The last couple of races have been frustrating on my side of the garage, as we’ve had some bad luck with reliability issues. It’s something we’re always working hard on and we’ll be looking especially closely at in the lead up to the Brazilian Grand Prix, so we can make sure we get the most track time possible over the course of the weekend. We knew Mexico would be tough, and many of Interlagos’ characteristics are similar, with its steep sections and long straights. However, the circuit is incredible to drive and always a lot of fun, so I’m looking forward to the weekend. We are still seeing progress in our pace and small improvements in every area race by race, so we know it’s important to keep our heads down and keep pushing towards the end of the season. Every race counts and the more we can learn and gather data at every track, the more information we will have at our disposal over the winter and for the development of our package. After the incredible fan support we received in Mexico, I know we’ll receive another warm welcome in Brazil. The atmosphere is always fantastic and the Brazilian fans are just as passionate. It’s a very special place and we always see unpredictable racing there, so let’s hope we can have some fun this weekend.

Interlagos has got to be up there with the all-time great circuits in Formula 1. There’s so much history there, so many legends have raced on that circuit, and the fans are always so enthusiastic that you can’t help but love going back there each year. For me personally, the track is very special. It’s a tough circuit on the cars as it’s so bumpy, but really fun to drive with its off-camber sections and technical mix of corners. Although we found it tough in Mexico – especially with the altitude – our pace in the corners was positive, so I’m looking forward to seeing how our car performs in those areas in Brazil. The weather is usually unpredictable too, which has made for some chaotic races in the past. It’s great for the fans and always produces some really interesting results, so hopefully we can put ourselves in a position to take advantage if anything happens. Unlike the last couple of races, I hope we can get some solid dry running done initially so that we can really focus on set-up and reliability, and get as much time on track as possible from Friday onwards – then we’ll see what we can do from there.

After the drama of Austin and spectacle of Mexico, it’s great to move to another hugely popular circuit in the Americas, and a track that holds great memories for the McLaren-Honda team. We’ve enjoyed numerous nail-biting finishes, stunning victories and tense championship battles there, and Interlagos is a venue universally loved by the whole Formula 1 community. Over its incredible 78-year history, its charm is as strong as ever, and the fans are just as animated. Interlagos has an incredible heritage and it’s great to see its legacy continue. It’s a fantastic driver’s track with lots of uniquely challenging features that the drivers love, and the fans love to watch. Although no longer the season finale, there’s always a great sense of anticipation before every Brazilian Grand Prix, and this year is no different. For McLaren-Honda, after a challenging couple of races, we are looking forward to arriving at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace and pushing hard with our development for the next two grands prix. Although the end of the season is in sight, we are still working flat-out to bring new parts to the car and maximise our learning and development until the last possible moment. We are focussing on both reliability and performance, and hope for a more positive weekend at this legendary circuit.

Following on from the Mexican Grand Prix, Brazil will be another atmospheric race weekend for fans of Formula 1. Interlagos is a mixture of fast flowing corners, with a technical slow section and multiple undulating turns. The tightness of the layout will hopefully make for an exciting race, with close competition and overtaking. The car and the power unit will both be busy there, changing direction and speed with every turn, which makes throttle response and car balance important. We predict that the altitude of the circuit, albeit not as high as Mexico City, will slightly affect the performance of the car, so we will fine-tune the driveability and deployment of the power unit accordingly.