1986 Australian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Alain Prost won a dramatic 1986 Australian Grand Prix to retain the World Championship. Nigel Mansell’s tyre failure transformed the title decider, and Alain Prost held off Nelson Piquet to become Formula 1’s first back-to-back champion since Jack Brabham.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Pole time	1:18.403
Fastest lap	Nelson Piquet	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:20.787 on lap 82
First	Alain Prost	McLaren
Second	Nelson Piquet	Williams
Third	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
24 October 1986	Practice 1	Morning; start unconfirmed
24 October 1986	Qualifying 1	Start time unconfirmed
25 October 1986	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
25 October 1986	Qualifying 2	Start time unconfirmed
26 October 1986	Warm-up	Morning; start unconfirmed
26 October 1986	Race	Start time unconfirmed

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Nigel Mansell arrived at round 16 leading the 1986 F1 World Championship on 70 points, with Alain Prost on 64. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 135 points.

Nigel Mansell arrived with 70 retained points, Alain Prost with 64 and Nelson Piquet with 63. A third-place finish would guarantee Nigel Mansell the title, while his rivals needed victory and a lower finish for the championship leader. The best-eleven-results rule mattered to the final arithmetic, rather than simply adding every point scored during the season.

Race entries

The regular 26-car field assembled for the finale. Keke Rosberg and Alan Jones were making their final Formula 1 starts, and the race also marked the end of the Haas team’s Grand Prix programme. Renault’s turbo engines were appearing for the last time before the manufacturer’s later return with naturally aspirated power.

Friday Free Practice

Cold, unsettled weather made the opening day very different from the previous year’s Adelaide debut. The title contenders had to establish grip on the street surface while preparing for a race in which tyre life could decide everything. Mechanical problems disrupted several teams, including Haas, where Alan Jones was using a revised Ford engine for his final appearance.

Friday Practice Classification

1986 Australian Grand Prix Practice, 24 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:23.440	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+0.656s	—
3	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+0.903s	—
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+1.400s	—
5	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+1.536s	—
6	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+1.700s	—
7	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+1.776s	—
8	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+2.533s	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+2.573s	—
10	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+2.870s	—
11	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+2.923s	—
12	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+3.406s	—
13	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+3.460s	—
14	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+3.850s	—
15	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+3.926s	—
16	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+3.950s	—
17	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+4.210s	—
18	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+4.230s	—
19	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+4.313s	—
20	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+5.026s	—
21	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+5.933s	—
22	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+6.056s	—
23	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+6.290s	—
24	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+6.636s	—
25	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+40.906s	—
26	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+431.620s	—

Friday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell headed Friday qualifying before a sudden downpour interrupted the session. Patrick Tambay and Stefan Johansson crashed separately across the wet infield and struck a concrete wall, damaging both cars. Additional tyre protection was installed before Saturday running.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1986 Australian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 24 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:19.255	—
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.785	—
3	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:20.088	—
4	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:20.491	—
5	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:21.295	—
6	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:21.302	—
7	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:21.709	—
8	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:22.050	—
9	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:22.260	—
10	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:22.584	—
11	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:22.765	—
12	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:23.262	—
13	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:23.396	—
14	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:23.476	—
15	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:23.552	—
16	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:23.786	—
17	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:24.061	—
18	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:24.509	—
19	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:24.584	—
20	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:24.768	—
21	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:25.296	—
22	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:25.746	—
23	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:25.953	—
24	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:28.912	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	3:03.680	—
26	15	Alan Jones	Lola	24:46.383	—

Saturday Free Practice

Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg were fastest in Saturday morning practice, with Alain Prost’s 1:19.121 quicker than his Friday qualifying lap. McLaren therefore began the day with real encouragement. The grip would not remain consistent, however, and the team struggled to reproduce those morning performances when the grid was settled that afternoon.

