1) Listen up

Before climbing into your kart and taking to the track the most important thing you can do is listen carefully to your pre-race briefing. Not only does the briefing cover all the important safety info, it also includes some tips on how to tackle the track. Our instructors have a wealth of knowledge and experience to call on, so take in as much of their advice as possible.

2) Get comfy

Whether you’re spending 10 minutes or 2 hours in a kart, it’s important to get comfy before the race gets under way. Even the slightest distraction can affect your performance at the wheel and trying to change your seating position in the middle of a race will very quickly slow you down. To make sure you’re free to focus on the important matter of taking the chequered flag, use your practice lap to make sure you’re comfortable. If you’re struggling to reach the pedals or steering wheel, a quick pit stop and chat with a race marshal will quickly solve any problems.

3) Start as you mean to go on

A good start is key to success in most motorsports and it’s absolutely vital in karting. If you get off to a bad start of course you’ll have time to recover, but why make fighting your way to the top of the podium any harder than it needs to be? A storming start is all about reaction speed and staying calm under pressure, as soon as you see the flag go down or lights change hit the gas and stay on the accelerator for as long as possible. You could even try visualisation to try speed up your starts – some F1 drivers swear by it!

4) Don’t hold back

The best karters are usually the most competitive karters, so don’t hold back once the race gets under way. If your will to win is stronger than your competitors it could give you the edge when it comes to claiming top spot on the podium. Just remember not to be too aggressive as frequent rule breaking may lead to a DQ.

5) Get a grip

When it comes to tackling sweeping bends and tight hairpins holding your steering wheel correctly will give you a real advantage. To give your self the biggest advantage when cornering imagine a clock face and keep your hands positioned at 9 and 3, that way you’ll be able to negotiate even the trickiest bends without too much hard work.

6) Stay smooth

Erratic drivers nearly always end up spinning off or colliding with other karts, so staying smooth means staying in the race. If you driving style is calm and consistent it should pay off big time, avoiding any spins or collisions will give you a clear advantage.

7) Patience is a virtue

If you’re stuck behind a slower driver it’s important to stay patient and not get too frustrated. We guarantee you’ll get the perfect opportunity to overtake eventually and 9 times out of 10 it’s worth waiting for. Bide you time, pick your spot and when you see an opening floor it!

8) Learn your lines

The racing line is the fastest route around a circuit, so knowing it will give you a massive advantage over your rivals. The easiest way to work out the racing line? Ask an instructor, they know the track better than anybody. Once you’ve got the inside track on the racing line use your practice lap to try it out, then when the race gets under way catch your opponents off-guard and storm to the front of the pack.

9) Corner like a king

It takes more than just straight line speed to make it to the top of the podium, so if you can conquer the corners you’ll streak ahead of the competition. The most important part of a corner is the exit, and the quicker you get back on the accelerator the more chance you’ll have of speeding away from your rivals. A measured entry gives you the perfect opportunity to build on your momentum and make a quick exit. The worst thing you can do is stamp on the brakes!

10) Have fun

It almost goes without saying but the more fun you have the better your driving will be. Relax, enjoy your experience, and make the most of every second out on track. Even if things don’t go to plan and you find yourself at the back of the pack, take the opportunity to work on your overtaking and perfect your racing line.

There you have it our top karting tips for 2020 – there is one tip we’ve missed though, practice, practice and more practice! Spending as much time as possible at the circuit is the best way to take your driving skills to the next level. So if you’re ready to be the next Lewis Hamilton, head to your local Karting Nation track and give our top tips a go.

Sure, most kids absolutely love chocolate, and many will often jump at the chance to indulge in some – especially at Easter time when there’s plenty of chocolatey goodness to be had! But, why not treat them to something a bit different from the norm this year that will make their Easter break truly memorable? Maybe it wasn’t the first thing on your mind for the perfect Easter gift, but Karting is an activity that will allow your little ones (and perhaps yourself) the chance to experience some awesome action behind the wheel. Now, that definitely sounds way better than chocolate, right? – us here at Karting Nation certainly think so!

