1986 Mexican Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Gerhard Berger and Benetton became Grand Prix winners together at the 1986 Mexican Grand Prix. A carefully managed non-stop race on Pirelli tyres beat the championship favourites, with Alain Prost second and Ayrton Senna third as the title contest headed to a final-round showdown.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ayrton Senna	Lotus
Pole time	1:16.990
Fastest lap	Nelson Piquet	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:19.360 on lap 64
First	Gerhard Berger	Benetton
Second	Alain Prost	McLaren
Third	Ayrton Senna	Lotus

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
9 October 1986	Familiarisation testing	Start time unconfirmed
10 October 1986	Practice 1	Morning; start unconfirmed
10 October 1986	Qualifying 1	Start time unconfirmed
11 October 1986	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
11 October 1986	Qualifying 2	Start time unconfirmed
12 October 1986	Warm-up	Morning; start unconfirmed
12 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 15 leading the 1986 F1 World Championship on 70 points, with Nelson Piquet on 60. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 130 points.

Race entries

AGS did not travel beyond Europe, reducing the entry to 26 cars. Mexico returned to the World Championship for the first time since 1970, with a revised circuit layout but the familiar challenge of high altitude. Huub Rothengatter’s later accident would leave only 25 starters.

Thursday familiarisation

Additional running on Thursday gave the teams time to acclimatise to the circuit and Mexico City’s altitude. The thin air affected engines, cooling and aerodynamic performance, while the heavily bumpy surface presented a separate problem for suspension settings and driver confidence.

Friday Free Practice

Friday running exposed how difficult the bumps would be. Ferrari’s cars struggled to stay settled, McLaren had set-up and engine concerns, and Alan Jones lost time to turbo failures. Philippe Alliot also went off, though he was able to continue his weekend. Benetton looked more promising, with Gerhard Berger finding speed despite a car that still required careful handling.

Friday Practice Classification

1986 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 10 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:18.601	—
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+0.180s	—
3	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+0.403s	—
4	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+0.500s	—
5	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.986s	—
6	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+1.250s	—
7	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+1.870s	—
8	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+2.136s	—
9	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+2.146s	—
10	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+2.350s	—
11	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+2.376s	—
12	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+2.606s	—
13	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+2.760s	—
14	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+2.860s	—
15	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+2.883s	—
16	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+3.146s	—
17	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+3.166s	—
18	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+3.410s	—
19	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+3.450s	—
20	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+3.996s	—
21	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+4.213s	—
22	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+4.346s	—
23	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+5.386s	—
24	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+7.320s	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+8.423s	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+10.376s	—

Friday Qualifying

Gerhard Berger was fastest on Friday with 1:17.780, ahead of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. Benetton’s pace suggested that the title contenders might have another rival to contend with.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1986 Mexican Grand Prix first qualifying session, 10 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:17.780	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:18.037	—
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:18.269	—
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:18.367	—
5	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:18.971	—
6	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.294	—
7	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:19.624	—
8	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:19.628	—
9	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:19.713	—
10	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:20.303	—
11	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:20.372	—
12	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:20.479	—
13	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:20.492	—
14	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:20.525	—
15	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:20.946	—
16	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:21.069	—
17	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:21.154	—
18	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:21.171	—
19	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:21.241	—
20	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:21.587	—
21	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:22.470	—
22	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:23.812	—
23	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:25.179	—
24	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:25.767	—
25	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:26.573	—
26	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	14:55.307	—

Saturday Free Practice

Huub Rothengatter suffered a major accident on Saturday when a rear wheel came loose. He escaped injury, but the damaged Zakspeed and lack of a spare forced his withdrawal. Elsewhere, the teams were still balancing the altitude’s effects with the need to keep the cars controllable over the uneven surface.

