Two drivers are likely to receive more attention than most in this weekend’s Rolex 6 Hours of São Paulo (12-13 July), as Augusto Farfus and Eduardo Barrichello prepare to do battle on home soil in the FIA World Endurance Championship – with both targeting a champagne celebration.
Hailing from Curitiba in the south of Brazil, The Bend Team WRT’s Farfus has endured a frustrating run since reaching the rostrum in the 2025 curtain-raising contest in Qatar in February, failing to trouble the scorers in any of the subsequent three races alongside team-mates Timur Boguslavskiy and Yasser Shahin.
After lining up sixth on the grid at Interlagos last summer, the #31 BMW M4 LMGT3 could ultimately finish no better than tenth, three laps behind the class-winner. Farfus is hopeful of a significantly stronger performance 12 months on.
“I’m so pleased to be going back to Interlagos to race in front of my home crowd,” enthused the long-time BMW M works driver. “Competing in my home country is incredible. I don’t race in Brazil very often, so having all the fans watching and cheering for me means a lot and I know the organisational team has put in a massive effort to produce another great event.
“Last year, we had a very difficult São Paulo, so we clearly need to improve upon that. I think we know what did not go well, though, and this year, with the new asphalt that has been laid down and the EVO package on the car, I’m confident we can put on a better show and walk away with a smile on our face. Let’s try to turn things around for the rest of the year!”
Compared to seasoned veteran Farfus, countryman Barrichello is in the infancy of his career, having only made his FIA WEC debut in 2025 following a successful stint in Brazil’s Stock Car Pro Series.
Despite his limited experience on the international stage, the son of two-time Formula 1 World Championship runner-up Rubens Barrichello has impressed in Racing Spirit of Léman’s Aston Martin Vantage AMR LMGT3 – and he is bidding to do so again this weekend.
“Racing at home is going to be super-special,” acknowledged the 23-year-old, who was born in São Paulo and is affectionately nicknamed ‘Dudu’ within the paddock. “I’ll have my family here, my girlfriend and my friends – and, of course, the Brazilian crowd. I’ll be able to sleep in my own bed, too!
“I’ll be 100 per cent focused, just like every other race week, but this time, I already know the track quite well. I can’t wait to get started and drive the Aston Martin at Interlagos – that’s super-cool and something I could never have dreamt of. I’m super-excited!”
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