Up there are swathes of black tarmac. Down here there is grass. Up there is a concrete wall. Down here there is a painted white line. Up there is the main straight. Down here are the Senna Esses. Get it wrong up there on the black stuff, and down here you'll find yourself going sideways on the green stuff.

The Circuit

The thing that strikes you about the Brazilian Grand Prix circuit at Interlagos is it's gradient changes. 'Up there' on the main straight is the highest part of the circuit. 'Down here' on the way through and out of the first three corners, the track just drops and drops away. After this, the 4.3km track flows and turns and pitches and rolls before the last few corners lead into the uphill blast to the finish line. The track is also notable for it's anti-clockwise layout (most grand prix tracks are raced clockwise) and for it's high altitude.

Descida do Sol and Senna Esses

When an F1 car reaches the end of the main straight, it will be doing so at a speed of 185mph in 7th gear. Within a matter of metres, the driver will be trying to get his car to shed around 130mph, whilst turning into the downhill left turn of Descida do Sol, with it's concrete pit wall on the inside, and grass off to the right. Leading immediately into the fast downhill Senna Esses chicane, this is the most critical part of the track. These couple of corners are the place where a race lead can be lost ... and retaken again. It was here that Michael Schumacher made the last overtaking manoeuvre of his F1 career, passing Kimi Räikkönen - the man who would replace him at Ferrari - for fourth place.

Curva do Sol and Reta Oposta

Coming out of the Senna Esses at over 90mph, on the inside line is the place to be as an F1 car is now pulling 2.5g at 125mph into the Curva do Sol. It's still downhill, it's still a left-hander, it's bumpy, and it's flat-out. Still flat-out down the Reta Oposta - or back straight - past the grandstands on the right, reaching almost 180mph.

Descida do Logo, Berra Aura and Ferradura

Now back on the brakes in anger for the first time since the top of the track, because coming up is Descida do Logo, another downhill left-hander. Descida do Logo is a double apex corner and is taken at around 90mph. The bumpy second apex opens out onto the Berra Aura straight. This straight may be shorter than the Reta Oposta, but our F1 car is still doing over 170mph before the entry to Ferradura. This right-hander is off camber and slows to 115mph before the driver gets the loud pedal down and aims a clipping the inside kerb on the way out.

Laranja, Pinheirinho, Cotovelo, Mergulho, and Juncao

Now to the slowest part of the circuit, introduced by the slowest corner on the track - the tight 40mph right-hander of Laranja. Through the next sequence of right/left/right/left corners an F1 driver is trying to be as smooth and precise as possible. Laranja leads immediately into the similarly tight left-hander of Pinheirinho. A short straight with a kink leads to the hairpin of Cotovelo (also known as Bico de Pato - Duck's Beak), which doubles back (as hairpins do) and leads now into Mergulho where drivers are lifting off the throttle, but not braking, to carry as much speed through the bumps as possible up to Juncao. Getting back on the power early is the important factor coming out of Juncao. It is quite literally all uphill from here.

Subida dos Boxes, Archibancadas and the Finish line

To the right of the track on the rise out of Juncao is a distinctive wall painted with a chequered pattern. This is Subida dos Boxes (Rise of the Boxes). Behind here, right up close, are the backs of brightly painted Brazilian homes. Not that an F1 driver has time to look at the view. He's got his right foot planted to the floor, building up speed through the long left hand bend of Archibancadas, moving over close to the Armco on the left, driving hard and fast up that hill, and crossing the line at 180mph.

One lap down. 70 to go!