Alain Prost delivered another masterful Monaco victory in 1986, leading home Keke Rosberg for a McLaren one-two. Ayrton Senna took third on a revised street circuit, where the new harbour chicane added a fresh challenge to an already unforgiving lap.
Race Guide
Season: 1986 F1 World Championship
Race date: 11 May 1986
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78 laps
Circuit length: 3.328 km
1985 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:22.627 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.607 on lap 51 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Keke Rosberg | McLaren |
| Third | Ayrton Senna | Lotus |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 8 May 1986 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 8 May 1986 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 10 May 1986 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 10 May 1986 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 11 May 1986 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 11 May 1986 | Race | 15:30 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Nelson Piquet arrived at round 4 leading the 1986 F1 World Championship on 15 points, with Ayrton Senna on 15. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 21 points.
Race entries
Patrick Tambay received the Ford-powered Haas Lola, giving both of the team’s drivers the new engine. Monaco still admitted only 20 starters, so six drivers would miss the race. Tyrrell also brought a newer car for Philippe Streiff as the teams adapted to the circuit changes.
Thursday Free Practice
Thursday’s free running showed that the circuit could be considerably faster than the subsequent qualifying times suggested. Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were immediately quick, but Johnny Dumfries crashed early and lost valuable track time. Nigel Mansell also suffered engine trouble, leaving Williams with work to do before it could think seriously about a front-row challenge.
Thursday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna headed Thursday qualifying, ahead of Keke Rosberg and Rene Arnoux. Philippe Streiff’s stranded Tyrrell in the tunnel brought a red flag, while Nigel Mansell’s mechanical problems left him facing a much more urgent task on Saturday.
Thursday Qualifying Classification
1986 Monaco Grand Prix first qualifying session, 8 May 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.222 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:25.662 | — |
| 3 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:25.900 | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.059 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:26.280 | — |
| 6 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:26.663 | — |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:26.702 | — |
| 8 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.839 | — |
| 9 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:26.872 | — |
| 10 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.005 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:27.038 | — |
| 12 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:27.191 | — |
| 13 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:27.919 | — |
| 14 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:28.564 | — |
| 15 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:28.878 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 1:28.962 | — |
| 17 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:29.244 | — |
| 18 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:29.282 | — |
| 19 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:29.397 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:29.447 | — |
| 21 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:30.152 | — |
| 22 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:30.919 | — |
| 23 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:30.986 | — |
| 24 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:32.646 | — |
| 25 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:35.027 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:36.814 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna was extremely quick during Saturday morning practice, yet converting that speed into an uninterrupted qualifying lap was another matter. Traffic, the barriers and the revised chicane kept the margins narrow. The teams had to find a balance that would work both on a clear lap and when following slower cars through Monaco’s confined streets.
Saturday Qualifying
Alain Prost took pole with a late lap of 1:22.627, beating Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. Oil around the harbour section added to the difficulty, and Alan Jones suffered a suspension failure at Sainte Dévote. Johnny Dumfries was among the six drivers who failed to make the 20-car grid.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1986 Monaco Grand Prix second qualifying session, 10 May 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:22.627 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:23.047 | — |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:23.175 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:23.904 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:23.960 | — |
| 6 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:24.102 | — |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:24.402 | — |
| 8 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:24.686 | — |
| 9 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:24.701 | — |
| 10 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:24.860 | — |
| 11 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:25.287 | — |
| 12 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:25.538 | — |
| 13 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:25.720 | — |
| 14 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:25.832 | — |
| 15 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:25.907 | — |
| 16 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:25.926 | — |
| 17 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:26.300 | — |
| 18 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:26.456 | — |
| 19 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:26.644 | — |
| 20 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:27.288 | — |
| 21 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:27.826 | — |
| 22 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:28.060 | — |
| 23 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:28.132 | — |
| 24 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:28.191 | — |
| 25 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 2:22.479 | — |
| 26 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 2:27.098 | — |
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Thursday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.059 | 1:22.627 | 1:22.627 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:30.919 | 1:23.047 | 1:23.047 | — |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.222 | 1:23.175 | 1:23.175 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.839 | 1:23.904 | 1:23.904 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:26.280 | 1:23.960 | 1:23.960 | — |
| 6 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:26.872 | 1:24.102 | 1:24.102 | — |
| 7 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:26.702 | 1:24.402 | 1:24.402 | — |
| 8 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:27.038 | 1:24.686 | 1:24.686 | — |
| 9 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:25.662 | 1:24.701 | 1:24.701 | — |
| 10 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:28.564 | 1:24.860 | 1:24.860 | — |
| 11 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:27.919 | 1:25.287 | 1:25.287 | — |
| 12 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:25.900 | 1:25.538 | 1:25.538 | — |
| 13 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:32.646 | 1:25.720 | 1:25.720 | — |
| 14 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:29.244 | 1:25.832 | 1:25.832 | — |
| 15 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.005 | 1:25.907 | 1:25.907 | — |
| 16 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:29.397 | 1:25.926 | 1:25.926 | — |
| 17 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:28.878 | 1:26.300 | 1:26.300 | — |
| 18 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:26.663 | 1:26.456 | 1:26.456 | — |
| 19 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:30.152 | 1:26.644 | 1:26.644 | — |
| 20 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:27.191 | 1:28.191 | 1:27.191 | — |
| DNQ | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:29.282 | 1:27.288 | 1:27.288 | — |
| DNQ | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:35.027 | 1:27.826 | 1:27.826 | — |
| DNQ | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:36.814 | 1:28.060 | 1:28.060 | — |
| DNQ | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:30.986 | 1:28.132 | 1:28.132 | — |
| DNQ | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 1:28.962 | 2:22.479 | 1:28.962 | — |
| DNQ | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:29.447 | 2:27.098 | 1:29.447 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost led the warm-up ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Rene Arnoux, confirming McLaren’s strong race-day form. The long interval before the afternoon start gave mechanics time to renew heavily stressed components, including brakes and transmission parts. Patrick Tambay later encountered an oil leak before the start and had to switch cars, demonstrating how little could be taken for granted.
