1987 Brazilian Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Country = Brazil
Grand Prix = Brazilian
Official name = 16o

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Date = April 12
Year = 1987
Race_No = 1
Season_No = 16
Location = Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 3.126
Course_km = 5.031
Distance_laps = 61
Distance_mi = 190.70
Distance_km = 306.891
Weather = Sunny
Pole_Driver = Nigel Mansell
Pole_Team = Williams-Honda
Pole_Time = 1:26.128
Pole_Country = UK
Fast_Driver = Nelson Piquet
Fast_Team = Williams-Honda
Fast_Time = 1:33.861
Fast_L

Fast_Country = Brazil
First_Driver = Alain Prost
First_Team = McLaren-TAG
First_Country = France
Second_Driver = Nelson Piquet
Second_Team = Williams-Honda
Second_Country = Brazil
Third_Driver = Stefan Johansson
Third_Team = McLaren-TAG
Third_Country = Sweden

The 1987 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on April 12, 1987 at the Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet, Rio de Janeiro. It was the 1st race of the 1987 Formula One season.

Race summary

Qualifings were dominated by the Honda powered Williams, with Nigel Mansell ahead of Nelson Piquet. Third was Ayrton Senna, with Lotus.
The total number of cars entered for the event was 23, but on race day the March team ran out of engines and there were only 22 entrants. At the start Piquet was fastest, taking the lead from Senna, while Mansell made a bad start; the Benettons of Thierry Boutsen and Teo Fabi outdragged him and Alain Prost. Piquet's lead did not last long: on lap 7, he had to pit with engine overheating caused by litter on the track getting into the radiator sidepods. He rejoined back in 11th position, leaving Senna to lead Mansell (who in the meantime fought back to second) although he too entered in the pits to have his radiators cleared. He rejoined behind Piquet, and the pair began to climb through the field.

Then, Senna pitted because of handling troubles of his Lotus and so Prost went into the lead. When he stopped for fresh tires the lead was briefly passed to Thierry Boutsen, who was performing admirably with his Benetton, 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 and Piquet had three.

Mansell's race was compromised late in the race by a tyre puncture, who sent him back to seventh place. On lap 51 Senna suffered an engine failure, causing him to retire from the 2nd place he held for much of the race despite problems with the Lotus' active suspensions.Prost won ahead of Piquet, his teammate Stefan Johansson, Gerhard Berger (who battled for the whole race with handling problems of his Ferrari), Boutsen and Mansell, who caught the last point.

Classification

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

Notes

* This was Prost's 26th victory, which made him the second most successful Grand Prix driver at the time, after Jackie Stewart.
* Adrián Campos was disqualified for an incorrect starting procedure.

References

* "Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from cite web |title=The Official Formula 1 website |url=http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1987/279/ |accessdate=2007-07-08

F1 race report
Name_of_race = Brazilian Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1987
Previous_race_in_season = 1986 Australian Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1987 San Marino Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1986 Brazilian Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix