São Paulo Grand Prix · News
2026 São Paulo GP track map: two Straight Mode zones
Interlagos’ updated 2026 Brazilian GP track map shows two Straight Mode zones and separate Overtake Mode detection and activation points near Turn 13.
2026 Brazilian GP track map reveals two Straight Mode zones
The updated 2026 Brazilian Grand Prix track map highlights two Straight Mode zones at Interlagos, with separate Overtake Mode detection and activation points positioned after Turn 12.
The 4.309km Autódromo José Carlos Pace, which hosts the São Paulo Grand Prix, features low-drag sections on both long runs towards its main braking opportunities.
Where are the two Straight Mode zones?
The red markings identify:
- The run towards Turn 1: beginning after Turn 14, continuing through Turn 15 and along the start-finish straight.
- The Reta Oposta: between Turns 3 and 4, following the opening Senna S sequence.
Straight Mode adjusts both the front and rear wing flaps into a lower-drag configuration, helping cars accelerate more efficiently. Corner Mode restores the downforce required through the bends.
Every driver can use Straight Mode in designated zones when enabled, without needing to be within one second of another car. Interlagos therefore has the same zone count as Austin’s updated 2026 track map, although the sections follow a different circuit layout.
Where are the Overtake Mode points?
The map places Overtake Detection between Turns 12 and 13, shortly after the exit of Juncão. Overtake Activation follows just beyond Turn 13, on the uphill run towards Turn 14.
Detection establishes whether a following driver qualifies for the assistance. Activation marks where that entitlement becomes available.
F1’s explanation of the 2026 system states that a driver within one second of the car ahead at detection gains additional electrical harvesting and deployment capability, allowing higher speeds to be sustained for longer.
Overtake Mode supplies electrical assistance; Straight Mode reduces aerodynamic drag. The detection point does not restrict the electrical advantage to a single straight.
As with Mexico’s final-sector arrangement, staying close late in the lap could help prepare an attack. At Interlagos, the positioning puts particular emphasis on the exit from Juncão before the climb towards the start-finish straight and Turn 1.