1987 German Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Nelson Piquet claimed his first victory of 1987 in a German Grand Prix that punished mechanical weakness. Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost both lost winning chances, while Stefan Johansson nursed a damaged tyre to second and Ayrton Senna completed the podium.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Pole time	1:42.616
Fastest lap	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:45.716 on lap 24
First	Nelson Piquet	Williams
Second	Stefan Johansson	McLaren
Third	Ayrton Senna	Lotus

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
24 July 1987	Practice 1	Morning; start unconfirmed
24 July 1987	Qualifying 1	Start time unconfirmed
25 July 1987	Practice 2	Morning; start unconfirmed
25 July 1987	Qualifying 2	Start time unconfirmed
26 July 1987	Warm-up	Morning; start unconfirmed
26 July 1987	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 8 leading the 1987 F1 World Championship on 31 points, with Nigel Mansell on 30. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 60 points.

Race entries

The line-ups remained unchanged at Hockenheimring. Before the meeting, Ayrton Senna had escaped a high-speed tyre failure in testing, prompting renewed attention to tyres and the way active suspension could mask a developing puncture. Williams brought adjustable dampers into its race specification, while Ferrari and Tyrrell had further chassis developments.

Friday Free Practice

Friday running included a heavy accident for Gerhard Berger when the Ferrari’s front suspension failed under braking. He escaped injury, but the damage added to a difficult period for the team. Williams again set a strong pace, while Lotus worked on aerodynamic changes that brought Ayrton Senna closer to the leading car over a single lap.

Friday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell set Friday’s fastest lap at 1:42.616, but Ayrton Senna was only a quarter of a second behind. Alain Prost qualified third and Nelson Piquet fourth, with the latter’s engine trouble forcing him into a less satisfactory spare car.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1987 German Grand Prix first qualifying session, 24 July 1987

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:42.616	—
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:42.873	—
3	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:43.202	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:43.705	—
5	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:43.921	—
6	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	1:45.066	—
7	8	Andrea de Cesaris	Brabham	1:45.411	—
8	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren	1:45.428	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:45.497	—
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:45.902	—
11	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:46.096	—
12	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	1:46.323	—
13	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows	1:46.525	—
14	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus	1:46.760	—
15	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	1:47.780	—
16	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:47.887	—
17	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	1:49.236	—
18	23	Adrian Campos	Minardi	1:49.668	—
19	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	1:51.062	—
20	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	1:51.448	—
21	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	1:52.760	—
22	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:53.528	—
23	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	1:54.491	—
24	16	Ivan Capelli	March	1:54.616	—
25	14	Pascal Fabre	AGS	1:54.997	—
26	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	6:04.561	—

Saturday Free Practice

Heavy rain dominated Saturday and removed the prospect of improving Friday’s dry qualifying times. The teams had to work in conditions unlikely to represent the race, after a first day already marked by mechanical problems. Ligier’s repeated engine failures and Zakspeed’s unreliable home outing underlined how demanding the circuit was proving.

Saturday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell was quickest again in the wet Saturday session, but the times were far slower and Friday’s order stood. Michele Alboreto and Thierry Boutsen occupied the third row, while de Andrea de Cesaris put the Brabham seventh. The final session offered wet-weather running rather than a realistic chance to change the grid.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1987 German Grand Prix second qualifying session, 25 July 1987

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	2:00.832	—
2	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	2:02.981	—
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	2:03.172	—
4	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	2:04.003	—
5	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	2:05.139	—
6	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	2:06.769	—
7	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	2:06.857	—
8	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	2:07.753	—
9	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	2:09.440	—
10	16	Ivan Capelli	March	2:09.992	—
11	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	2:10.404	—
12	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	2:11.115	—
13	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	2:11.588	—
14	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	2:12.913	—
15	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:01:19.245	—

