It was back on March 30, 1972, that Brazil held its first Formula One Grand Prix at São Paulo’s Interlagos circuit. That same year a local boy, by the name of Emerson Fittipaldi, won the World Championship in his Lotus. Two years later, in 1974, Fittipaldi won the World Championship for a second time, on this occasion in a McLaren.

At Long Beach in 1980, a relative newcomer from Brazil, Nelson Piquet, won his first Grand Prix. The following year, 1981, Piquet won his first World Championship and, like Fittipaldi, he repeated the feat two years later. Brazil had won the world title four times in the space of twelve years.

In 1987 and 1988, Brazil had back–to–back wins in the championship through the now three time world champion, Nelson Piquet, in a Williams, and Ayrton Senna  in a McLaren. Senna won his second World Championship for McLaren in 1990 and his third, for the same team, in 1991.

The tragic death of Ayrton Senna  in 1994 took a little of the shine off the glamour of Formula One, but drivers like Rubens Barrichello , now driving for Ferrari, have helped keep the interest alive.