With chocolate, the satisfaction is almost over in a matter of seconds, but with Karting, you can create memories that will last a lifetime – zooming around a track like you’re an F1 superstar! Your driving skills will be put to the test, but there’s no need to have any previous experience, it’s an action-packed activity that’s suitable for the whole family! So, if you’re struggling for things to do this Easter break, then there’s nothing more exhilarating than a good old race around the circuit!

The Professional

Ah the professional, you can spot them at every circuit and they stand out like a sore thumb. They’ll have the shiniest helmet, the smartest race suit, and an entourage that’s bigger than most F1 stars’. Annoyingly they’re usually quite good too, but that only makes beating them even sweeter.

The Track Legend

Unlike the professional, the track legend deserves your respect. They’ve lived a life dedicated to racing, and they know every inch of the circuit like the back of their grease covered hands. The chances are they’re well clear at the top of the lap times too, and any advice you can gleam from these karting Yodas is worth its weight in gold.

The Daredevil

If brains were dynamite the karting daredevil would be dangerous.. in fact scratch that, the karting daredevil is dangerous, like really dangerous. Fear isn’t a word that features in their dictionary and once the action’s underway they’ll do anything to win. Whilst their bravery is at times admirable, they’re just as likely to end the race in A&E as they are end it on the podium.

The Tortoise

Trust us, slow and steady definitely doesn’t win the race, but that doesn’t stop the tortoise taking things at their own unique pace. It’s almost as if they like being lapped, and for them a trip to the track is more like a Sunday drive than a fight to the finish line. Get used to the back of their kart, you’ll be seeing a lot of it.

The Surprise Package
Every race has one and they’re impossible to spot. For all you know Steve’s mum might drive like Senna. The more harmless they look, the more dangerous they are to your chances of winning. Trust nobody – especially not Steve’s mum!

Recognise anybody? Tag a mate and let them know what kind of karter they are..

They’re completely customisable

Every Karting Nation voucher is completely custom built by you. You choose the value (from £25), the message, and the gift wrap – making your gift 100% unique. So if you want to guarantee your gift really stands out, make the most of your chance to get creative.

They give you access to the UK’s best tracks

We’re proud to boast the biggest and best choice of circuits in the country, which means getting your hands on a Karting Nation voucher guarantees you entry to the UK & Ireland’s most exciting tracks. The only hard part is narrowing it down to just one!

They’re valid for an unbeatable choice of experiences

A Karting Nation gift voucher can be used towards any experience listed on our website, which means the lucky recipient is guaranteed to find something to satisfy their need for speed. So whether they choose a GP Experience, an Ironman or endurance event, they’re in for the ride of their life.

They’re available at any time.. even Christmas Day!

If you like to leave things a little last minute, or have just plain forgotten somebody your secret’s safe with us. By choosing an eVoucher you’ll receive your Karting Nation voucher instantly and nobody will be any the wiser. Your voucher will be sent straight to your inbox, meaning all you need to do is print it out and take the credit for an awesome present. The perfect crime!

They’re perfectly presented

Whether you choose an eVoucher, a gift box or a gift wallet, you can rest assured that your vouchers will arrive perfectly presented. Our signature gift wallets are ideal for slipping into cards and stockings, while our glossy gift boxes make the perfect Christmas keepsake – and they even include a free adrenalin guide!

Still not convinced? It’s not just us that love our vouchers..

“Really enjoyed the experience, and it was a great gift!”

Toni McDonnell, 1st Oct 2016

“Staff were great and the experience was fabulous. This was a present for my 9 year old nephew and I would definitely recommend it.”

Ellen Hearn, Karting Essex

“This was a present from me and my husband to our grandson. Adam and his friends thought it was really fabulous and thoroughly enjoyed tearing around the course!”

Pat Procktor, Karting Letchworth

So why not take the stress out of Christmas shopping and treat the petrol head in your life to the ultimate gift. Visit the Karting Nation website for more information.

