The 1987 Formula 1 season began with a victory for defending champion Alain Prost in Brazil. Williams driver Nigel Mansell won the next race at Imola before the Formula 1 teams headed to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.
Prost Wins Second Grand Prix at Spa
Prost continued his good start to the season by taking the win at Spa-Francorchamps. It was an eventful Grand Prix, with the race being stopped and re-started. The reason for the stoppage was a significant accident which befell the Tyrrell team. Phillipe Streiff crashed his car heavily and his team-mate Jonathan Palmer proceeded to plough into the wreckage, leaving both cars destroyed.
In the re-started race Ayrton Senna managed to pass pole-sitter Mansell, only for the two cars to touch, eliminating Senna’s Lotus. Mansell dropped to the back of the field and was ultimately forced to retire from the Grand Prix. Piquet, who was making his return after a serious crash at the previous meeting in San Marino, led until his Honda engine failed. Through all the mayhem came Prost to take victory. Stefan Johansson finished second for Ferrari with a Brabham driven by Andrea De Cesaris third.
Senna Wins First Monaco Grand Prix
Senna’s remarkable sequence of Monaco Grand Prix victories began with his 1987 win in the principality for Lotus. In qualifying the Brazilian had to settle for second on the grid, behind Mansell. For a while it seemed as though Mansell was destined to win, but his Williams eventually lost boost pressure and retired.
With Mansell out of the race Senna was left in a lead which he never lost. Piquet finished second to his countryman, with Michele Alboreto third in a Ferrari. Prost had run third, after passing Eddie Cheever’s Arrows, only for his McLaren’s engine to fail.
Detroit Grand Prix Won by Senna and Lotus
The front of the grid in Detroit looked exactly the same as it had in Monaco. Mansell started on pole, followed by Senna in second and Piquet third. Once again Mansell led away, but saw his chances hampered by a troublesome wheel-nut during a pit stop. His race was further compromised when he started experiencing cramp. Showing great determination Mansell persevered until the end, finishing fifth.
Cheever impressed again in the Arrows, running third until a collision with Teo Fabi’s Benetton and a subsequent pit stop. The American driver was eventually classified sixth, despite running out of fuel. Victory went to Senna, with Piquet second and Prost third.
Review of 1987 F1 season continues here.
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