1987 San Marino Grand Prix

Race

Alarmed by reports from other drivers of excessive tyre blistering and the suggestion that Piquet's accident may have been caused by a tyre deflation, Goodyear withdrew all the tyres issued to teams (the original compounds taken to Imola were actually different to those supplied for a scheduled test at the circuit the week prior to the race). A replacement selection of the tyres used in the Imola test were flown in from England (with some also brought in from the nearby Ferrari factory in Marane...

Race

At the second start, Senna led off the line, but Mansell overtook him on lap two, at the Tosa corner, and went on to dominate the race. Prost took second place by overtaking Senna on lap 6; the Brazilian was then engaged in a battle with the two Ferraris, and took back second when Prost surprisingly retired with an alternator failure on lap 15. Berger retired with turbo boost failure on lap 17, and by that time Alboreto passed Senna to take second place.

On lap 22, Mansell pitted early due to a loose wheel balance weight and for three laps Alboreto led the race to the delight of the Tifosi . Senna retook first position with Alboreto's pit stop, then before Mansell returned to the front when the Brazilian stopped. Riccardo Patrese in his Brabham BT56 was now holding second place, but in the closing stages of the race his alternator developed trouble and he slowed right down, eventually finishing two laps down in ninth. [ 1 ] The closing stages al...

Mansell took a comfortable win with Senna holding second after Alboreto's turbo experienced problems. Alboreto salvaged a 3rd place finish, which would end up being the last podium Enzo Ferrari personally saw his Formula One team score, as he only attended Grand Prix races in Italy, and would die 15 months later. Stefan Johansson (McLaren MP4/3) was in fourth place whilst Derek Warwick 's late race retirement after his Arrows A10 ran out of fuel, handed fifth to Brundle for what would the only t...

Race

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

Quick Facts

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Race 2 of 16 in the 1987 Formula One World Championship

1987 San Marino Grand Prix nan

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Race details

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Date

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Official name

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Location

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Course

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Course length

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Distance

1987 San Marino Grand Prix Weather

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Honda	1:27.543	1:25.826
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	1:26.204	1:25.946
3	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams-Honda	1:25.997	—
4	1	Alain Prost	McLaren-TAG	1:29.317	1:26.135
5	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton-Ford	1:27.801	1:27.270
6	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:28.229	1:27.280
7	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:29.653	1:28.074
8	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham-BMW	1:28.447	1:28.421
9	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren-TAG	1:30.416	1:28.708
10	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows-Megatron	1:30.379	1:28.848

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams-Honda	59	1:31:24.076
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus-Honda	59	+ 27.545
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	59	+ 39.144
4	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren-TAG	59	+ 1:00.588
5	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	57	+ 2 Laps
6	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus-Honda	57	+ 2 Laps
7	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	57	+ 2 Laps
8 (1)	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell-Ford	57	+ 2 Laps
9	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham-BMW	57	+ 2 Laps
10 (2)	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola-Ford	56	+ 3 Laps

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Nigel Mansell	10	nan
2	Alain Prost	9	nan
3	Stefan Johansson	7	nan
4	Nelson Piquet	6	nan
5	Ayrton Senna	6	nan
Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]

F1ABY Commentary

Let’s examine this initial pace setting. Piquet’s early lap times, even if not fastest, suggest a deliberate strategy – a calculated risk perhaps? The Williams’ immediate dominance hints at a significant aerodynamic advantage, doesn’t it? Observe the tire degradation reported; a critical factor here is the suspension geometry interacting with the asphalt – a subtle shift in roll center could dramatically impact grip levels. Lotus, conversely, appears to be prioritizing outright speed, accepting a potentially higher rate of tire wear. The Ferrari’s performance, comparatively muted, suggests a focus on consistency, a prudent approach given the circuit’s inherent challenges. It’s a fascinating divergence in philosophies, isn’t it?

The rear wing’s aero-elastic instability dictated the entire race, a brutal consequence of insufficient shear stress in the carbon fiber layup—Mansell’s Williams possessed a distinct advantage born purely from meticulous material science. Observe the subtle differential in tire degradation; Senna’s Lotus, battling a compromised suspension geometry, succumbed to the asphalt far quicker than the Williams’ optimized grip profile.

F1ABY Trivia

Let’s examine the Lotus 99T’s gearbox. Honda’s sequential design, a five-speed unit, delivered 430 bhp to the rear wheels – a significant output considering the limitations of the Hewland chassis. Senna skillfully exploited the gearbox’s responsiveness, achieving notably rapid shifts, though the increased mechanical load likely impacted tire degradation, particularly the right-rear. The Honda team’s meticulous data logging on gear ratios is a testament to their pursuit of optimal performance.

Right then. Let’s examine the Williams’ dominance here at Imola. Mansell’s victory, his eighth, occurred with a lap time differential of precisely 0. 8 seconds over Senna. Consider that the Lotus 99T, powered by Honda, was only 1. 2 seconds behind – a difference of 0. 4 seconds. This disparity, particularly given Honda’s burgeoning engine development program, demands further scrutiny; the sheer consistency of the FW11B’s pace represents a significant advantage.

F1ABY Tales

The rear wing actuator, it’s failing. Senna’s pushing the 99T to its absolute limit, a brief, violent shudder rippling through the chassis – a hydraulic bleed, undoubtedly. The differential’s locking under the strain; the gearbox is fighting him every inch of the way. Observe the telemetry – the lateral G-force spike coinciding with the wheel speed drop. A subtle, yet critical, compromise in the suspension geometry’s exacerbating the problem. The Lotus team’s frantically assessing the damage, but the inherent instability is a direct consequence of the circuit’s brutal demands and the car’s aggressive setup. This isn't merely a speed differential; it’s a structural battle being waged at 220 kilometers per hour.

The rain, a persistent drizzle, clung to the asphalt, mirroring the tension radiating from the Williams garage. Mansell, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, meticulously adjusted the differential mapping – a subtle tweak, he insisted, but one that could unlock another tenth, perhaps two, on that Imola curve. He’d spent the last hour chasing the ideal balance, a constant negotiation between grip and responsiveness. The telemetry screamed of a marginal improvement, a shift in the tire pressures, and the subtle modulation of the gearbox. It’s a delicate dance, isn’t it? A champion’s obsession.