It’s OK, we can’t either, and unless you got something really awesome (like a Karting Nation voucher) the chances are you’d already forgotten by Boxing Day!

The same applies for all those gifts you spent hours searching for the shops for, and that’s why we think a karting experience makes the perfect present. After all, who’s going to forget the time they got to unleash their inner F1 star!

Obviously we’re a little bit biased on the subject, but believe it or not there’s some proper scientific research to back up our belief that taking to the track is better than traditional Christmas presents. Research from San Francisco State University found that people who spent money on experiences were happier and believed their money had been better spent. So just giving a karting experience is guaranteed to make you feel awesome.

The brain boxes at San Francisco State University aren’t alone in their findings either. Dr. Thomas Gilovich of Cornell University has dedicated almost two decades of research to the question of money and happiness, and he believes that experiences make more memorable gifts because they have a greater impact on your life. The docs probably onto something too, because anybody who’s taken to the track will know it’s almost impossible to forget the rush of racing.

Even if you’ve never taken to the track though, we’re pretty sure we know what you’d rather get your hands on. It doesn’t take a doctor to work out that battling it out for a place on the podium is more exciting than anything you’ll find on the high street. So forget buying more clutter this Christmas, scientists say there’s only once gift that should be under your tree and it’s a Karting Nation voucher!

But, the action isn’t over just yet! We have one last race to look forward to – the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. So – for one final time this season – read on as Karting Nation will give you all you need to know about the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

What Time Does The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Start?

As usual, if you’re looking forward to that Sunday morning lie in of yours, you can do just that without missing an ounce of F1 action! The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will start on Sunday

25^th November at 13:10 GMT, with qualifying taking place the day before at 13:10 GMT.

Luckily for us, that’s not all the action! But, you’ll have to get up early(ish)! You can catch the practice rounds from Friday 23^rd November at 09:00 GMT with the second round commencing at 13:00 GMT. The final practice round will take place on Saturday 24^th November at 10:00 GMT, before the qualifying starts.

History of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the baby of the F1 calendar, having only been around since 2009. However the event was first announced two years earlier at the Abu Dhabi F1 Festival in the United Arab Emirates.

The race was the first ever day-night race, as the race started at 17:00 local time. Floodlights were used from the start of the event in order to illuminate the circuit and to ensure a seamless transition from daylight to darkness. Every other Abu Dhabi Grand Prix has been held as a day-night race ever since. There have been a total of nine editions of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with rivals Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton winning three times each.

Fun fact: drivers from only three countries have ever won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Germany, Great Britain and… Okay, we’ll tell you – Finland! Kimi Räikkönen won in his Lotus back in 2012 while Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas won last year’s edition of the event. That win means that Mercedes hold the bragging rights in this event with a total of four wins to Red Bull’s three.

The track, which holds this event is the Yas Marina Circuit, is located on Yas Island – around 30 minutes from central Abu Dhabi. Despite being primarily used for F1, the first ever event on the Hermann Tilke-designed track was the two-day GP2 Asia Series in 2009. Since it’s inception, the track has received both praise and criticism from a number of drivers from past and present. Nico Rosberg and Fernando Alonso praised the track’s uniqueness, while former Italian driver Giancarlo Fisichella branded a certain section of the track as ‘both very difficult and dangerous’. Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen was straight to the point, saying “the first few turns are quite good, but the rest of it is s***.”

With a total length of 5.6km (3.5mi), Sebastian Vettel holds the record for the quickest lap at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2009 with a time of 1:40.279, when he was in Team Red Bull. This event has a total number of 55 laps and an overall race length of 305.5km (189.8mi). The 21-corner track is full of long straights and tight corners, as it encounters some stunning and unique features – such as a marina, the Yas Hotel Abu Dhabi, a striking facade lighting design and sand dunes. Believe it or not, the circuit actually has a connection with Shropshire, England! The surface of the track is made of graywacke aggregate – shipped in from Bayston Hill quarry in Shropshire. This aggregate is highly acclaimed by circuit personnel and drivers alike, as it offers a superior amount of grip compared to other materials.

