Nigel Mansell kept his title challenge alive with victory at the 1987 Spanish Grand Prix. While he escaped at the front, a fiercely contested battle behind Ayrton Senna eventually delivered second and third to McLaren’s Alain Prost and Stefan Johansson.
Race Guide
Season: 1987 F1 World Championship
Race date: 27 September 1987
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Circuito de Jerez
Laps: 72 laps
Circuit length: 4.218 km
1986 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nelson Piquet | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:22.461 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.986 on lap 49 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Third | Stefan Johansson | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 25 September 1987 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 25 September 1987 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 26 September 1987 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 26 September 1987 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 September 1987 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 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 13 leading the 1987 F1 World Championship on 67 points, with Ayrton Senna on 49. Williams – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 110 points.
Race entries
Coloni returned with Nicola Larini and qualified for its first race. Both Osellas missed the grid. Williams had also confirmed Riccardo Patrese as Nelson Piquet’s replacement for the following season, although the Italian remained with Brabham for this event.
Friday Free Practice
The Williams drivers approached the weekend with different suspension choices: Nelson Piquet continued with the active car, while Nigel Mansell favoured the conventional version. Honda brought revised engines, Ferrari continued its turbo development and Nicola Larini returned with changes to the Coloni’s cooling and underside. The tight layout rewarded traction and balance rather than the low-drag settings used at Monza.
Friday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell set the fastest Friday lap, narrowly ahead of Gerhard Berger, with Nelson Piquet third. Ferrari’s challenge put pressure on Williams to deliver again in the final session.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1987 Spanish Grand Prix first qualifying session, 25 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:23.081 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:23.164 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:23.621 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:24.192 | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:24.596 | — |
| 6 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.162 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:25.263 | — |
| 8 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:26.147 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:26.372 | — |
| 10 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:26.639 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:26.728 | — |
| 12 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:27.062 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:28.241 | — |
| 14 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:28.353 | — |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:28.477 | — |
| 16 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:28.776 | — |
| 17 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:28.823 | — |
| 18 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:28.876 | — |
| 19 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:28.970 | — |
| 20 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:29.147 | — |
| 21 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 1:29.538 | — |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:29.663 | — |
| 23 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:30.325 | — |
| 24 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:31.284 | — |
| 25 | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | 1:31.319 | — |
| 26 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:31.981 | — |
| 27 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:32.490 | — |
| 28 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:34.723 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Finding grip remained difficult as the weekend developed. Alain Prost struggled with both handling and an engine misfire, while the Lotus drivers found their car short of traction. The contrast inside Williams became more pronounced as Nelson Piquet extracted speed from the active car and Nigel Mansell worked to protect the advantage he had established on Friday.
Saturday Qualifying
Nelson Piquet took pole with 1:22.461 on Saturday, the last pole position of his Formula 1 career. Nigel Mansell’s Saturday times were cancelled after a weighing infringement, but his Friday lap still secured second. Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto filled the second row, ahead of Ayrton Senna and Teo Fabi.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1987 Spanish Grand Prix second qualifying session, 26 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:22.461 | — |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:24.320 | — |
| 3 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:24.523 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:24.832 | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:24.905 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:25.250 | — |
| 7 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:25.295 | — |
| 8 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:25.335 | — |
| 9 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:25.811 | — |
| 10 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:26.147 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:26.882 | — |
| 12 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:27.970 | — |
| 13 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:28.330 | — |
| 14 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:28.361 | — |
| 15 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 1:28.362 | — |
| 16 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:28.367 | — |
| 17 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:28.426 | — |
| 18 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:28.597 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:28.602 | — |
| 20 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:28.667 | — |
