1986 Belgian Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Nigel Mansell opened his winning account for 1986 with a determined drive at Spa-Francorchamps. Ayrton Senna finished second and Stefan Johansson third, while Alain Prost recovered from first-corner damage to salvage a point in sixth.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Nelson Piquet	Williams
Pole time	1:54.331
Fastest lap	Alain Prost	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:59.282 on lap 31
First	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Second	Ayrton Senna	Lotus
Third	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari

Weekend Schedule

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

Alain Prost arrived at round 5 leading the 1986 F1 World Championship on 22 points, with Ayrton Senna on 19. McLaren – TAG headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 33 points.

The paddock arrived in Belgium mourning Elio de Angelis, who had died following a testing accident at Paul Ricard. Brabham entered only Riccardo Patrese, and Nigel Mansell would dedicate his victory to his former Lotus team-mate.

Race entries

Brabham’s single-car entry reduced the field to 25. Osella brought a new car for Christian Danner, although he preferred the older version for the race. The new Haas Lola-Ford combination continued its development, with Patrick Tambay showing encouraging speed on Spa’s demanding layout.

Friday Free Practice

Fine weather allowed the teams useful running on a circuit that tested almost every aspect of the cars. The climbs demanded power, while the fast corners exposed weaknesses in balance and traction. Ferrari struggled with understeer despite strong straight-line speed, and Marc Surer lost running to an engine problem in the Arrows.

Friday Qualifying

Gerhard Berger set Friday’s fastest time, 1:54.468, beating Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost. It was an impressive performance from the young Austrian and put Benetton in contention for a first front-row start.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1986 Belgian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 23 May 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:54.468	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:54.637	—
3	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:55.039	—
4	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:55.345	—
5	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:55.776	—
6	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:56.294	—
7	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:56.354	—
8	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:57.269	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:57.440	—
10	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:57.697	—
11	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:57.797	—
12	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:57.918	—
13	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:58.238	—
14	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:58.574	—
15	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:58.619	—
16	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:59.180	—
17	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:59.347	—
18	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	2:00.357	—
19	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	2:00.984	—
20	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	2:01.320	—
21	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	2:01.528	—
22	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	2:02.307	—
23	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2:05.092	—
24	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	2:06.006	—
25	22	Christian Danner	Osella	2:09.465	—

Saturday Free Practice

Benetton’s pace remained a feature as the weekend developed, with Gerhard Berger repeatedly showing that his speed was no isolated lap. Patrick Tambay also made progress with the Lola-Ford, whose chassis looked well suited to Spa’s flowing sections. Reliability remained less reassuring for Ligier, where Jacques Laffite’s gearbox and engine troubles complicated his preparations.

Saturday Qualifying

Nelson Piquet took pole late on Saturday in the spare Williams after an engine failure interrupted his running. His 1:54.331 narrowly displaced Gerhard Berger, whose Friday lap remained good enough for second. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna shared the second row, with Nigel Mansell fifth.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1986 Belgian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 24 May 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:54.331	—
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:54.501	—
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:54.576	—
4	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:54.582	—
5	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:54.765	—
6	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:54.939	—
7	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:55.576	—
8	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:55.662	—
9	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:56.242	—
10	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:56.309	—
11	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:56.496	—
12	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:56.537	—
13	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:57.462	—
14	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:57.612	—
15	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:57.612	—
16	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:57.815	—
17	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:58.603	—
18	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:59.960	—
19	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	2:00.148	—
20	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	2:01.354	—
21	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	2:01.415	—
22	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	2:03.842	—
23	22	Christian Danner	Osella	2:06.219	—
24	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	2:27.817	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	3:38.767	—

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	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:54.637	1:54.331	1:54.331	—
2	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:54.468	1:54.939	1:54.468	—
3	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:55.039	1:54.501	1:54.501	—
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:55.776	1:54.576	1:54.576	—
5	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:55.345	1:54.582	1:54.582	—
6	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:57.440	1:54.765	1:54.765	—
7	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	1:57.269	1:55.576	1:55.576	—
8	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:56.354	1:55.662	1:55.662	—
9	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:56.294	1:56.242	1:56.242	—
10	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:58.574	1:56.309	1:56.309	—
11	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:57.697	1:56.496	1:56.496	—
12	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:57.797	1:56.537	1:56.537	—
13	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:58.619	1:57.462	1:57.462	—
14	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:57.918	1:57.612	1:57.612	—
15	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	2:00.357	1:57.612	1:57.612	—
16	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:59.180	1:57.815	1:57.815	—
17	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	1:58.238	2:27.817	1:58.238	—
18	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:59.347	1:58.603	1:58.603	—
19	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	2:00.984	1:59.960	1:59.960	—
20	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	2:02.307	2:00.148	2:00.148	—
21	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	2:01.320	2:01.415	2:01.320	—
22	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	2:01.528	2:01.354	2:01.354	—
23	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	2:06.006	2:03.842	2:03.842	—
24	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	2:05.092	3:38.767	2:05.092	—
25	22	Christian Danner	Osella	2:09.465	2:06.219	2:06.219	—

Sunday warm-up

Keke Rosberg and Alain Prost were separated by just a hundredth in the warm-up, giving McLaren a strong race-day platform. Williams was close behind, but fuel consumption and tyre strategy would be crucial over the full distance. The clear weather removed one uncertainty; deciding how hard to push without exhausting the fuel allowance remained another.