Who Won The 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

As previously mentioned, Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas won last year’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel completing the podium in second and third place, respectively. The front of the field did not change at all throughout the race, with Bottas finishing the race from pole position. It was a dominant drive from the Finnish driver, keeping Lewis Hamilton’s challenges at bay throughout.

Valtteri Bottas achieved a time of 1:34:14.062, with his Mercedes teammate Hamilton finishing +3.899 seconds behind and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel coming across the line with a time of +19.330.

Who Is Likely To Win The 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

From from current crop of drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton have registered three wins each throughout their career. So, if the statistics are to taken as gospel, then it’ll likely be one of these two at the top of the podium come Sunday. However, it’d be silly to rule out Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas after his solid win at last year’s event.

Another contender for the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix could be Red Bull’s Max Verstappen – his fine form of late has earned him a fair amount of points, as he currently sits in fifth place in the Driver Standings. It’s all well and good taking guesses, but there’s only one way to find out – and that’s to catch the big race on Sunday 25^th November!

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve found out everything you need to know about the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, all that’s left is to tune into the action, which starts from this Friday, 23rd November. As we always say here at Karting Nation, it’s sure to be an eventful race, and we can’t wait for the action on the circuit to commence! Be sure to catch the main event this Sunday at 13:10 GMT.

We’re sad to announce that this is the last edition of Karting Nation’s grand prix previews, but hopefully we’ll be back for the start of the 2019 F1 season which starts on 17^th March 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. See you in the springtime!

Niki Lauda

Former Austrian driver Niki Lauda is considered to be one the greatest F1 drivers of all time. Throughout his driving career, he was able to storm to three championship wins in 1975, 1977, and 1984 respectively. In total, Lauda was able to earn 25 wins and 54 podium finishes.

In the 1976 German Grand Prix, Lauda was seriously injured in a severe crash in which his Ferrari burst into flames. Luckily, he was able to survive and make a full recovery within six weeks.

In recent years, Lauda continues to play a part by working as a pundit for German TV. As well as this, he owns 10% of the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team and acts as a non-executive chairman for them.

Sebastian Vettel

The winner of four consecutive Driver’s Championship titles between 2010 and 2013, Sebastian Vettel is undoubtedly one of the best drivers of recent times. Each of the German’s title wins came with his last team Red Bull.

However, since he moved to Ferrari in 2015, Vettel has failed to replicate the success he enjoyed in terms of title wins – falling behind the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in the race for the title.

At the time of writing, Vettel has earned a total of 52 wins in his career – finishing on the podium a total of 110 times.

Jim Clark

Despite only winning 2 championships in total, Jim Clark is highly regarded as one of the greatest ever drivers to have driven within Formula One. Throughout his career, he was able to earn more Grand Prix wins and pole positions than any other driver.

Clark still had great things ahead of him by this point. However, his career was unfortunately cut short after his tragic death at the age of 32. He was taking part in a Formula Two race at the Hockenheimring in Germany in 1968 and his vehicle veered off the track and ploughed into some trees. His injuries were so severe, that he unfortunately lost his life before he even reached the hospital.

Clark’s death deeply affected some of the big names of his generation. This included the likes of Jackie Stewart, Dan Gurney, and Jack Brabham. But, despite losing his life at such a young age, Jim Clark undoubtedly left a lasting legacy in the world of racing.

Alain Prost

Between the years of 1987 and 2001, French driver Alain Prost held the record for the most Grand Prix victories with a total of 51 wins. So, it’s safe to say that he’s well-regarded in the world of Formula One. He was also able to earn a total of 106 podium finishes throughout his F1 career.

The legendary Michael Schumacher was the man to take overtake Prost’s record in 2001. The German then went on to win a total of 91 races in his career – a record which Lewis Hamilton is the closest to equalling or even overtaking.

Prost is famous for his intense rivalries with other racers throughout the duration of his time in F1. This included the likes of Ayrton Senna, in addition to Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet. It is said that his biggest influences were Jackie Stewart and Jim Clark.

