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Sunday, April 12th, 1987 will mark the start of the Formula 1 World Championship number 38. As usual it will be the turn of the Brazilian Grand Prix, on the very hot, sunny track of Jacarepaguà, on the outskirts of Rio, to provide the first indications and remove the many uncertainties of the eve. New cars, mixed teams (especially for technicians), new regulations: a cocktail from which you can expect everything. Let’s immediately point out that there’s a favorite team. It’s Williams. The reasons are simple. A successful team where nothing has changed, if not for the better, since Frank Williams probably won’t make the mistake of only betting on Nigel Mansell anymore. Two excellent drivers, with the Englishman reaching maturity and a Nelson Piquet obstinately aiming at another world title. A car that from year to year evolves in small steps, with no big revolutions. A powerful and reliable Honda engine. McLaren and Lotus could face unexpected results, in a negative sense. The first, after winning the 1986 World Drivers' Championship with Alain Prost for the third consecutive time, is now without its designer John Barnard. Substitutes are also good, but a break-in seems indispensable. The second part with many pretensions. A driver considered among the fastest, Ayrton Senna, a technician among the best, Gerard Ducarouge, and an engine, the Honda, that seems to have few rivals. But there are some unknowns: Ayrton Senna has never really fought for the world title; Gerard Ducarouge has always made very fast cars for qualifying, but he has often been wrong (too much presumption) in the race cars; the Lotus-marriage with Honda leaves room for a few unknowns; the second driver, Satoru Nakajima is not able to help his teammate by taking points from opponents; the probable debut of the so-called active suspension can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Benetton is much awaited. Teo Fabi recorded the best times in recent tests in Rio and played the role of the outsider, not to mention his teammate, Thierry Boutsen that many, including the same Italian driver, have perhaps underestimated. On the Anglo-Italian team, however, doubts remain about the reliability of the cars. We still have to talk about Ferrari. This multinational Ferrari with Italian arms and foreign brains composed from the designers John Barnard and Harvey Postlethwaite to the French (Migeot) and Austrian (Brunner), to the Spanish-speaking mechanical chief.
The debut of the F1-87, the new car that emerged from the ideas of this new cooperative, was not brilliant. Michele Alboreto says that we will have to wait a few races to evaluate the real potential. In fact, the car has completed too few kilometers: a proper tuning requires more. Probably John Barnard, a technician who loves small steps, will be able to make it competitive. But fans wonder: will Ferrari win this year? The beauty is that Enzo Ferrari doesn’t even know it. A mystery to unravel. In the meantime, black clouds are gathering on the Formula 1 World Championship. It is not so much those full of rain that these days have cooled the still very hot Brazilian summer, as the problems that face the horizon and risk to enliven the beginning of the 1987 season. There is still pending war between the drivers and the FISA for the tax imposed on the super license. President Jean-Marie Balestre, after telling Alain Prost, World Champion and spokesman of his colleagues, that he would review the regulation, threatened measures against drivers who will not meet the requirements (at the moment it seems that they only paid Ayrton Senna, Teo Fabi, Alessandro Nannini and a few others). However, the dispute should be discussed on Wednesday, April 8th, 1987 by Bernie Ecclestone, arriving from Europe. A compromise seems possible. Then there is the incognita of the pressure relief valve, contested because it would not have a smooth operation. And last but not least, here is a double problem regarding safety: first of all, very fast and slow cars are announced on track, those with aspirated engines; and secondly, the asphalt of the Jacarepaguà circuit is deteriorating. In this somewhat chaotic climate the normal competitive tensions are inserted: a combination which is too strong to contain. You can understand how the beginning of the championship is also expected as a kind of liberation. In particular by a man, by that Ayrton Senna that many consider as the future champion.
"I can’t wait to start. It’s my year of truth: for the first time I have what it takes to win the title. That doesn’t mean I’m running as a favorite. It just means that on paper I start on a par with rivals who think of the world. I am very excited, although I know very well that there will be so much work to do. On the engine, on this electronic suspension, very complex, that we have developed and that we think we can use here if there will be no unexpected trouble".