Saturday Practice Classification

1986 Australian Grand Prix Practice, 25 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.121	—
2	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+1.343s	—
3	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+1.343s	—
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+1.463s	—
5	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+1.646s	—
6	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+1.863s	—
7	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+2.496s	—
8	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+2.830s	—
9	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+2.976s	—
10	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+3.436s	—
11	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+3.980s	—
12	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+4.030s	—
13	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+4.296s	—
14	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+4.306s	—
15	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+4.373s	—
16	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+4.390s	—
17	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+4.560s	—
18	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+4.570s	—
19	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+4.866s	—
20	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+5.430s	—
21	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+6.133s	—
22	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+6.136s	—
23	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+6.763s	—
24	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+6.880s	—
25	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+7.300s	—
26	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+19.006s	—

Saturday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell improved to 1:18.403 and took pole ahead of Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. McLaren could not recover its morning grip, and oil from Philippe Streiff’s failed engine further disrupted the closing stages. The championship leader had secured the strongest possible starting position.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1986 Australian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 25 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:18.403	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:18.714	—
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:18.906	—
4	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.654	—
5	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:19.976	—
6	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:20.554	—
7	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:20.778	—
8	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:20.981	—
9	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:21.720	—
10	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:21.747	—
11	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:22.012	—
12	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:22.129	—
13	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:22.309	—
14	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:22.664	—
15	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:22.796	—
16	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:23.004	—
17	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:23.008	—
18	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:23.052	—
19	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:23.230	—
20	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:23.313	—
21	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:23.476	—
22	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:24.295	—
23	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:25.181	—
24	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:25.233	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:25.257	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:27.208	—

Combined Qualifying Classification

Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Friday Time	Saturday Time	Best Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:19.255	1:18.403	1:18.403	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:20.088	1:18.714	1:18.714	—
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:21.302	1:18.906	1:18.906	—
4	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.785	1:19.654	1:19.654	—
5	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	1:20.491	1:19.976	1:19.976	—
6	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:22.260	1:20.554	1:20.554	—
7	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:21.295	1:20.778	1:20.778	—
8	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:22.765	1:20.981	1:20.981	—
9	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:21.709	1:21.747	1:21.709	—
10	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:23.262	1:21.720	1:21.720	—
11	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:23.476	1:22.012	1:22.012	—
12	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:22.050	1:22.309	1:22.050	—
13	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:22.584	1:22.129	1:22.129	—
14	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:23.786	1:22.664	1:22.664	—
15	15	Alan Jones	Lola	24:46.383	1:22.796	1:22.796	—
16	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:24.061	1:23.004	1:23.004	—
17	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:24.584	1:23.008	1:23.008	—
18	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:25.953	1:23.052	1:23.052	—
19	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:23.396	1:23.230	1:23.230	—
20	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:23.552	1:23.313	1:23.313	—
21	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:24.509	1:23.476	1:23.476	—
22	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:24.768	1:24.295	1:24.295	—
23	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:25.746	1:25.181	1:25.181	—
24	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:25.296	1:25.233	1:25.233	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	3:03.680	1:25.257	1:25.257	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:28.912	1:27.208	1:27.208	—

Sunday warm-up

Ayrton Senna led the warm-up ahead of Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. The cool conditions encouraged the leading teams to believe a non-stop race was possible, but judging tyre life over the full distance remained uncertain. With three championship contenders preparing for the same decisive afternoon, the final checks carried exceptional weight.

Warm-up Classification

1986 Australian Grand Prix Warm-up, 26 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:22.698	—
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+0.550s	—
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.603s	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+0.993s	—
5	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+1.243s	—
6	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+1.716s	—
7	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+1.783s	—
8	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+2.010s	—
9	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+2.346s	—
10	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+2.460s	—
11	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+2.523s	—
12	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+2.573s	—
13	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+2.660s	—
14	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+3.066s	—
15	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+3.270s	—
16	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+3.423s	—
17	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+3.603s	—
18	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+3.870s	—
19	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+4.280s	—
20	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+4.750s	—
21	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+4.896s	—
22	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+4.990s	—
23	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+5.040s	—
24	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+5.100s	—
25	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+5.483s	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+5.653s	—

What happened in the 1986 Australian Grand Prix?

Nigel Mansell dropped behind Nelson Piquet, Ayrton Senna and Keke Rosberg on the opening lap, but remained in a position to win the title. Keke Rosberg took the lead and pulled away in his final Grand Prix. Alain Prost suffered a puncture and pitted, then worked back into contention as Nelson Piquet recovered from a spin.

Keke Rosberg retired with a tyre failure, and Nigel Mansell’s left-rear tyre then exploded on the Brabham Straight. He controlled the damaged Williams and stopped safely, but his championship hopes were out of his hands. Williams called Nelson Piquet in for precautionary tyres, handing Alain Prost the lead.

Nelson Piquet chased hard, but Alain Prost won by 4.205 seconds and secured his second title. Stefan Johansson finished third, ahead of Martin Brundle, Philippe Streiff and Johnny Dumfries. Alain Prost stopped shortly beyond the finish with almost no fuel remaining, bringing an extraordinary championship to its conclusion.

