Alain Prost judged his fuel supply to perfection at the 1986 San Marino Grand Prix, winning at Imola with almost nothing left in the tank. Nelson Piquet finished second, while Gerhard Berger gave Benetton its first podium.
Race Guide
Season: 1986 F1 World Championship
Race date: 27 April 1986
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Dino Ferrari
Laps: 60 laps
Circuit length: 5.040 km
1985 winner: Elio de Angelis
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | Lotus |
| Pole time | 1:25.050 | |
| Fastest lap | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:28.667 on lap 57 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
| Third | Gerhard Berger | Benetton |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 25 April 1986 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 25 April 1986 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 26 April 1986 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 26 April 1986 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 April 1986 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 April 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
Ayrton Senna arrived at round 3 leading the 1986 F1 World Championship on 15 points, with Nelson Piquet on 9. Lotus – Renault headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 15 points.
Race entries
Alan Jones introduced the new Ford-powered Haas Lola, while Patrick Tambay continued with the Hart-engined car. Huub Rothengatter joined Jonathan Palmer at Zakspeed, expanding the field. Several teams also arrived with repaired or revised machinery after the demanding opening rounds.
Friday Free Practice
The new Ford turbo engine made its Grand Prix weekend debut in Alan Jones’s Lola, giving the team a substantial learning programme. Brabham continued to wrestle with gearbox reliability, while Williams and Benetton also lost useful running to engine problems. Imola’s long stretches at full power offered little protection for fragile machinery.
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna set Friday’s fastest lap at 1:25.050, ahead of Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost. The Lotus was once again exceptionally quick over one lap, giving the Brazilian a strong platform for a third consecutive pole.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1986 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 25 April 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.050 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:25.890 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.273 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.428 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.752 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:26.956 | — |
| 7 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.497 | — |
| 8 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:28.362 | — |
| 9 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:28.411 | — |
| 10 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:28.559 | — |
| 11 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:29.244 | — |
| 12 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:29.328 | — |
| 13 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:29.665 | — |
| 14 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:29.687 | — |
| 15 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:29.931 | — |
| 16 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:29.985 | — |
| 17 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:30.087 | — |
| 18 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:30.123 | — |
| 19 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:30.156 | — |
| 20 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:30.341 | — |
| 21 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:30.881 | — |
| 22 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 1:30.956 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:33.352 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.461 | — |
| 25 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:37.485 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:40.903 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday preparation remained a balance between performance and reliability. Ferrari was working with revised suspension, while Tyrrell had repaired Martin Brundle’s newer car after Spain. With only 195 litres available for the race, the teams needed to understand consumption as well as find speed through Imola’s fast corners.
Saturday Qualifying
No one beat Ayrton Senna’s Friday time. Nelson Piquet improved on Saturday to secure second, while Nigel Mansell moved ahead of Alain Prost for third. The two Ferraris were close enough to encourage the home crowd, but Lotus and Williams occupied the leading positions.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1986 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 26 April 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.286 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:25.569 | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.159 | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.176 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.263 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:26.385 | — |
| 7 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.009 | — |
| 8 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:27.403 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:27.444 | — |
| 10 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:27.538 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:27.860 | — |
| 12 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:28.022 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:28.329 | — |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:28.389 | — |
| 15 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:28.637 | — |
| 16 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:28.828 | — |
| 17 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:29.244 | — |
| 18 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:29.607 | — |
| 19 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:29.713 | — |
| 20 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:30.024 | — |
| 21 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 1:30.131 | — |
| 22 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:30.517 | — |
| 23 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:31.953 | — |
| 24 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:32.358 | — |
| 25 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:33.806 | — |
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 | 1:25.050 | 1:25.286 | 1:25.050 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:25.890 | 1:25.569 | 1:25.569 | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.752 | 1:26.159 | 1:26.159 | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.273 | 1:26.176 | 1:26.176 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.428 | 1:26.263 | 1:26.263 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:26.956 | 1:26.385 | 1:26.385 | — |
| 7 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.497 | 1:27.009 | 1:27.009 | — |
| 8 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:28.362 | 1:27.403 | 1:27.403 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 1:28.559 | 1:27.444 | 1:27.444 | — |
| 10 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:29.328 | 1:27.538 | 1:27.538 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 1:29.665 | 1:27.860 | 1:27.860 | — |
| 12 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 1:29.931 | 1:28.022 | 1:28.022 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 1:29.687 | 1:28.329 | 1:28.329 | — |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 1:28.411 | 1:28.389 | 1:28.389 | — |
| 15 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 1:30.156 | 1:28.637 | 1:28.637 | — |
| 16 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:30.341 | 1:28.828 | 1:28.828 | — |
| 17 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 1:29.244 | 1:29.607 | 1:29.244 | — |
| 18 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:29.985 | 1:29.244 | 1:29.244 | — |
| 19 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 1:30.881 | 1:29.713 | 1:29.713 | — |
| 20 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:33.352 | 1:30.024 | 1:30.024 | — |
| 21 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 1:30.087 | 1:30.517 | 1:30.087 | — |
| 22 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:30.123 | 1:32.358 | 1:30.123 | — |
| 23 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 1:30.956 | 1:30.131 | 1:30.131 | — |
| 24 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:40.903 | 1:31.953 | 1:31.953 | — |
| 25 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 1:37.485 | 1:33.806 | 1:33.806 | — |
| 26 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.461 | 1:34.461 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Keke Rosberg narrowly headed Ayrton Senna in the warm-up, with Alain Prost third. Damp conditions complicated the final preparations, and Ligier had an engine problem to address on Jacques Laffite’s car. Martin Brundle’s later accident before the start forced him into Tyrrell’s older chassis, adding another last-minute change to the grid.