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	1:42.616	2:00.832	1:42.616	—
2	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	1:42.873	1:01:19.245	1:42.873	—
3	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:43.202	no time	1:43.202	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	1:43.705	no time	1:43.705	—
5	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	1:43.921	2:05.139	1:43.921	—
6	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	1:45.066	2:02.981	1:45.066	—
7	8	Andrea de Cesaris	Brabham	1:45.411	no time	1:45.411	—
8	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren	1:45.428	no time	1:45.428	—
9	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	1:45.497	2:06.857	1:45.497	—
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:45.902	2:03.172	1:45.902	—
11	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	1:46.096	no time	1:46.096	—
12	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	1:46.323	no time	1:46.323	—
13	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows	1:46.525	no time	1:46.525	—
14	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus	1:46.760	no time	1:46.760	—
15	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	1:47.780	2:04.003	1:47.780	—
16	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	1:47.887	no time	1:47.887	—
17	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	1:49.236	2:09.440	1:49.236	—
18	23	Adrián Campos	Minardi	1:49.668	no time	1:49.668	—
19	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	1:51.062	2:12.913	1:51.062	—
20	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	1:51.448	2:11.115	1:51.448	—
21	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	1:52.760	2:11.588	1:52.760	—
22	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	1:53.528	2:10.404	1:53.528	—
23	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	1:54.491	2:06.769	1:54.491	—
24	16	Ivan Capelli	March	1:54.616	2:09.992	1:54.616	—
25	14	Pascal Fabre	AGS	1:54.997	no time	1:54.997	—
26	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	6:04.561	2:07.753	2:07.753	—

Sunday warm-up

Dry, hot conditions returned on Sunday. Alain Prost narrowly beat Nigel Mansell in the warm-up, offering McLaren a genuine prospect of challenging for victory. Ayrton Senna opted for the spare Lotus after concerns about his race car, while Ivan Capelli’s electrical trouble would force the March to start from the pit lane.

Warm-up Classification

1987 German Grand Prix Warm-up, 26 July 1987

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	1:48.207	—
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	+0.010s	—
3	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	+0.643s	—
4	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	+0.830s	—
5	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	+0.840s	—
6	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	+1.276s	—
7	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	+1.510s	—
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.630s	—
9	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren	+1.813s	—
10	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	+2.140s	—
11	8	Andrea de Cesaris	Brabham	+2.210s	—
12	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows	+2.353s	—
13	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	+2.440s	—
14	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus	+2.496s	—
15	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	+3.083s	—
16	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	+3.590s	—
17	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	+4.093s	—
18	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	+4.936s	—
19	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	+5.226s	—
20	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	+6.366s	—
21	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	+7.430s	—
22	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	+7.793s	—
23	23	Adrian Campos	Minardi	+7.813s	—
24	16	Ivan Capelli	March	+8.920s	—
25	14	Pascal Fabre	AGS	+9.770s	—
26	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	+18.886s	—

What happened in the 1987 German Grand Prix?

Ayrton Senna led initially before Nigel Mansell and then Alain Prost moved ahead. Alain Prost passed the Williams and looked capable of winning, while Nelson Piquet stayed in contention behind. The fast straights began to take their toll as engine and other mechanical failures steadily reduced the field.

Nigel Mansell retired, and Alain Prost’s late alternator-drive failure handed Nelson Piquet the decisive opportunity. Stefan Johansson also faced a final-lap scare when a tyre deflated, but he brought the McLaren to the finish. Ayrton Senna survived in third as the leading turbo runners endured an unusually costly afternoon.

Nelson Piquet won by more than a minute and moved into the championship lead. Behind Stefan Johansson and Ayrton Senna, Philippe Streiff and Jonathan Palmer finished fourth and fifth for Tyrrell, with Philippe Alliot sixth in the Larrousse Lola. Three naturally aspirated cars scored World Championship points on a circuit where their power deficit had looked daunting.

After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 39 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 35. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 69, with McLaren – TAG on 45.

1987 German Grand Prix race results

The 1987 German Grand Prix was held on 26 July 1987.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	44	1:21:25.091	9
2	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren	44	+ 1:39.591	6
3	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	43	+ 1 Lap	4
4 (1)	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	43	+ 1 Lap	3
5 (2)	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	43	+ 1 Lap	2
6 (3)	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	42	+ 2 Laps	1
7	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	39	Electrical	0
NC	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	34	+ 10 Laps	0
Ret	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	32	Engine	0
Ret	23	Adrián Campos	Minardi	28	Engine	0
Ret	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	26	Engine	0
Ret	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	25	Engine	0
Ret	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	25	Engine	0
Ret	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows	23	Turbo	0
Ret	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	21	Halfshaft	0
Ret	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	19	Turbo	0
Ret	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	18	Engine	0
Ret	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	17	Engine	0
Ret	8	Andrea de Cesaris	Brabham	12	Engine	0
Ret	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	10	Turbo	0
Ret	14	Pascal Fabre	AGS	10	Engine	0
Ret	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	9	Throttle	0
Ret	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus	9	Turbo	0
Ret	16	Ivan Capelli	March	7	Engine	0
Ret	25	René Arnoux	Ligier	6	Ignition	0
Ret	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	5	Ignition	0

