Every time you hear that Silverstone has been sanctioned yet again by the FIA for some misdemeanour, you hear questions raised about the Brazilian Grand Prix. It isn't the greatest location in the world; the facilities are average at best and there have been certain doubts cast about its status and worth on the World Championship calendar.

But it is a race with a history; Brazil has provided many World Champions and continues to provide talented racing drivers in all formulae. The FIA's answer to that criticism of the place is that Brazil currently provides the only Grand Prix in South America, and it is an important race if only for that reason. One just wishes that it was a slightly easier place to visit.

I have always said that if your system works in Brazil, it will work anywhere for the rest of the season. That applies to just about everything, whether you are a caterer, aerodynamicist, gearbox specialist, journalist, suspension analyst - anything! If the car's cooling system, your printer, your kettle even - works in Brazil, then you should be OK for the rest of the year.

Surviving! Brazil

There are upsides and downsides to Brazil. Outside the city of Sao Paulo, it is certainly a gorgeous country in many ways, and its citizens are hugely loyal. One is always struck by how Brazilians love their country.

There is much to like about it: the girls are gorgeous, churrascerias serve some of the best meat in the world, and caipirinhas are great drinks. This is the local firewater, known as pinga or cachaca, sugar cane alchohol, which you pour over crushed ice and lime, sprinkled with sugar. Three of these very more-ish drinks and you're away. If you reach six, you're out with the fairies.

But there is considerable poverty in the shanty towns known as favellas, which means that foreigners are considered fair prey to local burglars. Every year there are stories of team personnel being robbed or threatened. Equipment goes missing from the garages, and I'm told that this year teams have been advised not to travel to the circuit in team gear.

The circuit

The Interlagos circuit is on the side of a hill in a fairly built-up area, between two lakes, as the name suggests. The bigger of the two lakes few people ever see. The smaller of the lakes is close by and the city stretches away to the high rise buildings of the city centre 45 minutes drive away. Most people stay in the same hotel, the TransAmerica about 20 minutes drive away, but there are one or two other reasonable hotels nearby. However, it is scarcely smart.

The circuit dates from before the second World War. Back in 1938, two contractors from a land development company named Autoestradas S/A decided to build a race track. The idea was to help develop a huge area they had just bought to initiate a new housing project. On May 12, 1940, Interlagos hosted its first race day in a mixed programme that had cars and motorcycles.

In 1950, the track owners sold the property to the city of Sao Paulo 1V Centennial Celebration Committee for a nominal fee. The Committee had planned to remodel the 1,060,000 square meters area but nothing really happened up to 1966. Then work was carried out to bring it up to international standards.

Grand Prix racing first went to Brazil in 1973, to the original 7.960 kms/4.946 miles Interlagos on which the current circuit is based. Six years later, the race was held at Jacarepagua, returning to Interlagos for 1979 and 1980 before heading to Rio for the next ten years. We returned to a shortened Interlagos in 1990, now 4.325kms/2.687 miles, but not before Johnny Herbert had scored three points for fourth in his very first Grand Prix, hobbling around the Jacarepagua paddock in 1989.

Of course, we used to love going to the Jacarepagua circuit near Rio de Janeiro. That was something else altogether. You had the beaches of Ipenema and Copacabana. There was the spectacular city, there were many good hotels, great clubs and restaurants. However, the actual facilities at the circuit were pretty average, and at least they make an effort at Interlagos.

Interlagos itself is quite bumpy, with some quite quick corners, but also some tight twists and turns. The climb out of the final corner towards the start/finish line really tells the powerful engines from those with less power. The track requires a lower downforce setting than the first two circuits of the year, while the altitude of the circuit means that both downforce and power is reduced by about seven or eight per cent.