Sir Jackie Stewart

Aptly nicknamed the ‘Flying Scot’, Sir Jackie Stewart is undoubtedly amongst the finest drivers to have raced within F1. With a career lasting between 1965-1973, he was able to make 99 starts, which equated to 27 wins, 43 podiums, and 17 pole positions. In 1969, 1971, and 1973, Stewart was able to storm to the championship.

Stewart grew up in a family that was keen on motorsport. His father had been an amateur motorcycle racer and his brother Jimmy was a racing driver who competed in the 1953 British Grand Prix. However, Stewart was actually gifted at clay pigeon shooting in his youth – winning the British, Irish, Welsh, Scottish and European championships.

Later in his life, Stewart came to realise that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his racing driver brother. Eventually, he went on to make his debut in the Formula One championship and build the successful career he’s now renowned for.

Stewart is also credited with improving the safety of motor racing and has campaigned for it many times over the years.

Juan Manuel Fangio

Juan Manuel Fangio is well known for his feats in the Formula One – especially as he was able to dominate the first decade of the sport after its inception in 1950.

The Argentinian racer, who sadly passed away in 1995, is famous for holding the record for the most championships won with a total of 5. He was able to able to hold this record for an astonishing 47 years before Michael Schumacher was able to overtake him to become the most successful Formula One driver of all time.

Fangio was able to earn his titles with four different teams. This is an achievement which is yet to be replicated even in the 21^st century. Throughout his career, Fangio also boasted a total of 24 wins, 35 podiums, and 29 pole positions. He was even said to be the idol of the late, great Ayrton Senna!

Nelson Piquet

Despite starting with a brief career in tennis from the age of 11, Nelson Piquet came to realise that his true passion lay within racing. He started off his career in kart racing when he turned 14 years old, and he eventually took the steps to take his career to the next level. This came after he had returned to Brazil and became a national karting champion in 1971 and 1972.

Further down the line, Piquet made his F1 debut in Germany in 1979. From that point, he was able to go on to earn 3 championships in 1981, 1983, 1987. This saw Piquet earn a total of 23 wins in his career, alongside 60 podium finishes and 24 pole positions. Due to his achievements, Piquet is regarded by many as one of the best drivers to have ever graced the circuit.

In more recent years, Piquet has gone on to manage various businesses, as well as two of his sons Nelson Piquet Jr. and Pedro Piquet, who decided to follow in their father’s footsteps and enter the world of professional racing.

Lewis Hamilton

Ever since he was a young boy, Lewis Hamilton has had a deep passion for racing. He began his career in karting, and after making a name for himself he soon caught the attention of Ron Dennis, founder of the McLaren Group. This was after Hamilton was signed up to the McLaren young driver support programme.

After he climbed up the racing ladder, Hamilton made his debut within Formula One with McLaren in 2007. Ever since then, his career has gone from strength to strength. Just one year on from his debut, he was able to storm to his first Driver’s Championship title in the 2008 F1 season. After a few years of finishing either fourth or fifth in the driver standings, Hamilton stormed to the title a further three times.

Fast forward to the present day, Hamilton won his most recent Driver’s Championship in Mexico City back in October 2018, taking his total number of championships to five – equalling Juan Manuel Fangio’s record. At the time of writing, Lewis Hamilton has a total of 71 wins under his belt, along with 81 pole positions and 132 podium finishes.

Ayrton Senna

Legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna is an F1 driver which true racing fans will never forget. Thanks to his achievements on the F1 circuit, Senna was highly regarded to be one of the best drivers amongst the F1 racing elite. With 162 entries in total, he was able to win 3 championships in 1988, 1990, and 1991. He won 41 races throughout his career and finished on the podium 80 times.

At the age of 34, Senna unfortunately passed away after he was involved in a serious crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Roland Ratzenberger had also lost his life in qualifying the day previous. However, the race still went ahead as normal. The impact from the crash was so severe that Senna was killed instantly, and this led to a review of safety within the sport.