Some say that your designer, Gerard Ducarouge, is a technician who is better at putting together pole-position cars than single-seaters to win races.
"Ducarouge is a great professional. The right person to manage a team. He has enough will, skills, and enthusiasm to please a driver. If he has not yet won a championship, I think, it is because he has not had the means to do so".
The recent tests have given experts the opportunity to get an idea of what may happen during the season.
"It’s too early to say. Everything has changed. It’s going to take one race to get the cards out and two or three more to get some confirmation. I would put Williams in first place, McLaren in second. I think we will soon notice a competitive Ferrari".
A lot of criticism has been directed at Senna: too impetuous, selfish, a prince who wants a second-class driver next to him, as teammate, not to be bothered.
"I don’t think I’m being unfair, I’m convinced that in order to drive in Formula 1 you don’t have to be too soft either. And Nakajima’s choice was not mine. He’s a good guy, calm and sensitive".
It is also said that Ayrton Senna is very attached to money.
"My family is wealthy. My father already had his own plane when I was a child. The only real reason I’m in Formula 1 is this: I want to win the world title. Money? I think it’s fair to demand a certain kind of treatment. After all, the top five circus drivers earn as much as a great golfer or tennis player. But we run more deadly risks. I never think about it, but danger is really part of our job".
In Brazil the sun is back and Michele Alboreto spends the last hours of rest by the pool. He is reading a science fiction book, the classic Asimov, he seems calm, relaxed. Although in his dark eyes, every now and then, a few flashes of concern transpire: the quarrel between the drivers and the FISA for the super license fee, the season that is about to begin, full as usual of unknowns, radical changes in the team, and many expectations. Four years at Ferrari. What does it mean for the Italian driver, who has been racing in Formula 1 since 1981, with 89 Grand Prix and five victories, two with Tyrrell and three driving Maranello’s cars?
"A period of my life that I will never forget. In many ways. We went to alternate seasons: 1984 bad, the next one quite good, the past one bad. Based on this alternating performance, the next should be good. The premises are there".
On the basis of what considerations?
"The only real dilemma is the tuning of the car. We arrived late, we don’t know it well yet. We are here to win as always, but we still haven’t had the chance to bring the F1-87 to the limit of its possibilities. The only information I have is that here in Rio we set a better free practice time than the new McLaren, which is an interesting comparison".
About the car: what is its potential compared to the previous one?
"I think it has very high potential. It’s a very sophisticated car, difficult to adjust. But it is also the most carefully designed single seater, at the limit of everything, from weight to size, that is poorly driven. I repeat potentially very good".
There has been a lot of talk about the difficulties you have been experiencing in driving it and the safety of these kind of cars at the limit.
"If you want to be at the top, you can’t make cars like tanks. The protections are at the maximum, but when you get to 200 km/h in a flash it is difficult to make it a sure means. It was done as much as possible".
But there was some controversy: you have to drive with knee pads, shin pads, elbow pads, as American football players...
"Not only us, but also other drivers. The dimensions of the cabin are very small in all cars. You’d have to have Prost’s luck in the physical hall of a jockey. When I first saw the body I asked if it was a scale model. In any case I would be willing to drive even a narrower car if it was winning".
They say that Michele Alboreto is not a great test driver.
"When I went to Tyrrell, he could barely qualify. After two years he won races. Even Piquet couldn’t win with Brabham when it wasn’t competitive. No, they’re all stories. Give me a good car and I can assure you that there will be no problems, not even tuning".
According to what you have seen so far, what will the World Championship that is about to begin be like?
"Very tough, balanced. With three teams above all: Williams, McLaren and Lotus. Then we come and reserve Benetton for an outsider role. The chassis of the cars of Fabi and Boutsen is fantastic, glued to the ground while cornering. But the Ford engine could be a limit if they failed to develop it compared to last year".
Speaking of engines, how’s Ferrari’s new 90° V-cylinder?
"Great. It’s the only thing we’re not worried about right now. We are certainly among the best, high power, prompt response, runs almost like an aspirated".