| 21 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:28.694 | — |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:29.066 | — |
| 23 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 1:30.204 | — |
| 24 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:30.694 | — |
| 25 | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | 1:30.982 | — |
| 26 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:31.069 | — |
| 27 | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:35.572 | — |
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 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 1:23.621 | 1:22.461 | 1:22.461 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:23.081 | no time | 1:23.081 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:23.164 | 1:25.250 | 1:23.164 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:24.192 | 1:24.832 | 1:24.192 | — |
| 5 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 1:25.162 | 1:24.320 | 1:24.320 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 1:25.263 | 1:24.523 | 1:24.523 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:24.596 | 1:24.905 | 1:24.596 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:26.372 | 1:25.295 | 1:25.295 | — |
| 9 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 1:26.639 | 1:25.335 | 1:25.335 | — |
| 10 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 1:31.981 | 1:25.811 | 1:25.811 | — |
| 11 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 1:26.147 | 1:26.147 | 1:26.147 | — |
| 12 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:26.728 | 1:26.882 | 1:26.728 | — |
| 13 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:27.062 | 1:27.970 | 1:27.062 | — |
| 14 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:28.241 | 1:28.362 | 1:28.241 | — |
| 15 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 1:28.970 | 1:28.330 | 1:28.330 | — |
| 16 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:28.353 | 1:28.426 | 1:28.353 | — |
| 17 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:29.147 | 1:28.361 | 1:28.361 | — |
| 18 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:28.776 | 1:28.367 | 1:28.367 | — |
| 19 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:28.477 | 1:28.694 | 1:28.477 | — |
| 20 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 1:28.876 | 1:28.597 | 1:28.597 | — |
| 21 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 1:28.823 | 1:28.602 | 1:28.602 | — |
| 22 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 1:30.325 | 1:28.667 | 1:28.667 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 1:29.663 | 1:29.066 | 1:29.066 | — |
| 24 | 23 | Adrián Campos | Minardi | 1:29.538 | 1:30.204 | 1:29.538 | — |
| 25 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 1:32.490 | 1:30.694 | 1:30.694 | — |
| 26 | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | 1:31.319 | 1:30.982 | 1:30.982 | — |
| DNQ | 21 | Alex Caffi | Osella | 1:31.284 | 1:31.069 | 1:31.069 | — |
| DNQ | 22 | Franco Forini | Osella | 1:34.723 | 1:35.572 | 1:34.723 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Gerhard Berger topped the warm-up ahead of Nigel Mansell and Thierry Boutsen, giving Ferrari encouragement before the race. Cloudy skies and a brief pre-race shower added uncertainty, although the track remained suitable for a dry start. Tyre life and the difficulty of overtaking would prove central to the afternoon.
Warm-up Classification
1987 Spanish Grand Prix Warm-up, 27 September 1987
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:27.648 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.310s | — |
| 3 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +0.366s | — |
| 4 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | +0.696s | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +0.713s | — |
| 6 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +1.506s | — |
| 7 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | +1.716s | — |
| 8 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | +1.746s | — |
| 9 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | +1.940s | — |
| 10 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +2.943s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.133s | — |
| 12 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | +3.433s | — |
| 13 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | +3.436s | — |
| 14 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | +3.523s | — |
| 15 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +3.583s | — |
| 16 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +3.826s | — |
| 17 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +3.916s | — |
| 18 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +4.453s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +4.766s | — |
| 20 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | +5.100s | — |
| 21 | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | +5.120s | — |
| 22 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | +5.250s | — |
| 23 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | +6.933s | — |
| 24 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | +7.106s | — |
| 25 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | +7.730s | — |
| 26 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | +7.770s | — |
What happened in the 1987 Spanish Grand Prix?
Nigel Mansell passed Nelson Piquet at the end of the first lap and began building the lead he would keep to the finish. Behind the Williams cars, Ayrton Senna tried to complete the distance without changing tyres. His Lotus was quick on the straight but slower through the corners, creating a long queue.
Nelson Piquet rejoined that battle after a slow stop and eventually passed Ayrton Senna, but further mistakes cost him dearly. Thierry Boutsen went off while avoiding the Williams as it rejoined, while Alain Prost and Stefan Johansson moved forward. Ayrton Senna’s tyres finally faded and both Ferraris retired with engine trouble.
Nigel Mansell won by more than 22 seconds from Alain Prost, with Stefan Johansson third and Nelson Piquet fourth. Ayrton Senna finished fifth and Philippe Alliot scored another point for the Larrousse Lola. Williams secured the constructors’ championship, while its drivers’ contest remained unresolved.
After the race, Nelson Piquet headed the drivers’ standings with 70 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 52. Williams – Honda led the constructors’ table on 122, with McLaren – TAG on 72.