Warm-up Classification
1986 Monaco Grand Prix Warm-up, 11 May 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.316 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | +0.836s | — |
| 3 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +1.460s | — |
| 4 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | +1.480s | — |
| 5 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | +1.896s | — |
| 6 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +2.060s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | +2.080s | — |
| 8 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +2.090s | — |
| 9 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | +2.236s | — |
| 10 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | +2.310s | — |
| 11 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +2.696s | — |
| 12 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | +2.736s | — |
| 13 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | +2.873s | — |
| 14 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | +3.726s | — |
| 15 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | +4.176s | — |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +4.276s | — |
| 17 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | +4.803s | — |
| 18 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | +5.293s | — |
| 19 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | +8.993s | — |
| 20 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | +9.946s | — |
What happened in the 1986 Monaco Grand Prix?
Alain Prost made a clean start and established control while the battle behind him changed shape. Keke Rosberg worked forward from ninth on the grid, turning an unpromising starting position into a strong race for McLaren. Ayrton Senna remained in contention for the podium as Williams struggled to match the leaders.
The tyre-stop sequence briefly changed the lead, but Alain Prost resumed command and kept the race under control. Keke Rosberg’s recovery secured second, giving McLaren a comfortable cushion over Ayrton Senna. On a circuit that punished even small errors, the leading pair delivered a composed performance.
Alain Prost won by just over 25 seconds, with Keke Rosberg second and Ayrton Senna third. Nigel Mansell finished fourth, followed by Rene Arnoux and Jacques Laffite in the Ligiers. Nelson Piquet could manage only seventh, leaving the defending champion with another valuable victory in the title contest.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 22 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 19. McLaren – TAG led the constructors’ table on 33, with Williams – Honda on 24.
1986 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 1986 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 11 May 1986, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 78 | 1:55:41.060 | 9 |
| 2 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 78 | +25.022 | 6 |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 78 | +53.646 | 4 |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 78 | +1:11.402 | 3 |
| 5 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 77 | +1 lap | 2 |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 77 | +1 lap | 1 |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 77 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 9 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 75 | +3 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 74 | +4 laps | 0 |
| 12 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 74 | +4 laps | 0 |
| Ret | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 67 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 67 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 42 | Steering | 0 |
| Ret | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 38 | Fuel pump | 0 |
| Ret | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 38 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 31 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 17 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 2 | Accident | 0 |
1986 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 51 | 1:26.607 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 68 | 1:26.843 |
| 3 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 56 | 1:26.971 |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 58 | 1:27.405 |
| 5 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 36 | 1:27.585 |
| 6 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 62 | 1:27.769 |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 68 | 1:27.797 |
| 8 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 28 | 1:27.873 |
| 9 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 26 | 1:27.988 |
| 10 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 62 | 1:28.649 |
| 11 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 25 | 1:28.776 |
| 12 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 25 | 1:28.944 |
| 13 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 68 | 1:29.305 |
| 14 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 47 | 1:30.509 |
| 15 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 53 | 1:30.621 |
| 16 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 65 | 1:31.098 |
| 17 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 13 | 1:31.236 |
| 18 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 5 | 1:31.647 |
| 19 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 47 | 1:31.679 |
| 20 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 2 | 1:35.510 |
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 Monaco Grand Prix.
1986 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 22 |
| 2 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 19 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Williams | 15 |
| 4 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | McLaren | 11 |
| 5 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 9 |
| 6 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Benetton | 6 |
| 7 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 5 |
| 8 | René Arnoux | French | Ligier | 5 |
| 9 | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Ferrari | 3 |
| 10 | Martin Brundle | British | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 11 | Teo Fabi | Italian | Benetton | 2 |
| 12 | 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 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Christian Danner | German | Osella | 0 |
| – | Alan Jones | Australian | Lola | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Huub Rothengatter | Dutch | Zakspeed | 0 |
1986 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – TAG | 33 |
| 2 | Williams – Honda | 24 |
| 3 | Lotus – Renault | 19 |
| 4 | Ligier – Renault | 10 |
| 5 | Benetton – BMW | 8 |
| 6 | Ferrari | 3 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Renault | 2 |
| 8 | Brabham – BMW | 1 |
| — | Arrows – BMW | 0 |
| — | Lola – Hart | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Motori Moderni | 0 |
| — | Lola – Ford | 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
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