And we come to John Bernard, the technical manager of Ferrari. A first assessment of this relationship?
"It changed the methodology of the work. But basically it’s always Ferrari that counts. The team is determined, wants to win, from the first to the last of his men. With Berger there are no problems, I always got along with all my teammates. Barnard is a thoughtful technician. I can’t argue that he is like a dad to us, but also an attentive, curious designer, who talks about cars all the time. And it takes into account what we say".
Michele Alboreto will become a father this year. His wife Nadia is expecting a daughter. One more reason for concern?
"I don’t think my family situation will have any influence on racing. In fact, since I’m very happy, the mood is very good. The fans who know me know that I will do my best, without distractions. It’s time for an Italian driver to reach the top. And I’m not just talking about myself. We have to prove that our team is always valid. For those who are there and those who are no more".
A way like any other to dedicate, in advance, any satisfaction to the unforgettable Elio De Angelis. In the meantime, the clash between the drivers and the FISA over-taxation is getting worse, it is getting more complicated. Wednesday, April 8th, 1987 representatives of the drivers - Michele Alboreto, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet - meet with Bernie Ecclestone and Leon, Secretary General of the Federation. No one wants to speak, but the racers call a plenary meeting at 6:00 p.m. to report what happened. It seems that positions are always very far apart. According to Alain Prost, the president of the FISA, Jean-Marie Balestre, in agreement with Bernie Ecclestone, would like in this way to carry out a speech to tax heavily all their earnings. According to rumors the drivers would behave in this way: Friday morning they will get on track ready to take part in the tests. But they won’t pay the tax whose deadline has been set for Thursday at 4:00 p.m.. But what is the reason behind this new tax?
"Since you are always complaining about safety, that there are no helicopters, that the runways are dirty and so on, you too should make a contribution and we consider this tax to be intended for the payment of all the services concerning your safety".
At this point the front of the drivers is broken: some decided to pay, others continue to say no. And declare:
"Very well. If the money we pay grants the enhancement of our security, we want to know how it will be spent, so let us enter the Federation with a special commission".
Clear and sensible speech. But when this comes to the Federation, the Federation turns around and says that this money is not really safety-bound but is indeed destined to cover the federal budget deficit. Moreover, the federal budget of the Federation will be put into crisis this year also by the well-known judicial judgment of a Parisian court, which forced the FISA to pay several billions to Peugeot for the damages that had caused it with the event of the disqualification at the Sanremo Rally of 1986. Alain Prost is about to revive the GPDA, determined to go ahead in this protest also in order to increase the political weight, at the moment almost zero of the drivers are in. The mockery of the FIA immediately triggers even more angry reactions from the drivers who until now had been distracted by the story. The drivers state:
"They don’t know how to run the Federation and we should pay the liabilities? Never. And then why just us? Let all our colleagues from other formulas also pay".
And Michele Alboreto adds:
"The Federation has asked us to pay a super tax as a security fee. We all answered very well, asking immediately afterwards: but what will you do for our safety? No one has yet answered us. I know that when De Angelis died last year the helicopter was missing, that days ago in Rio the helicopter was always missing, that the runway was full of mud and nobody cleaned it. When Arnoux almost killed himself in Jerez two months ago, it was always the helicopter that wasn’t there. Then either the Federation tells us what it intends to do or we won’t pay. But I have no illusions, truth is that we as drivers do not count anything for the Federation and the teams, so in the end they will pay everything and the championship will be saved. But the bitterness still remains - faced with safety problems all make empty promises and this is not nice for a sport currently at the top of the world".
Now we need to see what the Federation will decide to do. If it were to prevent them from trying, the race would be compromised. The Formula 1 World Championship will officially kick off on Friday 10 a.m. at 1:00 p.m. with the first round of qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix. The season opens with news in a climate exasperated both on the competitive and technical level. Motorsport is at the forefront in the professional field, between sponsors, television and entertainment, in a whirlwind of billions that makes the heat of Maradona pale. It is no coincidence that these days there is a new kind of economic relationship between the Federation and the drivers.
