Focus on... The title battle
The Brazilian Grand Prix is no stranger to hosting title-crowning moments. There have been six to be precise, ranging from Fernando Alonso's back-to-back success between 2005 and 2006, to Lewis Hamilton's dramatic last-lap triumph in 2008, and Sebastian Vettel's recovery drive to a third world title four years ago. All five of the world champions on the current grid have clinched a title in Brazil. Will Nico Rosberg continue that pattern?
Rosberg arrives in Brazil with the championship trophy in one hand. Win on Sunday and the German will follow in the footsteps of his father Keke Rosberg by taking his first ever Formula One title. Such a feat would see Nico and Keke join Graham and Damon Hill as the only two father-son combinations to win an F1 title in the history of the sport. As described in full in our title permutations explainer, Rosberg can even afford two second place finishes, or one second and a third to beat Hamilton to the crown.
Hamilton has almost all the odds stacked against him, finish second to Rosberg and his rival wins; go too aggressive and end up crashing out; Rosberg wins. The task seems simple for the Briton, win and he ensures the title will go down to the final round in Abu Dhabi on November 27. Even when riding on the crest of momentum -- as he often references -- after consecutive wins in the United States and Mexico, one fact stands out. Hamilton has never won at Interlagos.
He will need to buck that trend in order to stand any chance of adding a fourth world championship to his growing list of achievements this year. But at one stage Hamilton also needed to win the final four races to keep the title within reach and so far he has delivered when it matters most. The see-saw nature of this year's championship fight means nothing can be taken for granted. Add to that possible rain, question marks over reliability, and factor in an increasingly competitive Red Bull package in the hands of hungry pairing Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, and this weekend could provide another classic Brazilian Grand Prix.
In need of a podium
The pressure is showing no signs of relenting at Ferrari. In fact it neared boiling point in Mexico when Vettel's potty-mouthed radio rant almost got him in serious trouble with the FIA -- little does it need off-track problems to add to it's on-track ones. Ferrari is in real need of a podium, having not recorded one since Sebastian Vettel finished third in Italy. More alarming is the fact the team has only managed podiums on two occasions in the last 10 races. It's that kind of inconsistency, coupled with Red Bull's rejuvenated charge in the second half of 2016, which has seen Ferrari fall a whopping 62 points behind in the standings.
In need of points
Time is running out for Sauber to avoid its worst ever finish in F1. The Swiss team came tantalisingly close to recording its first points of the season in Mexico as Marcus Ericsson finished 11th. The agony for Sauber was a welcome relief for Manor, with the team maintaining ninth in the standings, thanks to Pascal Wehrlein's point in Austria.
Weather
The weekend's weather forecast looks very interesting. The Brazilian Grand Prix is often hit by rain and thunderstorms and it looks like that could be the case again -- just when Nico Rosberg would have been hoping for a normal weekend! Thunderstorms are predicted from Thursday afternoon all the way through until race day, when the thunder and lightning is expected to subside in exchange for rain showers. With a 60-90 percent chance of precipitation throughout the weekend, Interlagos' unpredictable weather could play a huge factor in the direction of this year's championship.
Prediction
Recent history suggests that Nico Rosberg has the upper hand in Brazil over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton. The German has taken pole and gone on to win the previous two races at Interlagos. Given that Hamilton has never stood on the top step in Brazil, all signs point towards a Rosberg win. However, Hamilton's performances in the United States and Mexico were menacing, and the Briton needs a win in order to keep his title hopes alive. Given how well he performs under pressure, and with rain potentially on the cards, ESPN is backing Hamilton to finally break his Brazil duck at the 10th attempt to take the title fight to Abu Dhabi.
Betting
Despite never winning in Brazil, Lewis Hamilton is the bookies' favourite at 5/6 to take victory. Ricciardo (11/1) is the closest driver to take the fight to Mercedes, while in the battle for fourth, Force India are backed to edge out Williams in qualifying, with Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg tied on same odds at 200/1 compared with Valtteri Bottas (300/1) and Felipe Massa (500/1). Fernando Alonso is 9/2 to record a top six finish for McLaren.
A lap with... Romain Grosjean
"You go onto the pit straight and then big braking to go to the Senna 'S'. Very tricky turn in on the left-hand side. You really want to be well placed for the right turn two, which sets you up for turn three and the second straight. Big braking to turn four, left-hand side, 90 degrees, a pretty good corner. Then you get to the middle part -- turn five is a high-speed corner going up the crest. It's tricky.
"Then it's turn six and the hairpin on the right-hand side. We can't use the curb as much as we used to. Turn seven is a left-hand side corner, no braking, just a lift off. It's a bit of a strange one. The second hairpin is then on the right-hand side, a second high-speed corner going down the hill, prior to the last turn. It's a left-hand corner where you really want to go early on the throttle because you're facing a wall to go up to the finish line."
Tyres
Available compounds: hard, medium, soft
Even playing field when it comes to tyres as Rosberg battles Hamilton for the title in Brazil. #F1 pic.twitter.com/D2kDa3NNBz
— Jennie Gow (@JennieGow) November 2, 2016
Circuit facts courtesy of Pirelli:
• Interlagos is the second-shortest lap of the year, but probably the most intense as the cars are constantly cornering and dealing with traffic. This adds to the demands on the tyres.
• The resurfacing a couple of years ago increased grip levels and smoothed out the bumps.
• A very wide variety of weather conditions are possible, from intense heat to heavy rain.
• Interlagos is one of the few anti-clockwise circuits, with the right-rear tyre doing the most work
• Tyres are often subjected to combined lateral and longitudinal forces, which increase demand.