1987 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	24	1:45.716
2	1	Alain Prost	McLaren	24	1:46.807
3	6	Nelson Piquet	Williams	39	1:47.517
4	12	Ayrton Senna	Lotus	5	1:49.187
5	27	Michele Alboreto	Ferrari	5	1:49.509
6	9	Martin Brundle	Zakspeed	34	1:49.742
7	2	Stefan Johansson	McLaren	22	1:49.778
8	20	Thierry Boutsen	Benetton	4	1:49.864
9	8	Andrea de Cesaris	Brabham	7	1:50.436
10	17	Derek Warwick	Arrows	17	1:50.608
11	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	6	1:50.667
12	19	Teo Fabi	Benetton	8	1:50.758
13	18	Eddie Cheever	Arrows	8	1:51.014
14	11	Satoru Nakajima	Lotus	6	1:51.054
15	24	Alessandro Nannini	Minardi	6	1:52.382
16	26	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Ligier	5	1:52.512
17	7	Riccardo Patrese	Brabham	3	1:53.002
18	25	Rene Arnoux	Ligier	2	1:53.433
19	4	Philippe Streiff	Tyrrell	20	1:54.228
20	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell	20	1:54.294
21	10	Christian Danner	Zakspeed	7	1:54.464
22	23	Adrian Campos	Minardi	23	1:54.705
23	30	Philippe Alliot	Lola	7	1:54.771
24	21	Alex Caffi	Osella	5	1:55.549
25	16	Ivan Capelli	March	6	1:57.292
26	14	Pascal Fabre	AGS	2	1:58.770

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

1987 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1987 German Grand Prix.

1987 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Nelson Piquet	Brazilian	Williams	39
2	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Lotus	35
3	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	30
4	Alain Prost	French	McLaren	26
5	Stefan Johansson	Swedish	McLaren	19
6	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	9
7	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Ferrari	8
8	Satoru Nakajima	Japanese	Lotus	6
9	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Brabham	4
10	Philippe Streiff	French	Tyrrell	4
11	Eddie Cheever	American	Arrows	4
12	Jonathan Palmer	British	Tyrrell	4
13	Teo Fabi	Italian	Benetton	3
14	Martin Brundle	British	Zakspeed	2
15	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Benetton	2
16	Derek Warwick	British	Arrows	2
17	Philippe Alliot	French	Lola	1
18	René Arnoux	French	Ligier	1
19	Ivan Capelli	Italian	March	1
–	Christian Danner	German	Zakspeed	0
–	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Italian	Ligier	0
–	Pascal Fabre	French	AGS	0
–	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Brabham	0
–	Alex Caffi	Italian	Osella	0
–	Adrián Campos	Spanish	Minardi	0
–	Alessandro Nannini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Gabriele Tarquini	Italian	Osella	0

1987 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams – Honda	69
2	McLaren – TAG	45
3	Lotus – Honda	41
4	Ferrari	17
5	Tyrrell – Ford	8
6	Arrows – Megatron	6
7	Benetton – Ford	5
8	Brabham – BMW	4
9	Zakspeed	2
10	Ligier – Megatron	1
11	March – Ford	1
12	Lola – Ford	1
—	Osella – Alfa Romeo	0
—	AGS – Ford	0
—	Minardi – Motori Moderni	0

Jim Clark Trophy standings

Pos.	Driver	Points
1	Jonathan Palmer	48
2	Philippe Streiff	39
3	Pascal Fabre	32
4	Philippe Alliot	19
5	Ivan Capelli	6

Colin Chapman Trophy standings

Pos.	Team	Points
1	Tyrrell	87
2	AGS	32
3	Lola	19
4	March	6

The naturally aspirated cars also competed for the Jim Clark and Colin Chapman trophies. These separate totals count every round; bracketed positions in the race results show the naturally aspirated finishing order.

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

1987 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1987 Brazilian Grand Prix	Jacarepaguá, Rio de Janeiro	12 April
2	1987 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Dino Ferrari, Imola	3 May
3	1987 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	17 May
4	1987 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	31 May
5	1987 Detroit Grand Prix	Detroit Street Circuit, Detroit, Michigan	21 June
6	1987 French Grand Prix	Circuit Paul Ricard, Le Castellet	5 July
7	1987 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	12 July
8	1987 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	26 July
9	1987 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	9 August
10	1987 Austrian Grand Prix	Österreichring, Spielberg	16 August
11	1987 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	6 September
12	1987 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	20 September
13	1987 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera	27 September
14	1987 Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City	18 October
15	1987 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	1 November
16	1987 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	15 November