But, leaving aside controversy and arguments, the dominant motive of this championship is not only that of the rivalry between Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna or between Williams and McLaren. It is not even represented by the interesting technical innovations, such as the revolutionary active suspension of the Lotus. The main theme of the 1987 season is facing the Japanese challenge. Sport and industry go in symbiosis and so the companies of the Rising Sun also assault the Formula 1 seen as a world showcase. After a brief stint in the 1960s, Honda returned to power in 1983. With a lot of effort, regardless of the initial failures, the Japanese giant pursues very specific objectives that are also commercial. With an annual investment of over $50.000.000, Honda has seized two of the most prestigious Formula 1 teams, providing them with engines. First Williams, with which last year he won the Constructors' World Championship, then Lotus, imposing among other things a Japanese driver, Satoru Nakajima. This is all part of a big strategic plan. Because along with the engines, there’s electronics, turbines, fuels. And then there will be tires and more, while technicians learn, copy, improve, invent, until they create a real blueprint. A plan that includes not only Formula 1 but also Rally (Mazda, Toyota, Subaru, Nissan), and the track in other specialties with the goal of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A real invasion for which you can disturb the rhetoric but always valid is the image of danger. Crowds of Japanese reporters (there are those hired only to photograph all the cars in detail), and several journalists. And at the end of the year we will compete in Suzuka, for the penultimate race, on the track that is the property of Honda, which carries out their tests there. And to think that once Formula 1 was exclusively European heritage with some American support…
It’s also reported that in the short term, Honda will be focusing on aligning a single-seater of their own. Meanwhile, two teams powered by Honda engines are strong contenders for the championship title. Williams, led by Nelson Piquet—the favorite for the World Championship win—relies on his experience and the determination of Nigel Mansell. Lotus, with Ayrton Senna as their spearhead, is also in the hunt for glory. In opposition, McLaren, now without John Barnard but bolstered by Porsche’s engine and Alain Prost’s driving skill, will need to step up. Ferrari, though potentially improving, is still in a state of flux, as they adjust to the new F1-87 car and the dynamic of their mixed Anglo-Italian team. For now, they remain in a somewhat uncertain position, waiting for progress. Then there’s Benetton, who seem to have a strong chassis, but the reliability of their turbo Ford engine remains an unknown. In addition, there are a few cars with naturally aspirated engines, which could be more competitive next year, when turbo engines may no longer be as viable due to new regulatory restrictions. Teams like Tyrrell and March, with their 3500cc Cosworth engines, will be racing for the legacies of Colin Chapman and Jim Clark, although their slower speeds may raise safety concerns. This all sets the stage for a Grand Prix that is set to proceed as planned, after drivers and FISA reached an agreement on Thursday evening. The Federation’s leadership held a press conference to announce that all drivers have been officially registered for the World Championship, signaling the resolution of the super license fee issue through compromise. FISA also revealed plans to revisit the system of fee payments ahead of the San Marino Grand Prix. During the same conference, Alain Prost stood up to clarify the situation further:
"First, the drivers have reformed their association, with the current World Champion serving as president - myself in this case".
Secondly, the payment system will be an equal distribution of the total amount owed to FISA. Each driver will pay around $3,000, and the agreement will be valid for five years, with adjustments based on inflation in France.Prost also noted that, despite this agreement, the drivers still have concerns regarding the 26-car grid limit in Monte Carlo, and many of their safety demands remain unmet. The agreement between FISA and the drivers on super license payments carries significant implications and serves as the foundation for further discussions. FISA may view it as a victory, having secured the required sum of over $50.000 from the drivers, but the matter is far from settled.