Saturday Practice Classification

1986 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 11 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:17.977	—
2	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	+0.110s	—
3	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+0.176s	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+0.376s	—
5	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.810s	—
6	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+1.183s	—
7	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+1.266s	—
8	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+1.306s	—
9	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+1.543s	—
10	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+1.656s	—
11	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+2.416s	—
12	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+2.483s	—
13	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+2.563s	—
14	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+2.723s	—
15	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+2.726s	—
16	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+2.903s	—
17	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+3.090s	—
18	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+3.106s	—
19	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+3.470s	—
20	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+3.903s	—
21	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	+4.253s	—
22	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+5.020s	—
23	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+5.540s	—
24	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+5.660s	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+6.750s	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+164.693s	—

Saturday Qualifying

Ayrton Senna took pole on Saturday with 1:16.990. Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell followed, pushing Gerhard Berger back to fourth, while Riccardo Patrese qualified fifth ahead of Alain Prost. The BMW-powered cars were well suited to the altitude, but tyre durability would prove more important than grid position.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1986 Mexican Grand Prix second qualifying session, 11 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:16.990	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:17.279	—
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:17.514	—
4	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:17.609	—
5	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:18.285	—
6	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:18.421	—
7	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:18.527	—
8	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:18.839	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:18.893	—
10	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:19.257	—
11	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	1:19.342	—
12	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:19.388	—
13	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:19.769	—
14	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:20.090	—
15	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:20.198	—
16	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:20.458	—
17	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:20.668	—
18	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:21.174	—
19	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:21.361	—
20	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:21.461	—
21	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:21.491	—
22	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:22.521	—
23	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:22.524	—
24	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:23.457	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:24.176	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:27.209	—

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	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:18.367	1:16.990	1:16.990	—
2	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:18.037	1:17.279	1:17.279	—
3	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:18.269	1:17.514	1:17.514	—
4	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:17.780	1:17.609	1:17.609	—
5	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:21.241	1:18.285	1:18.285	—
6	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:19.294	1:18.421	1:18.421	—
7	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	1:19.713	1:18.527	1:18.527	—
8	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	1:20.492	1:18.839	1:18.839	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:18.971	1:18.893	1:18.893	—
10	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	1:20.372	1:19.257	1:19.257	—
11	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	14:55.307	1:19.342	1:19.342	—
12	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:19.628	1:19.388	1:19.388	—
13	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	1:19.624	1:20.458	1:19.624	—
14	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	1:20.303	1:19.769	1:19.769	—
15	15	Alan Jones	Lola	1:20.525	1:20.090	1:20.090	—
16	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	1:21.587	1:20.198	1:20.198	—
17	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	1:20.479	1:21.491	1:20.479	—
18	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	1:21.154	1:20.668	1:20.668	—
19	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:20.946	1:21.174	1:20.946	—
20	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	1:21.069	1:21.461	1:21.069	—
21	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	1:21.171	1:21.361	1:21.171	—
22	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	1:22.470	1:22.521	1:22.470	—
23	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	1:23.812	1:22.524	1:22.524	—
24	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:25.179	1:23.457	1:23.457	—
25	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	1:25.767	1:24.176	1:24.176	—
26	22	Allen Berg	Osella	1:26.573	1:27.209	1:26.573	—

Sunday warm-up

Gerhard Berger headed the warm-up on softer Pirellis, but his race plan depended on harder tyres lasting the distance. The warmer Sunday conditions made that choice particularly significant. The Goodyear runners faced their own wear calculations, and Williams chose different combinations for its two drivers as the team tried to protect Nigel Mansell’s championship advantage.

Warm-up Classification

1986 Mexican Grand Prix Warm-up, 12 October 1986

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	1:20.465	—
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	+0.460s	—
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+0.496s	—
4	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	+0.623s	—
5	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.760s	—
6	15	Alan Jones	Lola	+0.800s	—
7	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	+0.813s	—
8	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+0.940s	—
9	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+1.386s	—
10	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	+1.486s	—
11	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	+1.550s	—
12	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+1.656s	—
13	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+1.683s	—
14	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola	+1.800s	—
15	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+1.900s	—
16	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	+2.036s	—
17	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	+2.893s	—
18	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	+3.153s	—
19	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+3.220s	—
20	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	+3.553s	—
21	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	+4.806s	—
22	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+4.923s	—
23	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	+5.240s	—
24	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	+6.830s	—
25	22	Allen Berg	Osella	+7.783s	—

What happened in the 1986 Mexican Grand Prix?

