F1 Explainer: What’s in a name? (Brazilian Edition)
Sunday, September 25th, 2005When I think of the Brazilian Grand Prix I think of Interlagos. That’s the name most commonly used for the circuit which has hosted the Brazilian Grand Prix since 1973. But that’s not the official name of the circuit. The official name is Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace. For the record the ‘c’ in Pace is pronounced like the ‘ch’ in cheese.
Anyway Pace was a Brazilian driver who started his career in the early 70’s, driving his first F1 race at Kaylami in 1972 for Frank Williams. He was a Brazilian driver (born in Sao Paulo) coming to prominence at the same time as the sensational Emerson Fittipaldi who would become the youngest F1 champion in 1972. Pace didn’t languish in Fittipaldi’s shadow but he also didn’t rise to the same level driving for Williams, Surtees then Bernie Ecclestone’s Brabham team. He did however pull off one feat which not even the great Fitipaildi can claim to have done. In 1975 Pace won the first point paying Grand Prix in front of his home crowd at Interlagos beating the undoubtadly crowd favorite Emerson Fittipaldi who was driving for McLaren. It was Pace’s only F1 victory.
Pace stayed with Brabham and teamed up with Carlos Reutemann through 1976 and 1977, at times showing brilliance. An airplane crash near Sao Paulo claimed the life of Jose Carlos Pace at the young age of 32.
