, when dark clouds suddenly formed ahead of Q3. The sky darkened as the drivers set their first laps, the wind picked up – and then the biblical rain arrived, plunging the circuit into mid-afternoon darkness.

The list of wet races at Interlagos runs into double figures, and rain doesn't stop at the Grands Prix. In three of the last four seasons, wet weather has been a major factor in qualifying here.

With its elevation changes and its mix of high- and low-speed sections, Interlagos gets especially demanding once the rain arrives. Wet running has been rare so far this year: the Bahrain Grand Prix, held in Malaysia, is the only rain-affected race to date for the latest generation of F1® cars.

Rain at Interlagos can produce shock results. Just ask our very own Nico Hulkenberg, who stormed to a maiden pole position here in the most testing conditions in his debut season in 2010 – by more than a second.

From 2005 to 2009, Brazil hosted the title decider five seasons in a row, and the threat of bad weather always seemed to hang in the air. Afternoons when rain ruled Interlagos hold a special place in F1® folklore.

Will 2026 bring the next rain-affected weekend at Interlagos? The current forecast suggests it could, with unsettled conditions on the horizon.