Michael Schumacher

Without a doubt the most decorated driver the sport of F1 has ever seen, Michael Schumacher’s achievements on the circuit are truly outstanding. After all, he was able to storm to a total of seven Driver’s Championship titles including an impressive run of five consistent championship wins between 2000 and 2004.

Throughout his Formula One career, Michael Schumacher was able to claim victory on 91 occasions, and finished on the podium a total of 155 times. The German racer made the decision to retire at the end of the 2006 season. In spite of this, he made a comeback in 2010 with Mercedes for a period of two years. However, Schumacher failed to replicate the success he had enjoyed in previous years, and didn’t win a single race in 58 appearances.

In 2013, Schumacher was unfortunately involved in a serious accident whilst out skiing in the French Alps. It has been reported that he was paralysed as a result of the accident. However, Schumacher’s family are understandably keeping his situation private and away from the public eye as they help him to recover.

Final Thoughts

Well, that concludes our Top 10 Best F1 drivers of all time list, folks! Each of the names we’ve mentioned deserve a spot thanks to their tremendous achievements on the circuit. With Schumacher, Senna, and more having earned themselves a lasting legacy, Vettel and Hamilton continue to make history as they go head to head in the race for the 2018 Formula One title. Do you think we have missed any one off the list? If so, let us know on Facebook or in the comments below!

You can keep an eye out for the remainder of our 2018 Grand Prix preview blogs to keep up to date with all of the action on the F1 circuit. Or, alternatively, you could head straight to your nearest circuit and get in touch with your budding professional racer. We have almost 90 circuits throughout the UK and Ireland to choose from. So, you’ll never be too far away from getting your fix of awesome racing action! Click the following link to discover your nearest venue.

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This 500 metre outdoor circuit is known as one of best tracks in Norfolk, guaranteed to provide you with a pure adrenaline rush! What’s more, you’ll be getting behind state of the art karts capable of reaching speeds up to 45mph, providing you with the most authentic racing experience possible.

With an abundance of tight bends, chicanes and straights, this really is a track which will test even the most competent driver’s capabilities. But don’t worry if you’re a beginner, full tuition and all the equipment that you need to take part is included. So, if you think you can handle the ultimate racing experience, then come on down to our circuit, where you can prove you have what it takes to reach the winner’s podium!

Cromer karting is the perfect venue for birthday parties, stag dos, hen dos and – as it’s getting to that time of the year – Christmas parties! There, we said it! But don’t just take our word for it, take a look at this recent review:

“myself and my two 10 year old children thoroughly enjoyed it. We can’t wait to go again, the staff were fantastic in every way!”
Danny – 21^st Oct 2018

If you’re a true racing fan, you’ll certainly love our Cromer venue. So, now you’ve read about our award-winning track, there’s only one thing left to do, head on over to our website where you can find out more information and book your experience.

Despite the race for the Driver’s Championship being over for this year, there are still two more races left on the F1 calendar! With Abu Dhabi hosting the final race of the reason on 25^th November, our attention turns to South America, as it’s Brazil’s turn to host the penultimate event. So, as usual, read on as Karting Nation will give you all you need to know about the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix.

What Time Does The 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix Start?

F1 fans of the UK will be pleased to hear that the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix will start at 13:00 GMT on Sunday 11th November, so if you’re looking forward to a Sunday morning lie in, you can certainly do just that – guilt free!

But of course that’s not all of the racing action over the course of the weekend! You can catch the all-important qualifying race which takes place on Saturday 10th November at 17:00 GMT. You’ll even be able to catch the practice rounds which begin on Friday 9^th November at 13:00 GMT, with practice 2 starting at 17:00 GMT later that day and finally, practice 3 begins at 14:00 GMT on Saturday 10th November.

History of the Brazilian Grand Prix

There have been a number of legendary Brazilian F1 drivers over the years, so it’s not surprising that the Brazilian Grand Prix has a rich and deep history, with the first race taking place in 1972. Since then, the race has been featured every year up until today, as the 2018 edition marks the 47^th Brazilian Grand Prix.