Nigel Mansell struggled to select first gear at the start and dropped deep into the field. Nelson Piquet led Ayrton Senna, while Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost remained close enough to challenge. Nigel Mansell began a recovery, but the effort and repeated tyre stops made it a difficult afternoon.

Gerhard Berger’s hard Pirellis lasted while the leading Goodyear runners had to pit. He maintained a steady pace without stopping and emerged in control of the race. Alain Prost limited the damage to his own title challenge, but could not catch the Benetton.

Gerhard Berger won by more than 25 seconds from Alain Prost, with Ayrton Senna third. Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell finished fourth and fifth, followed by Philippe Alliot. The championship remained open between Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet, while Gerhard Berger celebrated his first victory and Benetton’s breakthrough.

After the race, Nigel Mansell headed the drivers’ standings with 70 points, followed by Alain Prost on 64. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 135, with McLaren – TAG on 87.

1986 Mexican Grand Prix race results

The 1986 Mexican Grand Prix was held on 12 October 1986.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	68	1:33:18.700	9
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	68	+25.438	6
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	68	+52.513	4
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	67	+1 lap	3
5	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	67	+1 lap	2
6	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	67	+1 lap	1
7	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	66	+2 laps	0
8	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	66	+2 laps	0
9	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	66	+2 laps	0
10	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	65	Out of fuel	0
11	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	65	+3 laps	0
12	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	64	Turbo	0
13	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	64	Spun off	0
14	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	64	+4 laps	0
15	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	63	Engine	0
16	22	Allen Berg	Osella	61	+7 laps	0
Ret	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	53	Electrical	0
Ret	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	37	Engine	0
Ret	15	Alan Jones	Lola	35	Tyre	0
Ret	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	32	Puncture	0
Ret	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	10	Turbo	0
Ret	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	8	Turbo	0
Ret	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	8	Turbo	0
Ret	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	4	Engine	0
Ret	16	Patrick Tambay	Lola		Accident	0
DNS	29	Huub Rothengatter	Zakspeed	0	Accident	0

1986 Mexican Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	64	1:19.360
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	63	1:19.441
3	28	Stefan Johansson	Ferrari	52	1:20.182
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	64	1:20.237
5	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	37	1:20.357
6	20	Gerhard Berger	Benetton	42	1:20.543
7	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	60	1:21.060
8	2	Keke Rosberg	McLaren	19	1:21.298
9	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier	62	1:21.630
10	14	Jonathan Palmer	Zakspeed	62	1:21.732
11	8	Derek Warwick	Brabham	32	1:21.890
12	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	57	1:22.020
13	15	Alan Jones	Lola	26	1:22.024
14	11	Johnny Dumfries	Lotus	22	1:22.036
15	18	Thierry Boutsen	Arrows	54	1:22.315
16	23	Andrea de Cesaris	Minardi	48	1:22.430
17	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	9	1:22.546
18	3	Martin Brundle	Tyrrell	7	1:23.337
19	17	Christian Danner	Arrows	30	1:23.551
20	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	6	1:24.525
21	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	46	1:24.978
22	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	3	1:25.615
23	22	Allen Berg	Osella	53	1:28.736
24	21	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella	5	1:30.412

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 Mexican Grand Prix.

1986 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	70
2	Alain Prost	French	McLaren	64
3	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Williams	63
4	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Lotus	55
5	Keke Rosberg	Finnish	McLaren	22
6	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	Ferrari	19
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	5
12	Alan Jones	Australian	Lola	4
13	Johnny Dumfries	British	Lotus	2
14	Patrick Tambay	French	Lola	2
15	Teo Fabi	Italian	Benetton	2
16	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	2
17	Philippe Streiff	French	Tyrrell	1
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	135
2	McLaren – TAG	87
3	Lotus – Renault	57
4	Ferrari	33
5	Ligier – Renault	29
6	Benetton – BMW	19
7	Lola – Ford	6
8	Tyrrell – Renault	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