Alain Prost became Formula 1’s most successful race winner with his 28th victory at the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix. Gerhard Berger had taken his first pole and led much of the race, but a late spin gave the McLaren driver his opportunity at Autódromo do Estoril.
Race Guide
Season: 1987 F1 World Championship
Race date: 20 September 1987
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Autódromo do Estoril
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.35 km
1986 winner: Nigel Mansell
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:17.620 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:19.282 on lap 66 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Third | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 18 September 1987 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 18 September 1987 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 19 September 1987 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 19 September 1987 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 20 September 1987 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 20 September 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
Nelson Piquet arrived at round 12 leading the 1987 F1 World Championship on 63 points, with Ayrton Senna on 49. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 106 points.
Race entries
Coloni missed Portugal after its Monza debut, while Osella continued with Alex Caffi and Franco Forini. Williams brought active-suspension cars for both drivers as well as conventional alternatives, allowing Nigel Mansell to compare the systems before choosing his race car.
Friday Free Practice
Williams’s suspension choice was an important part of the preparations, with Nigel Mansell spending more time in the conventional car than Nelson Piquet. Ferrari arrived with engine and turbo developments, while Lotus had to contend with hydraulic-fluid leaks that caused fires. The differing development paths made this a revealing weekend for the leading teams.
Friday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell set the Friday benchmark ahead of Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna. The familiar Williams threat remained, but Ferrari was close enough to keep the final session interesting.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1987 Portuguese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 18 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:17.951 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:18.164 | — |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:18.382 | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:18.404 | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:18.448 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:20.069 | — |
| 7 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:20.134 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:20.305 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:20.483 | — |
| 10 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:21.324 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:21.397 | — |
| 12 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:21.506 | — |
| 13 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:21.784 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:22.060 | — |
| 15 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:22.222 | — |
| 16 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:22.400 | — |
| 17 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:22.424 | — |
| 18 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:23.637 | — |
| 19 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:23.810 | — |
| 20 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:24.105 | — |
| 21 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:24.181 | — |
| 22 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:24.392 | — |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:24.533 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:24.792 | — |
| 25 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 1:24.822 | — |
| 26 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:27.219 | — |
| 27 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:28.756 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday’s threatening weather increased the pressure to find a clean lap early. Nigel Mansell continued to question his engine’s performance, Nelson Piquet reported vibration and the Benetton drivers were fighting oversteer. Ferrari’s improving straight-line speed gave Gerhard Berger a realistic chance to challenge the Williams pair if he could make the most of the dry track.
Saturday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger seized pole on Saturday just before rain stopped meaningful improvements. Nigel Mansell’s Friday time secured second, while Alain Prost moved to third ahead of Nelson Piquet. It was Gerhard Berger’s first Formula 1 pole and a major boost for Ferrari’s late-season progress.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1987 Portuguese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 19 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:17.620 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:17.994 | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:18.235 | — |
| 4 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:18.354 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:18.540 | — |
| 6 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:19.965 | — |
| 7 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:20.227 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:20.548 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:20.558 | — |
| 10 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:21.207 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:21.587 | — |
| 12 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:21.725 | — |
| 13 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:22.128 | — |
| 14 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:22.358 | — |
| 15 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:22.794 | — |
| 16 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:23.237 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:23.580 | — |
| 18 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 1:23.591 | — |
| 19 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:23.905 | — |
| 20 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:24.217 | — |
| 21 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:24.436 | — |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:24.979 | — |
| 23 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:25.232 | — |
| 24 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:26.635 | — |
| 25 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:26.946 | — |
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 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:18.448 | 1:17.620 | 1:17.620 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:17.951 | 1:18.235 | 1:17.951 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:18.404 | 1:17.994 | 1:17.994 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:18.164 | no time | 1:18.164 | — |
| 5 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:18.382 | 1:18.354 | 1:18.354 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:20.069 | 1:18.540 | 1:18.540 | — |
| 7 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:21.506 | 1:19.965 | 1:19.965 | — |
| 8 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:20.134 | 1:20.227 | 1:20.134 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:20.305 | 1:20.558 | 1:20.305 | — |
| 10 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:20.483 | 1:20.548 | 1:20.483 | — |
| 11 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:21.324 | 1:21.207 | 1:21.207 | — |
| 12 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:21.397 | 1:21.587 | 1:21.397 | — |
| 13 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:22.060 | 1:21.725 | 1:21.725 | — |
| 14 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:21.784 | 1:22.128 | 1:21.784 | — |
| 15 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:22.222 | no time | 1:22.222 | — |
| 16 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:22.424 | 1:22.358 | 1:22.358 | — |
| 17 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:22.400 | 1:22.794 | 1:22.400 | — |
| 18 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:23.637 | 1:23.237 | 1:23.237 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:24.181 | 1:23.580 | 1:23.580 | — |
| 20 | 23 | Adrián Campos | Minardi | 1:24.822 | 1:23.591 | 1:23.591 | — |
| 21 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:23.810 | 1:24.436 | 1:23.810 | — |
| 22 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:24.533 | 1:23.905 | 1:23.905 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:24.105 | 1:24.979 | 1:24.105 | — |
| 24 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:24.392 | 1:24.217 | 1:24.217 | — |
| 25 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:24.792 | 1:25.232 | 1:24.792 | — |
| 26 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:27.219 | 1:26.635 | 1:26.635 | — |
| DNQ | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:28.756 | 1:26.946 | 1:26.946 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost was fastest in the warm-up, narrowly ahead of Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell. Williams changed Nigel Mansell’s engine that morning, although he remained unhappy with its performance. Teo Fabi’s preparations were disrupted by a wheel-bearing problem, requiring a switch to the spare Benetton and a start from the pit lane.