Throughout it’s 46 year history, the Brazilian Grand Prix has been held at two different sites – Interlagos in São Paulo and Jacarepaguá in Rio de Janeiro. Having started off at Interlagos in 1972, the initial track for the Brazilian Grand Prix was located in the heart of the favelas of São Paulo, and organisers were put off by this fact – it would go on to damage the glamorous image that the sport was attempting to promote. The circuit was also rather rough and bumpy, and this took its toll on both the cars and the drivers. The event was subsequently moved to the more glamorous city of Rio de Janeiro in 1978. However, this was again seen to be problematic. A number of drivers suffered exhaustion due to the heat in Rio – something which is uncommon in F1. The Jacarepaguá track in Rio was historic nonetheless, as it witnessed a young Ayrton Senna mount an unbelievable comeback in his McLaren to second place from the pit-lane back in 1988. The Rio track also saw French legend Alain Prost win four times on this circuit, being dubbed the ‘King of Rio’.

1990 saw the event return to a much improved Interlagos track, which has a total length of 306km (190 mi) and a total of 71 laps overall. The notoriously hard track features many difficult left-then-right turns at different angles, radius’, lengths, inclinations and shapes. Alain Prost tops the repeat winners statistics, with a total of six wins overall. Behind him with four wins each are Argentina’s Carlos Reutemann and Germany’s Michael Schumacher. The only current racer to have won this event repeatedly is Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel with three wins – can he make it four this weekend?

Who Won The 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix?

One of of Sebastian Vettel’s Brazilian Grand Prix wins was in fact last year. The German driver came from second on the grid with a time of 1:31:26.262 to beat Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas (+2.762) to top spot on the podium at Interlagos. Fellow countryman Kimi Räikkönen managed to get onto the podium in third place with a time of +4.600.

Lewis Hamilton had an incredible drive at the 2017 Brazilian Grand Prix. Starting from the pit lane – due to failing to set a time in the qualifying rounds, as well as changing gearbox and power unit – he managed to finish the race in fourth position, narrowly missing out on the podium. It wasn’t to matter, though, as he’d already won the Driver’s Championship by this point.

Who Is Likely To Win The 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix?

From the current crop of drivers, it’s Sebastian Vettel who has won this event – three times. Statistics show that he is most likely to win it again this year. However, it’s best not to rule out current world champion Lewis Hamilton or Ferrari’s Kimi Räikkönen, who is having somewhat of a resurgence so far this season.

McLaren are the team to have had the most wins at the Brazilian Grand Prix over the years, with a total amount of 12 overall, however it is unlikely to see them even make the winners podium, due to their poor recent form as of late. Behind them, with 11 wins, is Ferrari – will they equal McLaren’s record here in Brazil?

Final Thoughts

Now that you’ve found out everything you need to know about the Brazilian Grand Prix, all that’s left is to tune into the action from this Friday, 9th November. As we always say here at Karting Nation, it’s sure to be an eventful race, and we can’t wait for the action on the circuit to commence! Be sure to catch the main event this Sunday at 13:00 GMT, and keep an eye out for our preview of the final race of the season, the 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, which is due to take place on 25th November.

Book the Christmas party to end all Christmas parties at one of our Karting Nation tracks! We are the UK’s largest karting provider, as we have over 80 circuits for you to choose from – you won’t be far from one of our leading tracks, that’s for sure.

Besides from the convenience, we have been around for 21 years, so it’s safe to say that we know what we’re doing. But don’t just take our word for it, you can read our customer reviews here. With more than 80 indoor and outdoor tracks to choose from your colleagues will find the perfect circuit to push their racing skills to the limit! They’ll also be able to choose from an incredible range of experiences too. So whether they’re ready to smash their personal best, or compete for a place on the podium, they’ll be seriously spoilt for choice.

Do something different with your colleagues this year and choose Karting Nation to blow off some festive steam! You can search for your closest track here or alternatively, you can speak to one of our dedicated sales advisers on 0800 078 9506.