1987 Spanish Grand Prix race results
The 1987 Spanish Grand Prix was held on 27 September 1987.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 72 | 1:49:12.692 | 9 |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 72 | + 22.225 | 6 |
| 3 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 72 | + 30.818 | 4 |
| 4 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 72 | + 31.450 | 3 |
| 5 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 72 | + 1:13.507 | 2 |
| 6 (1) | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 71 | + 1 lap | 1 |
| 7 (2) | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 71 | + 1 lap | 0 |
| 8 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 70 | Out of fuel | 0 |
| 9 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 70 | + 2 laps | 0 |
| 10 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 70 | + 2 laps | 0 |
| 11 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 70 | + 2 laps | 0 |
| 12 (3) | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 70 | + 2 laps | 0 |
| 13 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 68 | + 4 laps | 0 |
| 14 | 23 | Adrián Campos | Minardi | 68 | + 4 laps | 0 |
| 15 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 67 | Engine | 0 |
| 16 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 66 | Accident | 0 |
| Ret | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 62 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 55 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 55 | Collision | 0 |
| Ret | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 50 | Transmission | 0 |
| Ret | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 45 | Turbo | 0 |
| Ret | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 40 | Brakes | 0 |
| Ret | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 26 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 24 | Ignition | 0 |
| Ret | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 10 | Clutch | 0 |
| Ret | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | 8 | Suspension | 0 |
1987 Spanish Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 49 | 1:26.986 |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams | 49 | 1:27.108 |
| 3 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham | 67 | 1:27.150 |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 30 | 1:27.459 |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 54 | 1:27.738 |
| 6 | 2 | Stefan Johansson | McLaren | 59 | 1:28.133 |
| 7 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 65 | 1:28.299 |
| 8 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 45 | 1:28.444 |
| 9 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton | 32 | 1:29.319 |
| 10 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 46 | 1:29.934 |
| 11 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus | 20 | 1:30.088 |
| 12 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 50 | 1:30.365 |
| 13 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 61 | 1:30.407 |
| 14 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 50 | 1:30.514 |
| 15 | 8 | Andrea de Cesaris | Brabham | 23 | 1:30.670 |
| 16 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi | 19 | 1:30.722 |
| 17 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 41 | 1:31.105 |
| 18 | 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 42 | 1:31.228 |
| 19 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell | 50 | 1:31.279 |
| 20 | 9 | Martin Brundle | Zakspeed | 44 | 1:31.373 |
| 21 | 10 | Christian Danner | Zakspeed | 19 | 1:32.074 |
| 22 | 26 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Ligier | 20 | 1:32.604 |
| 23 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 50 | 1:32.650 |
| 24 | 32 | Nicola Larini | Coloni | 7 | 1:33.108 |
| 25 | 23 | Adrian Campos | Minardi | 31 | 1:33.503 |
| 26 | 14 | Pascal Fabre | AGS | 3 | 1:35.672 |
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 Spanish Grand Prix.
1987 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Williams | 70 |
| 2 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 52 |
| 3 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | Lotus | 51 |
| 4 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 46 |
| 5 | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | McLaren | 26 |
| 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 | 2 |
| 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 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Coloni | 0 |
1987 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams – Honda | 122 |
| 2 | McLaren – TAG | 72 |
| 3 | Lotus – Honda | 57 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 26 |
| 5 | Benetton – Ford | 20 |
| 6 | Arrows – Megatron | 8 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Ford | 8 |
| 8 | Brabham – BMW | 6 |
| 9 | Zakspeed | 2 |
| 10 | Lola – Ford | 2 |
| 11 | Ligier – Megatron | 1 |
| 12 | March – Ford | 1 |
| — | Minardi – Motori Moderni | 0 |
| — | Osella – Alfa Romeo | 0 |
| — | AGS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Coloni – Ford | 0 |
Jim Clark Trophy standings
| Pos. | Driver | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jonathan Palmer | 71 |
| 2 | Philippe Streiff | 64 |
| 3 | Ivan Capelli | 38 |
| 4 | Pascal Fabre | 35 |
| 5 | Philippe Alliot | 34 |
| 6 | Nicola Larini | 0 |
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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