Warm-up Classification
1987 Portuguese Grand Prix Warm-up, 20 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:21.623 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +0.100s | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.133s | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +0.426s | — |
| 5 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | +1.070s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +1.070s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | +1.200s | — |
| 8 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +1.253s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | +1.410s | — |
| 10 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | +2.583s | — |
| 11 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +2.746s | — |
| 12 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | +2.933s | — |
| 13 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | +3.080s | — |
| 14 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +3.360s | — |
| 15 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | +4.276s | — |
| 16 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +4.353s | — |
| 17 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +4.413s | — |
| 18 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +4.430s | — |
| 19 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | +4.486s | — |
| 20 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | +4.580s | — |
| 21 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +4.856s | — |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | +5.270s | — |
| 23 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | +5.283s | — |
| 24 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | +5.353s | — |
| 25 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +74.750s | — |
| 26 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | +507.666s | — |
What happened in the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix?
A first-lap collision involving Michele Alboreto and Nelson Piquet triggered a larger accident, eventually bringing out the red flag. At the restart Nigel Mansell again led initially, but Gerhard Berger passed him and established control. Nigel Mansell later retired with an electrical failure, another blow to his title hopes.
Alain Prost worked his way into contention and steadily reduced Gerhard Berger’s advantage. The Ferrari driver was still in front late in the race when he spun, allowing Alain Prost to take the lead. Gerhard Berger recovered to second but could not undo the mistake.
Alain Prost’s victory moved him beyond Jackie Stewart’s record of 27 wins. Gerhard Berger finished second, Nelson Piquet took valuable third-place points and Teo Fabi was classified fourth despite running out of fuel. Stefan Johansson and Eddie Cheever completed the top six.
After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 67 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 49. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 110, with McLaren – TAG on 62.
1987 Portuguese Grand Prix race results
The 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix was held on 20 September 1987.
1987 Portuguese Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 66 | 1:19.282 |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 65 | 1:19.509 |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 62 | 1:20.217 |
| 4 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 41 | 1:21.191 |
| 5 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 50 | 1:21.535 |
| 6 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 45 | 1:21.821 |
| 7 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 52 | 1:22.504 |
| 8 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 53 | 1:22.682 |
| 9 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 45 | 1:22.807 |
| 10 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 12 | 1:22.834 |
| 11 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 33 | 1:22.989 |
| 12 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 55 | 1:23.259 |
| 13 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 63 | 1:23.828 |
| 14 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 12 | 1:24.433 |
| 15 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 48 | 1:24.626 |
| 16 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 64 | 1:24.652 |
| 17 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 51 | 1:25.003 |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 64 | 1:25.012 |
| 19 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 28 | 1:25.760 |
| 20 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 21 | 1:26.131 |
| 21 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 23 | 1:26.811 |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 20 | 1:26.811 |
| 23 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 8 | 1:26.892 |
| 24 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 22 | 1:27.020 |
| 25 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 20 | 1:29.223 |
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 Portuguese Grand Prix.
1987 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Williams | 67 |
| 2 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 49 |
| 3 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 43 |
| 4 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 40 |
| 5 | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | McLaren | 22 |
| 6 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Ferrari | 18 |
| 7 | Teo Fabi | Italian | Benetton | 10 |
| 8 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Benetton | 10 |
| 9 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 8 |
| 10 | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Lotus | 6 |
| 11 | Eddie Cheever | American | Arrows | 5 |
| 12 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Brabham | 4 |
| 13 | Philippe Streiff | French | Tyrrell | 4 |
| 14 | Jonathan Palmer | British | Tyrrell | 4 |
| 15 | Derek Warwick | British | Arrows | 3 |
| 16 | Martin Brundle | British | Zakspeed | 2 |
| 17 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Brabham | 2 |
| 18 | Philippe Alliot | French | Lola | 1 |
| 19 | Ivan Capelli | Italian | March | 1 |
| 20 | René Arnoux | French | Ligier | 1 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Christian Danner | German | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Pascal Fabre | French | AGS | 0 |
| – | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Alex Caffi | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Adrián Campos | Spanish | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Franco Forini | Swiss | Osella | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | Osella | 0 |
1987 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Honda | 110 |
| 2 | McLaren – TAG | 62 |
| 3 | Lotus – Honda | 55 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 26 |
| 5 | Benetton – Ford | 20 |
| 6 | Arrows – Megatron | 8 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Ford | 8 |
| 8 | Brabham – BMW | 6 |
| 9 | Zakspeed | 2 |
| 10 | Ligier – Megatron | 1 |
| 11 | March – Ford | 1 |
| 12 | Lola – Ford | 1 |
| — | Minardi – Motori Moderni | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | AGS – Ford | 0 |
Jim Clark Trophy standings
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Palmer | 71 |
| 2 | Philippe Streiff | 58 |
| 3 | Pascal Fabre | 35 |
| 4 | Ivan Capelli | 34 |
| 5 | Philippe Alliot | 25 |
Colin Chapman Trophy standings
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
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