A sum that, in the grand scheme, doesn't significantly impact the earnings of Formula 1 drivers. According to Marco Piccinini, Scuderia Ferrari's sporting director, based on information from Bernie Ecclestone, the total earnings for the team this year will amount to $27.000.000. The current number of drivers stands at 26. However, it's important to note that some drivers pay to compete through personal sponsors, while the top five earn an average of $3.000.000 annually. Meanwhile, FISA, led by its pompous and arrogant president Jean-Marie Balestre, has wasted its time issuing a lengthy statement attacking a French journalist from the team, who had criticized him. What FISA fails to recognize is that their actions have only motivated the drivers to stop passively accepting the status quo. In fact, the drivers have called for the abolition of the point-based tax system introduced in the previous year, and have publicly opposed the idea of limiting the grid to 26 cars for the Monte Carlo Grand Prix. More notably, they have resurrected their old GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers’ Association) and appointed Alain Prost as president. Prost, known for his combative nature, is determined to fight for improved safety standards. The drivers’ immediate goal is to secure a place on FISA’s executive committee. Meanwhile, a rumor is circulating: why not tax the profits of the manufacturers, many of whom have amassed enormous wealth over just a few years, with jets, helicopters, and castles to show for it? As these disputes continue to simmer, Friday, April 10th, 1987 marked the first day of practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix, the opening race of the Formula 1 World Championship. As expected, Williams was still dominating the field. Nelson Piquet clocked in a best lap of 1'27"822, averaging 206.231 km/h. Last year, Ayrton Senna had taken pole position with a time of 1'25"501. While the new regulations have managed to slightly dampen the performance of these cars, not everything went smoothly. The new turbo pressure relief valves imposed by FISA were a particular issue. The device, designed to regulate the turbo pressure, failed to work properly. During the untimed morning practice, five of these valves malfunctioned - on the two Ferraris driven by Alboreto and Berger, the Benetton of Fabi, the Brabham of Patrese, and the Lotus of Senna. The core problem lies with the valve itself. This 15 cm long component, placed between the turbocharger system and the engine's air intake, is supposed to maintain a stable pressure, calibrated to a maximum of 4 bars. However, during testing, the valve would misadjust after a few minutes of operation, resulting in a drop in engine power. Nelson Piquet commented on the issue, saying:
"Our car is undoubtedly the best at the moment, but if we don’t address this, we could end up throwing it all away. These engine malfunctions could lead to problems, especially in the race. We could end up retiring prematurely if we don't find a solution".
Ayrton Senna is of the same opinion and is also struggling with a new system of active suspensions, controlled by a complex computer system; the adjustment of the car is difficult. The debut was not entirely negative for Ferrari, which marked the seventh time with Michele Alboreto and the ninth with Gerhard Berger. If you consider that the two F1-87 cars used in the day had not yet covered a meter, you can consider it less serious than the gap between the cars made by Barnard and Williams. Alboreto and Berger also had the misfortune of finding a lot of traffic on the track and could not make a lap without being obstructed. Says the Italian driver, at the end of the tests:
"You could not expect more. In any case it is a very difficult car to drive, which requires special care in tuning. I am always convinced that Barnard has the tools to give us a competitive car but it will take some time to be at the level of the best".
The traffic on the track proved especially frustrating for Nigel Mansell. The Englishman criticized Teo Fabi for impeding his progress while Mansell was attempting to set a fast lap, causing him to lose the provisional pole position. Fabi's teammate snatched the pole away in the final minutes of qualifying. Why did this happen? Simple: With tires that don't degrade as quickly, all teams are sending their cars onto the circuit at the same time, and for nearly the entire hour of qualifying. As a result, it has become nearly impossible to find a clear track, like in previous years, with fewer cars on the circuit.