Warm-up Classification
1986 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 27 April 1986
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 1:32.188 | — |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +0.040s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.890s | — |
| 4 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | +1.090s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.270s | — |
| 6 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | +2.226s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | +2.400s | — |
| 8 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | +2.533s | — |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +2.976s | — |
| 10 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +3.150s | — |
| 11 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | +3.506s | — |
| 12 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | +3.666s | — |
| 13 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | +3.816s | — |
| 14 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | +4.006s | — |
| 15 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | +4.556s | — |
| 16 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | +4.686s | — |
| 17 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | +5.196s | — |
| 18 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | +6.040s | — |
| 19 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | +6.406s | — |
| 20 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | +6.646s | — |
| 21 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | +7.680s | — |
| 22 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | +7.700s | — |
| 23 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | +12.576s | — |
| 24 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | +18.783s | — |
| 25 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | +20.250s | — |
| 26 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | +79.083s | — |
What happened in the 1986 San Marino Grand Prix?
Nelson Piquet passed Ayrton Senna on the opening lap, while Nigel Mansell soon retired with engine trouble. Both Lotus drivers were subsequently eliminated by wheel-bearing failures. McLaren’s race gathered strength, with Alain Prost benefiting from a cleaner tyre stop than Keke Rosberg.
Fuel consumption increasingly shaped the contest. Nelson Piquet had to moderate his pace, and Alain Prost emerged in front, but even the leader was not comfortably clear of the limit. On the final lap he weaved the McLaren to keep fuel reaching the engine and coaxed it across the line.
Alain Prost beat Nelson Piquet by 7.645 seconds, with Gerhard Berger taking third ahead of Stefan Johansson. Keke Rosberg and Riccardo Patrese were classified fifth and sixth after their own fuel difficulties. The victory rewarded Alain Prost’s careful judgement as much as McLaren’s speed.
After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 15 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 15. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 21, with McLaren – TAG on 18.
1986 San Marino Grand Prix race results
The 1986 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 27 April 1986.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 60 | 1:32:28.408 | 9 |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 60 | + 7.645 | 6 |
| 3 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 59 | + 1 Lap | 4 |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 59 | + 1 Lap | 3 |
| 5 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 58 | Out of Fuel | 2 |
| 6 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 58 | Out of Fuel | 1 |
| 7 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 58 | + 2 Laps | 0 |
| 8 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 58 | + 2 Laps | 0 |
| 9 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 57 | + 3 Laps | 0 |
| 10 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 56 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 52 | Out of Fuel | 0 |
| Ret | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 46 | Wheel | 0 |
| Ret | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 41 | Transmission | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 39 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 38 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 31 | Electrical | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 28 | Overheating | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 20 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 19 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 14 | Transmission | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 11 | Wheel Bearing | 0 |
| Ret | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 8 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 8 | Wheel Bearing | 0 |
| Ret | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 7 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 5 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | Accident | 0 |
1986 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 57 | 1:28.667 |
| 2 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton | 58 | 1:29.141 |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 41 | 1:29.464 |
| 4 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren | 58 | 1:29.652 |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 43 | 1:30.316 |
| 6 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 53 | 1:30.768 |
| 7 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 42 | 1:31.435 |
| 8 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 58 | 1:31.842 |
| 9 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 6 | 1:31.999 |
| 10 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 8 | 1:32.145 |
| 11 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 20 | 1:32.246 |
| 12 | 8 | Elio de Angelis | Brabham | 19 | 1:32.544 |
| 13 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola | 22 | 1:32.615 |
| 14 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier | 12 | 1:33.223 |
| 15 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 37 | 1:33.406 |
| 16 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows | 54 | 1:33.435 |
| 17 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows | 49 | 1:33.565 |
| 18 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell | 51 | 1:34.022 |
| 19 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi | 19 | 1:34.134 |
| 20 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola | 4 | 1:34.321 |
| 21 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus | 5 | 1:34.540 |
| 22 | 22 | Christian Danner | Osella | 24 | 1:34.558 |
| 23 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 22 | 1:34.811 |
| 24 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 23 | 1:35.748 |
| 25 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 7 | 1:36.263 |
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 San Marino Grand Prix.
1986 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Williams | 15 |
| 2 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 15 |
| 3 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 13 |
| 4 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 6 |
| 5 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Benetton | 6 |
| 6 | Keke Rosberg | Finnish | McLaren | 5 |
| 7 | Jacques Laffite | French | Ligier | 4 |
| 8 | René Arnoux | French | Ligier | 3 |
| 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 |
| – | Elio de Angelis | Italian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Patrick Tambay | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Johnny Dumfries | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Marc Surer | Swiss | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Christian Danner | German | Osella | 0 |
| – | Jonathan Palmer | British | Zakspeed | 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 | Williams – Honda | 21 |
| 2 | McLaren – TAG | 18 |
| 3 | Lotus – Renault | 15 |
| 4 | Benetton – BMW | 8 |
| 5 | Ligier – Renault | 7 |
| 6 | Ferrari | 3 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Renault | 2 |
| 8 | Brabham – BMW | 1 |
| — | Arrows – BMW | 0 |
| — | Lola – Hart | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 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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