Warm-up Classification

1986 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 25 May 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:59.590	—
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+0.010s	—
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.463s	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+0.666s	—
5	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+1.133s	—
6	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+1.836s	—
7	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+2.143s	—
8	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+2.153s	—
9	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+2.313s	—
10	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+2.360s	—
11	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+2.560s	—
12	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+3.800s	—
13	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+3.810s	—
14	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+4.600s	—
15	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+5.093s	—
16	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	+5.643s	—
17	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+6.230s	—
18	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+7.673s	—
19	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	+7.890s	—
20	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+8.983s	—
21	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+9.813s	—
22	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+14.586s	—
23	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+14.983s	—
24	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+723.116s	—

What happened in the 1986 Belgian Grand Prix?

Nelson Piquet led away as several cars tangled at La Source. Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost needed repairs, while Patrick Tambay retired with damaged suspension. Nigel Mansell passed Ayrton Senna early on but then spun at the chicane, losing ground without ending his challenge.

Nelson Piquet retired with engine trouble, leaving Ayrton Senna in front. Nigel Mansell recovered strongly and used a swift tyre stop to help move into the lead. Behind them, Stefan Johansson’s fresher tyres eventually carried him ahead of Ferrari team-mate Michele Alboreto.

Nigel Mansell won by almost 20 seconds from Ayrton Senna, with Stefan Johansson third and Michele Alboreto fourth. Jacques Laffite finished fifth, while Alain Prost’s determined recovery brought sixth and fastest lap. Ayrton Senna moved to the top of the drivers’ championship, even as Williams celebrated its second victory of the season.

After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 25 points, followed by Alain Prost on 23. McLaren – TAG led the constructors’ table on 34, with Williams – Honda on 33.

1986 Belgian Grand Prix race results

The 1986 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 25 May 1986.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	43	1:27:57.925	9
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	43	+ 19.827	6
3	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	43	+ 23.592	4
4	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	43	+ 29.634	3
5	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	43	+ 1:10.690	2
6	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	43	+ 2:17.772	1
7	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	42	+ 1 Lap	0
8	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	42	+ 1 Lap	0
9	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	41	+ 2 Laps	0
10	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	41	+ 2 Laps	0
11	15	Alan Jones	Lola	40	Out of Fuel	0
12	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	40	+ 3 Laps	0
13	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	37	+ 6 Laps	0
Ret	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	35	Out of Fuel	0
Ret	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	25	Electrical	0
Ret	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	25	Gearbox	0
Ret	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	24	Gearbox	0
Ret	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	23	Engine	0
Ret	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	16	Turbo	0
Ret	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	7	Electrical	0
Ret	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	7	Spun Off	0
Ret	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	6	Engine	0
Ret	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	3	Engine	0
Ret	22	Christian Danner	Osella	2	Engine	0
Ret	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	0	Accident	0

1986 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	31	1:59.282
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	28	1:59.867
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	40	1:59.879
4	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	34	2:00.221
5	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	20	2:00.751
6	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	32	2:00.828
7	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	25	2:00.877
8	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	23	2:01.204
9	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	30	2:01.241
10	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	22	2:01.555
11	15	Alan Jones	Lola	36	2:01.584
12	26	Jacques Laffite	Ligier	35	2:01.655
13	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	4	2:01.663
14	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	35	2:03.183
15	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	27	2:03.916
16	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	28	2:04.287
17	17	Marc Surer	Arrows	36	2:04.435
18	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	2	2:04.546
19	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	6	2:04.781
20	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	2	2:05.545
21	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	19	2:07.875
22	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	7	2:08.018
23	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	3	2:17.068
24	22	Christian Danner	Osella	2	2:34.035

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 Belgian Grand Prix.

1986 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Lotus	25
2	Alain Prost	French	McLaren	23
3	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	18
4	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Williams	15
5	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	McLaren	11
6	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	Ferrari	7
7	Jacques Laffite	French	Ligier	7
8	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Benetton	6
9	René Arnoux	French	Ligier	5
10	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Ferrari	3
11	Teo Fabi	Italian	Benetton	2
12	Martin Brundle	British	Tyrrell	2
13	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	1
–	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Arrows	0
–	Philippe Streiff	French	Tyrrell	0
–	Patrick Tambay	French	Lola	0
–	Elio de Angelis	Italian	Brabham	0
–	Marc Surer	Swiss	Arrows	0
–	Johnny Dumfries	British	Lotus	0
–	Alan Jones	Australian	Lola	0
–	Jonathan Palmer	British	Zakspeed	0
–	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Italian	Osella	0
–	Christian Danner	German	Osella	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Huub Rothengatter	Dutch	Zakspeed	0
–	Alessandro Nannini	Italian	Minardi	0

1986 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	McLaren – TAG	34
2	Williams – Honda	33
3	Lotus – Renault	25
4	Ligier – Renault	12
5	Ferrari	10
6	Benetton – BMW	8
7	Tyrrell – Renault	2
8	Brabham – BMW	1
—	Arrows – BMW	0
—	Lola – Hart	0
—	Lola – Ford	0
—	Zakspeed	0
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	0
—	Minardi – 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