Among the other noteworthy events of the day were several spins by Andrea De Cesaris, and a mishap involving Spain's Adrian Campos, a rookie driving for Minardi. The Spanish driver nearly faced disqualification after failing to stop at the pit entrance to check the car’s weight. On Sunday, April 12th, 1987, the Brazilian Grand Prix kicked off, and from the start, Nigel Mansell, who had taken pole position, was quickly overtaken by three drivers. The best off the line was Nelson Piquet, followed by Ayrton Senna, and the two Benettons of Teo Fabi and Thierry Boutsen. Behind them were Alain Prost, Gerhard Berger, and Michele Alboreto. However, Piquet's dominance was short-lived. On the seventh lap, he entered the pits for a tire change, holding a 2.38-second lead over Senna. When he returned to the track on lap 12, he was 25.9 seconds behind and immediately began his pursuit. Senna took the lead, with his Lotus, equipped with electronic control suspension, initially holding off the rest of the pack. But it was clear that the Brazilian wouldn't stay in front for long. Prost and Piquet were closing in. By the 11th lap, Alain Prost passed Nigel Mansell, who then returned to the pits for tire changes. On lap 13, Prost was leading, followed by Senna and Thierry Boutsen, while Teo Fabi, plagued by electrical issues in his Benetton, was forced to retire. Prost soon began pulling away from the others. Yet, the pit stops were far from over. When Prost pitted, Piquet, recovering from the back of the field, briefly assumed the lead, ahead of the resilient Boutsen. But like before, Piquet’s lead didn’t last long. Struggling with worn tires, his car began sliding across the track, forcing him to pit once again. From that point on, Prost took full control of the race. He continued unchallenged at the front, eventually securing his first victory of the season—his 26th career win since his debut in 1981, bringing him closer in his rivalry with Jackie Stewart, who had retired with 27 wins. The battle behind Prost remained intense. Senna seemed poised to hold on, but pit stops and eventually an engine failure forced him out of the race. Mansell also faced his own issues. Early in the race, debris thrown from the grandstands made its way into his car’s radiator, causing the engine to overheat. Later, the left rear tire of his Williams failed - a problem reminiscent of the one that had cost him the World Championship in 1986. This wasn’t an explosion like in Adelaide, but it was enough to force him into the pits. As for Ferrari, while Gerhard Berger’s fourth-place finish was notable, the Scuderia’s cars were never truly competitive with the best, as reflected in their lackluster chronometric performance.
The Austrian managed his single-seater well and eventually overtook Michele Alboreto who, however, was in trouble with a car that touched the asphalt with the bottom. The Italian driver tried again to resist, but this cost him a possible placement in the points. In fact, because of the car he touched and the tires now completely worn, he is the author of a spin, finishing at the side of the track, stopped three laps from the end. The professor taught another wonderful lesson. Alain Prost, winning a strange Brazilian Grand Prix, opens the season triumphantly. It was expected to be a fierce fight between Williams and Lotus, an all Brazilian duel between Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna but in the end the World Champion emerged with his McLaren, a car that resists the passage of time. Abandoned by the designer Barnard, who emigrated to Ferrari, McLaren has proved, once again, to be able to improve its cars for small steps and to be unbeatable in the race. The conditions were very different: Williams had dominated in practice, Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet had split the front row at the start. But then in the race the music changed and Alain Prost directed, as he alone knows how to do, this waltz of the tires. It was precisely the tyres that affected the result of the Grand Prix, although it can be said that perhaps Alain Prost would have won equally. The abrasive asphalt of the Jacarepaguà circuit and the scorching heat (30 ºC) forced the teams to schedule an incredible series of tyre changes. Almost all the drivers stopped three times in the pits, And this was perhaps the reason for the dominant uncertainty of the first race of the Formula 1 World Championship. A series of very quick pit stops led to an alternation of drivers in the lead, at least in the very first laps. Then Prost imposed his pace and the race lived only for the placings. In front of 100.000 spectators crazy for the show and the heat (crowded grandstands, hundreds of fainting people), Ferrari got only a fourth place with Gerhard Berger. Michele Alboreto, who was struggling with his team-mate, spun on the third lap and was placed eighth outside the points. It is difficult to determine if the debut of the Ferrari of the John Barnard era was positive or negative, certainly the men, of the Mannello team first appeared disappointed, maybe they had made illusions, after Sunday morning just Michele Alboreto, During the half hour of free practice, he had scored the second half. But there was not much hope for this car that has not yet taken on a definitive set-up. A few kilometers, a lot of work to do.
