In Sao Paulo I have taken part in races which we will always remember, for different reasons. Like in 2009, when we almost took the title in the last race of the season. In the end it wasn’t enough and Jenson Button became world champion. I was very disappointed, but it was also an important experience for me. On the positive side we knew that we fought until the end and gave everything we could. 2010 was my first year on the Sao Paulo podium: a truly unforgettable race and thinking about Brazil 2012, I spun on the first lap and found myself at the back of the field. Suddenly the title seemed so far away. I worked myself back up through the field position by position and at the end it was unbelievable: we were World Champions again. In 2013, the title was already secured, but as it was my ninth win in a row, I will always remember this race. In Sao Paulo we drive anti-clockwise and the track has severe bumps. One of the best chances to overtake is the first chicane, the Senna-S. You have to be careful here, especially at the start as it’s very tight. The left-right-left combination looks a bit like a screwdriver and you are going downhill, so you have to be patient with the steering.

I know fans love Interlagos because it provides such interesting races, but it’s never been a favourite track of mine. It’s a short lap and ideally I like something with a few more corners. But it’s got a brilliant atmosphere and if you don’t enjoy that, you’re doing something wrong. I can’t honestly say what the secret is to getting a good lap at Interlagos because I’m not sure I’ve ever really nailed it! I’ve been OK but it hasn’t yet given up its secrets. I think the best approach is to not look beyond the next corner. It pays to be ultra-precise with your track positioning and your braking: you have to concentrate on the turn that you’re in, rather than thinking too far ahead because for most of the lap the corners are individual events rather than part of a sequence. Obviously the time of year we go to Brazil and the location means that there’s a really good chance of a wet race. At some venues that’s a real game-changer but at Interlagos the character of the track doesn’t change in the wet – it poses all the same challenges but with a few added variables thrown in.