Sixteen races, a bitter fight between Williams teammates, a return to Suzuka and a title settled after Mansell's back injury.
Piquet's third and final drivers' title came in 1987, and Williams-Honda claimed the constructors' crown for the second year running. Nigel Mansell's six wins were not enough, because a back injury in Japanese qualifying removed him from the fight.
This was the 41st Formula One season, and it ran sixteen Grands Prix from April into November. Nelson Piquet claimed the drivers' crown for a third and final time, while Williams-Honda took the constructors' title for a second year running. His main rival was his own teammate, Nigel Mansell, who won six races but lost his chance when he injured his back in qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix.
What did the grid look like in 1987?
Renault was missing as an engine supplier for the first time since 1976, which left several customers searching for alternatives. Lotus bought one-year-old Honda engines, and Tyrrell signed up for Ford-Cosworth V8s ahead of the turbo ban due in 1989.
Goodyear became the only tyre supplier after Pirelli left at the end of 1986. It was the first season since 1963 with a single supplier, so every team ran the same brand.
Ligier's planned Alfa Romeo engine fell through after Rene Arnoux criticised it. The team turned to BMW-based Megatron units supplied through Arrows' Jackie Oliver, and Benetton signed for Ford-Cosworth V6 turbos.
McLaren lost John Barnard to Ferrari and gained Gordon Murray, while Arrows brought in Ross Brawn as Technical Director and Chief Designer. AGS switched to Cosworth naturally aspirated V8s.
Scuderia Coloni entered the Italian and Spanish Grands Prix, and Osella ran race by race, asking drivers for sponsorship. Jonathan Palmer moved to Tyrrell and Martin Brundle to Zakspeed. Satoru Nakajima made his debut for Lotus alongside Ayrton Senna, and Stefan Johansson moved into a McLaren seat after Keke Rosberg retired.
Moreno replaced Pascal Fabre at AGS with two races left, while Tarquini and Dalmas made their debuts during the season.
A title settled by consistency, with a teammate's back injury deciding the outcome in Japan.
What rule changes shaped the 1987 season?
The FIA had already announced that turbo engines would be outlawed from 1989. To make the early switch to naturally aspirated power attractive, the displacement limit rose from 3.0 litres to 3.5 litres, and the move was meant to ease the transition for teams.
Turbo cars were restricted to 195 L (52 US gal) of fuel, while naturally aspirated teams could use unlimited fuel in a race. That gap gave the two engine types very different race plans.
Boost was capped at 4.0 bar (58 psi), with valves that popped off above that pressure. The turbo cars lost about 300 bhp (220 kW), although development in aerodynamics and tyres largely made up the difference.
Super-soft qualifying tyres were banned, which ended the practice of searching for a clear lap on tyres good for two flying laps at best.
How did the early races go?
Brazil opened the season with Prost leading from the pit stops and winning ahead of Piquet. Piquet had pitted early after picking up paper in his radiators. Senna retired with an engine failure, and Mansell made a bad start and finished sixth after a puncture.
At San Marino Piquet crashed at Tamburello in qualifying after a tyre failure, and Goodyear flew in new tyres overnight. Senna took pole, but Mansell led from the second lap at Tosa and won just under half a minute clear of Senna.
Prost's race ended on lap 15 with an alternator failure, leaving Mansell and Senna to fight over the top two spots.
Belgium was a messy race. Mansell and Senna collided halfway around the first lap, and Streiff and Palmer crashed at Raidillon, forcing a restart. Piquet led until an engine failure after 10 laps.
Mansell retired on lap 17 and then confronted Senna in the Lotus pits, and the two had to be separated. Prost moved into the lead after Piquet's retirement.
What happened at Monaco, Detroit and France?
Mansell took pole at Monaco, with Senna second and Piquet third, and Honda-powered machinery filled the top of the order, as it had for much of the year.A field of 26 cars started there for the first time, which raised safety worries among the drivers.
Mansell slowed on lap 30 after losing boost pressure, and Senna went on to win. Prost's engine failed, and Alboreto finished third in the second Ferrari.
Detroit was the only North American round after the Canadian Grand Prix was cancelled. Mansell took pole there, but Senna won easily, with Piquet second and Prost third.
The Detroit weekend was widely regarded as the toughest of the year, because of its tight and bumpy streets lined with concrete walls.
France went Mansell's way after Prost qualified second to him. Piquet ran wide on lap 46, letting Mansell through, and later stalled in the pit lane and lost just under 10 seconds.
How tight was the title race by midseason?