The three points won by Gerhard Berger are a small incentive. At the end of the race, Michele Alboreto rushed back to the locker room to leave for Italy. Dark on the face, sweaty, fatigued but also clear in speaking, as always:
"It was my mistake, I trusted the tires too much, and the car spun in the last lap. Maybe if I had slowed down, I would have gone all the way and would have scored a point. But that’s hindsight and I was working hard to keep my position".
How come you only made two tire changes while your teammate, Gerhard Berger, made three?
"There was an optional third change. I didn’t see any signals to go for it, so I thought the team advised I could go on like that. Actually I had to slow down, but it was like racing on ice and the risk of going out at every turn was very high, which has happened. From the very beginning, my car’s floor was scraping the ground, which caused significant problems. It was especially noticeable when I tried to fend off Gerhard Berger’s attack—the sparks were flying up into the sky. Unfortunately, that’s just how it played out. I was hoping for a better result, especially since I’d adjusted the car for the race in the morning and secured the second-fastest time behind Prost. But we're still quite a distance away from McLaren’s level."
Anyway, John Barnard adds an important detail, saying that Michele Alboreto probably came out because a bulkhead of the car bottom came off. Meanwhile, Gerhard Berger is not particularly happy with his fourth place finish.
"Berger complained about having problems with the gearbox, I did not fit the fourth and this affected me a lot. Then the continuous tire changes made it impossible to drive concentrated. For three turns you were fine, the next three you slipped away from all sides. However, it seems to me that we are on the right track, that the new Ferrari can always be considered among the best cars, at least in the first group".
The result did not satisfy even Scuderia Ferrari’s sporting director, Marco Piccinini:
"I honestly expected something more, at least in terms of performance. The gaps are too relevant on the lap, although at some point in the race we could maintain a fairly high pace. Overall I think we will have to work a lot".
What about Alain Prost? He is a champion, a man who now combines experience and skill. He took wonderful advantage of the superiority of his car at the distance and did not make the slightest mistake. Even when he got caught up in dangerous overtaking. At the end of the Brazilian Grand Prix, Alain Prost is happy, because perhaps the victory was unexpected.
"It’s true, I’m very happy. Not so much because I got my 26th first place and now I’m just more at a length from Stewart but because I could prove that my team is always outstanding and makes me drive race-winning cars. I feared the radical changes that have taken place, but nothing much has changed. The race, indeed, apart from the physical fatigue, the great concentration and the terrible heat that I had to suffer, was not particularly tough on me. I have always acted with extreme caution, without going to the limit. Only by the three quarters of the race I preferred to increase the pace a bit in order to maintain a certain margin, in case something had happened or if I had to return to the pits and change the tires. I got a great start and as a team we did very well. I think we can keep going this way for the whole championship".
Among the Brazilians, only Nelson Piquet arrived at the finish line and got on the podium. Nelson achieved the second place: not bad but it is clear that he wanted to repeat the successes of the past years at his home track. But what scares him is not so much the defeat, but the fact that this McLaren, as a nightmare, continues to affect the performance of all the others. The Brazilian driver says:
"I’m only happy with this second place because I know all the backstory. If I had been beaten by Prost neatly, I would be undoubtedly worried. Instead, there are facts to be evaluated. After a few laps pieces of paper entered the radiator of my car, the water temperature rose and I had to go back to the pits. This unexpected stop messed up my tire replacement plans and affected my performance. The water temperature has not returned to normal and I could no longer risk, indeed I had to slow down. In short, in order to finish the race well I did not extract the most out of the car and this has affected the result significantly. We have considerable potential on us and I’m sure we will show it in the next Grands Prix".
Stefan Johansson is smiling and feeling satisfied after his divorce with Scuderia Ferrari. The Swede says:
"I think I did well, I didn’t push hard because it didn’t seem the case on a car that I don’t know well enough".
The countless tire changes required during the race certainly affected the result of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The criticism fallen on Goodyear is heavy. Ayrton Senna, facing Leo Mehl, head of the racing sector of the American company, clearly says that the tires were not up to the situation. But Mehl replies harshly:
"The tires performed perfectly, and the pit stops were expected given the nature of the track. After all, they were the same tires used last year".
