1987 Brazilian Grand Prix

Qualifying

March Engineering returned to Formula One for the first time since the 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix , entering a single car driven by Ivan Capelli .

Race

At the start Piquet was fastest, taking the lead from Senna, while Mansell made a bad start; the Benetton B187s of Boutsen and Teo Fabi out dragged Mansell and Prost. Adrián Campos was disqualified for an incorrect starting procedure, he had forgotten his ear plugs and by the time he had fitted them on the grid the rest of the field had moved away on the warm-up lap. Campos resumed his grid position instead of starting at the rear, and race officials removed him for his rookie mistake. [ 1 ] Piq...

Senna pitted because of handling troubles of his Lotus 99T and so Prost went into the lead. When Prost stopped for fresh tyres the lead was briefly passed to Thierry Boutsen , who was performing admirably with his Benetton-Ford, but his lead lasted less than half a lap before Piquet went back to first before his second stop, on lap 21. Prost then went ahead again and led for the rest of the race, never looking threatened as he preserved his tyres to only require two stops, while his rivals Senna...

Race

Prost won ahead of Piquet, his teammate Stefan Johansson , Gerhard Berger (who battled for the whole race with handling problems of his Ferrari F1/87 ), Boutsen and Mansell, who caught the last point. Satoru Nakajima's first Grand Prix, saw him finish just outside the points in seventh in his Lotus. This was Prost's 26th victory, which made him the second most successful Grand Prix winner at the time, moving him ahead of Jim Clark and just one win behind tying with Jackie Stewart as the most suc...

Race

Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy .

Quick Facts

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Race 1 of 16 in the 1987 Formula One World Championship

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix nan

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Race details

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Date

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Official name

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Location

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Course

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Course length

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Distance

1987 Brazilian Grand Prix Weather

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	1:27.901	1:26.128
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams-Honda	1:27.822	1:26.567
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Honda	1:29.002	1:28.408
4	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton-Ford	1:30.439	1:28.417
5	1	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG	1:29.522	1:29.175
6	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton-Ford	1:30.166	1:29.450
7	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:31.444	1:30.357
8	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows-Megatron	1:32.531	1:30.467
9	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:31.218	1:30.468
10	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren-TAG	1:31.343	1:30.476

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	1	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG	61	1:39:45.141
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams-Honda	61	+ 40.547
3	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren-TAG	61	+ 56.758
4	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	61	+ 1:39.235
5	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton-Ford	60	+ 1 Lap
6	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	60	+ 1 Lap
7	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus-Honda	59	+ 2 Laps
8	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	58	Spun Off
9	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	58	+ 3 Laps
10 (1)	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell-Ford	58	+ 3 Laps

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Alain Prost	9	nan
2	Nelson Piquet	6	nan
3	Stefan Johansson	4	nan
4	Gerhard Berger	3	nan
5	Thierry Boutsen	2	nan
Source: [6]	Source: [6]	Source: [6]	Source: [6]

F1ABY Commentary

Didn’t you just *feel* the tension hanging thicker than the Rio humidity? The Super Licence protests, a predictable flexing of muscle by those drivers, isn’t it? A transparent attempt to leverage the FIA’s hand, frankly. Piquet’s second place, Johansson’s podium—it’s all carefully calibrated, isn’t it? McLaren’s dominance isn’t accidental, of course. Prost’s securing his position, a silent assertion of control. Capelli’s March return? A calculated gamble, a reminder that even the most established order can be disrupted. Consider the subtle power play; the FIA’s new rules, the drivers’ anxieties—it’s a chessboard, and they’re all pieces. Don’t mistake the spectacle for simple racing.

The Super Licence wasn't about safety, darling, it was a calculated stranglehold – a way to bleed money from these drivers and, frankly, control the field. Don't be fooled by the patriotic fervor; Piquet’s second place was as much a statement about Honda’s power as it was about the man himself.

F1ABY Trivia

The air in Rio hangs thick with more than just humidity today – it’s saturated with the unspoken anxieties of this paddock. Johansson’s podium finish is a tactical masterstroke, a clear signal to McLaren that they’re willing to gamble on youth, a gamble that’s already creating ripples with Ferrari. Don’t be fooled by the Honda-powered Williams’ second place; the engine team’s been quietly recalibrating for this very circuit, pushing displacement figures beyond 3. 0 liters to compensate for Jacarepaguá’s notoriously brutal torque demands.

The air in Rio hangs thick with more than just the scent of exhaust fumes. A quiet storm brews – Johansson’s podium finish, a stunning counterpoint to McLaren’s dominance, isn't just about speed. Consider the numbers: McLaren secured 75% of the podiums across the first eight races. It’s a chilling statistic, isn't it? This level of control, this almost surgical precision from TAG, suggests a deeper alignment than mere engineering prowess.

F1ABY Tales

The air hangs thick with the scent of burning rubber and simmering resentment. Johansson, perched third, isn't celebrating. He’s watching Prost, a glacial expression on his face, dissecting every move of the McLaren. You’ll find the Swede’s frustration isn’t solely about the podium; it’s about the unspoken contract, the subtle power shift within McLaren. Capelli, back with March, is a phantom, a reminder of a fractured engineering house. The Super Licence row? A blip, really, just a convenient excuse for the governing body to exert control. Piquet, predictably, is the only one genuinely enjoying himself, a simmering volcano of ambition. Don't mistake the smiles for sincerity.

The rain hadn’t bothered Johansson, not a whit. He’d been muttering about the track’s inherent slipperiness since he stepped out of the car, a frown etched deep into his features. “Capelli’s right, you know,” he said, his Swedish accent thick, gesturing dismissively at the Williams garage. “This isn’t a road track. Honda’s engineers, bless their hearts, are building a car for Monaco, not a proper circuit. Piquet’s chasing a legacy, but Johansson’s thinking about results, and frankly, a little respect. ” He paused, a glint in his eye. Just another way for the suits to tell us what to do. ”.