Going into Germany, Senna led on 31 points, with Piquet and Mansell tied on 30 and Prost fourth on 26. The gap between the top three was small, and the points table reflected how close the battle had become. The Hungarian race that followed changed the picture again.
Germany was won by Piquet, with Johansson second and Senna third. Mansell's engine failed on lap 25, and Prost retired with four laps to go after an alternator belt broke.
Only six of the 26 starters finished, the fewest since the 1984 Detroit Grand Prix. The turbo cars made roughly 950 hp in race trim, and most failures came from engines or turbos.
Britain came next. Piquet took pole by under a tenth of a second from Mansell, and Mansell got past him at Stowe on lap 63 of 65. Mansell then ran out of fuel on the slowing-down lap.
What decided the Hungarian and Austrian rounds?
Hungary brought Senna's news that he would leave Lotus for McLaren in 1988, and Piquet moved to Lotus instead. Berger retired after 13 laps with differential failure, and Piquet won the race, giving him a seven-point lead over Senna. Piquet had overtaken Alboreto on lap 29 on the way to the win.
Mansell and Prost were 11 points behind Senna after the race. Mansell's car had lost a right rear wheel nut on lap 71 of 76, forcing him to retire.
Austria's pole went to Piquet at an average of 255 km/h (159 mph). Mansell had a wisdom tooth removed before practice, which affected his qualifying, and Johansson had hit a deer in practice and cracked a rib.
The race was stopped twice after accidents on the narrow pit straight, which had long been a safety concern. Mansell took the lead on lap 21 and kept it to the flag. It was the final Austrian race for a decade.
Who won at Monza and Estoril?
Piquet took pole at Monza using the active-suspension Williams, while Mansell stayed with a conventional car. Honda's decision made the Williams pairing even more tense. Mansell missed a gearchange at the start, and he collided with Berger on the second lap.
Piquet took the lead, and Senna went off at the Parabolica on lap 43 and could not recover. Piquet won, Mansell finished third and Berger fourth.
Honda decided to supply McLaren instead of Williams in 1988, which raised questions about how the two Williams drivers would be treated. The Honda men insisted it made no difference, though few accepted that.
At Estoril Berger took pole for Ferrari, but Prost gradually closed on him. Berger spun on lap 68 of 70, and Prost won his 28th Grand Prix, beating Jackie Stewart's record of 27 victories.
How did Spain and Mexico affect the title race?
At Jerez Piquet started on pole in the active car, and Mansell was alongside him in the passive car. At the end of lap one Mansell dived ahead, and he went on to win after Senna's no-stop strategy failed.
Mexico City was held at high altitude on a bumpy surface. Mansell took pole with Berger second, but Piquet and Prost tangled at the first corner. A string of accidents hit the field, and Warwick crashed after Nakajima ran into him, which brought out a red flag.
The restart was decided on aggregate, and Piquet finished ahead of Patrese on that basis. The result kept Piquet's advantage intact with the title in view.
How did the title race finish?
| Checkpoint | Leader | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Going into Germany | Senna | 31 points, with Piquet and Mansell on 30 and Prost on 26 |
| After Hungary | Piquet | Seven points ahead of Senna; Mansell and Prost 11 behind Senna |
| With three races to go | Piquet | 18 points ahead |
| Before Japan | Piquet | 12 points ahead of Mansell |
| End of season | Piquet | Champion for the third time |
Before Japan, Piquet was 12 points ahead of Mansell. Mansell needed two wins in the remaining races to take the title, and his back injury in qualifying removed that possibility.
How did Japan and Adelaide end the year?
Japan returned to the calendar after 10 years, racing at Suzuka on 1 November. Mansell injured his back in qualifying and was not allowed to race, so he flew back to Europe that evening. That was his last real chance to change the table.
Berger took pole and won, ending a wait for Ferrari that dated back to the 1985 German race. Piquet's car failed with an engine problem in the closing laps.
The season finale was in Adelaide, where Patrese drove for Williams and Modena made his Brabham debut. Berger was on pole and led from flag to flag.
Senna was disqualified for a weight infringement in his final race for Lotus.
What was the legacy of the 1987 season?
Piquet's three titles were built on consistency, while Mansell had six wins, the most of any driver that year, but lost the chance in Japan. Honda's decision to supply McLaren in 1988 had already reshaped the team picture, and Piquet's third title was his last.
Prost's 28th victory in Portugal was a record at the time, later passed by Schumacher with 52 wins. Senna joined Prost at McLaren in 1988, while Piquet moved to Lotus.