How do you justify so many stops? And how do you explain the tires exploding in the straight, as it happened to Boutsen and Mansell? Can’t you produce a tire that lasts an entire race? In a competitive season, teams can develop strategies to find better-performing solutions. But in a year dominated by a single supplier, wouldn’t it make more sense to provide more durable tires—for the sake of both the spectacle and the consistency of the race? Such current problems concern not only the duration, but also the continuity of performance. On an abrasive track like that of Jacarepaguà the tires did not last more than seven-eight laps, then the drivers were forced to slow down to avoid going out of the track. It is not a matter of compounds but also of construction. The tyres were reinforced after Adelaide’s troubles and after other problems that arose during Williams' tests in South Africa and England. Now we return to Europe after this trip that has aroused so much curiosity, many controversies and various discussions. The boost valves will still be modified, perhaps the tire problems will not be as severe as in Brazil. There will be three weeks to prepare for the second race of the championship: for Ferrari, managed by John Barnard, this will already be a test of appeal. Alain Prost returns to Europe happy, dragging a bag of golf clubs higher than himself. And leaving behind a fourth, beautiful victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the first race of the Formula 1 World Championship, together with all the worries of the eve. He’s always the man to beat. And his car, McLaren, while changing the order of factors (i.e. the technicians) was again the best in the race. The Frenchman will certainly face the next San Marino Grand Prix with high morale. The same cannot be said, however, for Michele Alboreto who starts a Sunday evening with a lump in his throat, trying to hide a bitterness that perhaps goes beyond the negative result of the first Grand Prix of the season. The Italian driver, on whose hair have sprouted numerous white hairs - “They’re not scared, but they lack the nerve”. - does not speak, does not vent. But he feels a sense of discomfort. Justified concerns, if we analyze the situation. Michele Alboreto risks becoming the predestined victim of an environment that seems to have become hostile to him. It was thought that after four years of Ferrari, of countless sacrifices he could face a season full of prospects, of chances of success. He earned and deserved the grades on the field. But there are still reasons to believe in a reversal of roles within Ferrari. Let’s take a look at the facts. You arrive in Rio and you realize that the reserve car is intended for Gerhard Berger. Says Scuderia Ferrari Sports Director Marco Piccinini:
"The car stayed with #28. As it was at the end of free practice last week".
A simplistic explanation is given: there was plenty of time to adapt it to the Italian driver. Three days of testing and race. Ferrari has at its disposal three pits, one double and one single separated by a wall. In the larger one the car of Alboreto and the reserve car of the Austrian stop. Wasn’t it more practical to leave the two drivers in the same environment instead of separating them, creating a psychological rift? John Barnard worked directly on the car of Gerhard Berger and the most qualified staff, that of Michele Alboreto was entrusted to Nardon, with whom every now and then the English designer had exchanges of information. The Italian driver was forced to try his best especially for the race, while his teammate could better set the qualifying. Result: Gerhard Berger seventh time set, Michele Alboreto as the ninth. That is certainly one way to put him in a state of psychological inferiority. In this way a driver is forced to risk more, and can lose concentration, make mistakes like those happened on track, since Michele Alboreto spun in an attempt to overtake Stefan Johansson and then ended his race finishing off the track. Three laps from the end, his tires were out of use and a bulkhead of the bottom of the car has detached. At this point one can make considerations that do not want to involve Gerhard Berger, nor to question in the slightest its undoubted value. The Austrian was wanted at Ferrari by John Barnard who would have hired him at McLaren if he remained on the British team. It is clear that the English coach defends his choice. Furthermore, John Barnard makes no secret of his intention to have Alain Prost at Ferrari next year. The accounts are soon made. If there is a protagonist in this story destined to succumb, this is Michele Alboreto. McLaren manager Ron Dennis said he had been forced to divorce John Barnard for his interference in team management. And even the good designer had to sell the team shares that were in his possession. Now, as it is said, he has become a shareholder in the British Ferrari, that is, Gto, the company based in Guildford. But this should not allow him to go beyond his technical duties. Total freedom for cars, not men.