1987 Brazilian Grand Prix
The Brazilian Grand Prix 1987 was held on 12 April in Rio de Janeiro and was the first race of the Formula 1 season 1987.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
Since Keke Rosberg ended his Formula 1 career at the end of the 1986 season, a place on the side of the reigning world champion Alain Prost at McLaren was free. This was occupied with Stefan Johansson, who had been released from the Scuderia Ferrari in favor of Gerhard Berger. Meanwhile, former Benetton took place at a Thierry Boutsen. The team also took over after the departure of Haas Lola team, the engine contract with Ford -Cosworth. The Japanese engine manufacturer Honda, who had previously equipped with Williams just a team, supplied henceforth also the Team Lotus and allowed the Japanese Satoru Nakajima made his Formula 1 debut at the side of Ayrton Senna. In addition, there was Nakajima with Pascal Fabre at AGS and Adrián Campos at Minardi two other debutants this weekend.
Jonathan Palmer joined by Zakspeed to Tyrrell. Martin Brundle occupied in turn the former cockpit of his compatriot. Christian Danner was taken as the second regular driver of the still single German team under contract. By March a big name returned to Formula 1. The team entered but officially under the name of the main sponsor Leyton House. Came into use a modified Formula 3000 racing car, which was driven by Ivan Capelli.
Renault returns no more engines. BMW also reduced its Formula 1 involvement significantly. With Arrows evolved BMW engines of the previous year came under the name Megatron used. Only Brabham continued to receive factory support by the Bavarian company. In Ligier originally should Alfa Romeo engines are used. Due to contractual problems with the new owner Fiat but this did not materialize. The French team had to give up the first race because the race car for the installation of Megatron engines had to be converted.
Since the performance of turbo engines was further reduced for safety and cost reasons, some teams already attacked back to conventional aspirated engines from Ford -Cosworth. This durten have a displacement of 3500 cubic centimeters.
After the withdrawal of Pirelli Goodyear sole tire supplier for Formula was now on for two years 1
Training
The two Williams drivers Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet qualified with over the fastest competitor by almost two seconds faster lap times superior for the first row in front of Ayrton Senna, Teo Fabi, Alain Prost and Thierry Boutsen.
Race
After several engine failures in training and during the warm-up to the March team were no more spare units available, so only 22 cars started the race.
While Piquet took the lead, Mansell fell to fifth place behind Senna, Fabi and Boutsen. However, until the third round he came back up to third place forward.
In the seventh round Piquet had to pit because paper had caught in the cooling vents his car. Senna came by in the lead. Piquet came in twelfth back on track. Shortly after, the cooling holes of the second Williams FW11B of Mansell on the box had to be cleaned.
Through a pit stop from Senna Prost took over for four rounds, the top position until Piquet through the field had struggled forward again. When he completed his second stop on lap 21, again took over Alain Prost the lead and defended it from now on to the finish. Nelson Piquet was second ahead of Prost's new team mate Stefan Johansson and Gerhard Berger, Thierry Boutsen and Nigel Mansell, the tire damage in the meantime had again thrown back to ninth place.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).