Interlagos was first used as the Brazilian GP venue in the mid-Seventies but fell out of favour when the more exotic location of Rio pitched for the race. A truncated Interlagos began staging the event again in 1990. Rio was never the happiest of hunting grounds for Ayrton Senna as the track seemed to be the preserve of hated rival and Copacabana beach bum Nelson Piquet.

However, Senna had more luck when the race moved back to his home town. His first Brazilian GP win came on an emotional day in 1991, when he took his McLaren to victory despite fighting rain, gearbox problems, and a charge from Riccardo Patrese, all of which came in the closing stages. He won again in 1993 in similar wet conditions to cement his legend amongst his home fans. In 2000 the circuit came in for strong criticism after advertising hoardings fell on to the track during qualifying and it's recognised that Interlagos is now off the pace in terms of modern facilities.