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The FIA World Endurance Championship heads back to Brazil with the Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo poised to deliver one of the season’s most strategically loaded weekends. Interlagos, formally the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, returned to the calendar in 2024 after a decade away and immediately reminded the paddock of its force, drawing almost 85,000 fans last year — the third-highest attendance of the campaign.
At 4.309km, the anti-clockwise circuit is the shortest on the schedule, but its compact nature does not make it simple. Hypercars are expected to reach around 305km/h, with roughly half the lap spent at full throttle. Add in an altitude of nearly 800 metres, constant elevation changes and multiple overtaking opportunities, and the result is a venue that punishes imprecision while rewarding commitment.
In endurance racing, qualifying is often only one part of a much longer equation. Interlagos has historically been different. The race has never been won outright from beyond the front row, while no class winner has started lower than fifth. That makes Saturday’s qualifying and Hyperpole shootout unusually significant before Sunday’s six-hour race.
The Hypercar storyline is especially rich. The last four FIA WEC races in Brazil have produced four different winning manufacturers, and no circuit has ever delivered five consecutive different winners. Toyota arrives as championship leader and the only current manufacturer to have won more than once at the track, while Cadillac returns as the holder of both qualifying and race lap records in Hypercar trim.
BMW, meanwhile, enters as a credible threat after a top-tier breakthrough at Spa-Francorchamps and a runner-up finish at Le Mans. Ferrari has more to prove: its 499P has yet to finish higher than fifth in Brazil, and its early-season momentum in 2025 ended in São Paulo. For more on the home interest surrounding the Hypercar field, read our look at how Pipo Derani is targeting a home-race breakthrough with Genesis at Interlagos.
LMGT3 carries a similarly competitive edge. Lexus won at Interlagos last year with Akkodis ASP Team, a result that marked redemption after its earlier setback at the venue. The team arrives with renewed confidence after finishing second at Le Mans.
Aston Martin stands out as a major challenger, having recorded multiple LMGT3 podiums in São Paulo and eight GT top-three finishes at the circuit. Corvette, Lexus and Aston Martin all featured on the Brazil podium last year and reunited on the rostrum at Le Mans, giving the class a strong form line.
Ferrari and Porsche, however, both arrive needing a response. The Ferrari 296 has yet to score a podium at Interlagos, while Porsche’s 911 GT3 R has not won outside Europe since its 2024 São Paulo success.
Track action begins with free practice on Friday, 10 July. Qualifying and Hyperpole start at 14:30 local time on Saturday, with the six-hour race beginning at 11:30 on Sunday.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.