After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 72 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 70. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 141, with McLaren – TAG on 96.

1986 Australian Grand Prix race results

The 1986 Australian Grand Prix was held on 26 October 1986.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	82	1:54:20.388	9
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	82	+4.205	6
3	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	81	+1 lap	4
4	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	81	+1 lap	3
5	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	80	Out of fuel	2
6	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	80	+2 laps	1
7	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	79	+3 laps	0
8	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	79	+3 laps	0
9	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	77	+5 laps	0
10	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	77	+5 laps	0
NC	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	70	+12 laps	0
Ret	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	63	Tyre	0
Ret	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	63	Electrical	0
Ret	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	62	Tyre	0
NC	22	Allen Berg	Osella	61	+21 laps	0
Ret	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	57	Brakes	0
Ret	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	52	Engine	0
Ret	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	50	Engine	0
Ret	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	43	Engine	0
Ret	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	40	Mechanical	0
Ret	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	40	Engine	0
Ret	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	29	Suspension	0
Ret	15	Alan Jones	Lola	16	Engine	0
Ret	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	10	Accident	0
Ret	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2	Transmission	0
Ret	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari		Collision	0

1986 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	82	1:20.787
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	69	1:20.979
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	58	1:21.194
4	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	62	1:21.900
5	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	74	1:22.136
6	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	69	1:22.464
7	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	63	1:22.681
8	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	63	1:22.950
9	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	68	1:22.955
10	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	55	1:23.095
11	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	40	1:23.695
12	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	68	1:23.866
13	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	6	1:24.149
14	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	42	1:24.182
15	15	Alan Jones	Lola	15	1:24.585
16	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	29	1:24.807
17	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	48	1:25.351
18	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	50	1:25.635
19	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	78	1:25.798
20	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	47	1:25.895
21	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	29	1:26.479
22	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	27	1:26.591
23	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	9	1:27.821
24	22	Allen Berg	Osella	26	1:33.172
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2	1:34.172

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1986 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1986 Australian Grand Prix.

1986 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Alain Prost	French	McLaren	72
2	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	70
3	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Williams	69
4	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Lotus	55
5	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	Ferrari	23
6	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	McLaren	22
7	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Benetton	17
8	Jacques Laffite	French	Ligier	14
9	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Ferrari	14
10	René Arnoux	French	Ligier	14
11	Martin Brundle	British	Tyrrell	8
12	Alan Jones	Australian	Lola	4
13	Johnny Dumfries	British	Lotus	3
14	Philippe Streiff	French	Tyrrell	3
15	Patrick Tambay	French	Lola	2
16	Teo Fabi	Italian	Benetton	2
17	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	2
18	Christian Danner	German	Osella / Arrows	1
19	Philippe Alliot	French	Ligier	1
–	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Arrows	0
–	Derek Warwick	British	Brabham	0
–	Jonathan Palmer	British	Zakspeed	0
–	Huub Rothengatter	Dutch	Zakspeed	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Elio de Angelis	Italian	Brabham	0
–	Marc Surer	Swiss	Arrows	0
–	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Italian	Osella	0
–	Allen Berg	Canadian	Osella	0
–	Alessandro Nannini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Alex Caffi	Italian	Osella	0
–	Ivan Capelli	Italian	AGS	0
–	Eddie Cheever	American	Lola	0

1986 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams – Honda	141
2	McLaren – TAG	96
3	Lotus – Renault	58
4	Ferrari	37
5	Ligier – Renault	29
6	Benetton – BMW	19
7	Tyrrell – Renault	11
8	Lola – Ford	6
9	Brabham – BMW	2
10	Arrows – BMW	1
—	Zakspeed	0
—	Minardi – Motori Moderni	0
—	Lola – Hart	0
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	0
—	AGS – Motori Moderni	0

Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.

1986 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1986 Brazilian Grand Prix	Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro	23 March
2	1986 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera	13 April
3	1986 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola	27 April
4	1986 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	11 May
5	1986 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	25 May
6	1986 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	15 June
7	1986 Detroit Grand Prix	Detroit Street Circuit, Detroit, Michigan	22 June
8	1986 French Grand Prix	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet	6 July
9	1986 British Grand Prix	Brands Hatch, West Kingsdown	13 July
10	1986 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	27 July
11	1986 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	10 August
12	1986 Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring, Spielberg	17 August
13	1986 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	7 September
14	1986 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	21 September
15	1986 Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City	12 October
16	1986 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	26 October