Alfa Romeo F1 Team ORLEN heads to Interlagos for the first event in the final back-to-back of the season, the Brazilian Grand Prix. The race in Sao Paulo will also feature the final Sprint of the year, giving the team an extra chance to score vital points to secure sixth place in the constructors' championship.

There is a lot at stake in Brazil, a lot of points to fight for on a track where important pages of the history of motorsport were written. From Senna's heroics in 1991 to the joy and heartbreak of many title-deciding races - 2007, 2008, 2012 come to mind - Interlagos is an iconic piece of Formula One lore. The adoring fans, the layout that barely changed since the big overhaul of 1990, the unpredictable weather conditions - so much conspires to make this race unique.

This year, Brazil has a special meaning for the team. The big prizes on offer, the drivers' and constructors' crowns, may have been assigned, but the fight for our position is well and truly on. Mexico was a fightback, a great qualifying performance paired by a points finish on Sunday: it's a building block, something to aim for as a starting point for the weekend in Sao Paulo.

The extra opportunity offered by the Sprint race on Saturday is another thing to contend with at a crucial juncture of the season. With two races to go, it's something that upsets the balances: opportunity, sure, if used well - but potential jeopardy to fight against. The team will approach the weekend aware of this, focused on delivering the best possible performance, to build another block on the way to securing sixth place and to stave off attacks from the outside: ready to build on the momentum from Mexico City ahead of the grand finale of Abu Dhabi.

This weekend may be the last occasion the Saturday event takes place this season: but for our team, the final Sprint goes all the way to the floodlights of Yas Marina.

Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "Going back to scoring points in Mexico was a good reward for the job done in the last few weeks, and a chance to increase our gap on our championship rivals; it also gave us further confidence in our updated package ahead of the new race week - the second to last this season. The Brazilian Grand Prix is always an extraordinary experience, from the moment you step into the track: there is so much history and you feel the passion of everyone on the grandstands. It's also a race that can be unpredictable, so we must be ready for everything. Our aim this weekend will be - as usual - to produce the best possible performance and add valuable points to our tally. We must keep building on the good pace we've shown in recent races, properly nail qualifying and line up in good positions on the grid on Sunday. This way, we will give ourselves the best chance to get the job done."

Valtteri Bottas: "As a Formula One driver, the Brazilian Grand Prix is one of those races everyone wants to experience: the fans' passion for the sport is incredible, and to be on the podium is an incredible thing to do. It was good to get back to scoring points in Mexico, especially after the difficult races we had in the second part of the season. I'm getting there in good spirits: I spent the past week in Argentina, exploring wonderful places and immersing myself in South American culture, and I feel rested and ready for the final two races of the season. Our job is not finished, yet: we must keep working on the good pace we have been showing recently, as well as on our execution, to keep up with our performances and get in the mix to bring home more points ahead of the final showdown next week."

Zhou Guanyu: "Some of the most iconic names of our sport come from Brazil, and I am really looking forward to be racing there this weekend, on such hallowed ground. It's another new track for me, even though I got a first taste of it in the simulator in the past weeks, and for this reason I have such high expectations. It was great for the team to get back in the top ten in Mexico, adding important points to our campaign. We know our pace is good, we had proof of it recently, and I'm confident if we keep doing our job well, we'll be able to keep the momentum going. It will also be a sprint race weekend, the final one of the season, so we must make sure to come prepared for that as well, as we have seen in the previous ones in Imola and Austria that anything can really happen."