1987 French Grand Prix

The 1987 French Grand Prix, otherwise known as the 73e Grand Prix de France, was the sixth race of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged on the shortened Circuit Paul Ricard on the 5 July 1987.'French GP, 1987', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr442.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019) The race would see Nigel Mansell sweep to victory for , after a race long battle with teammate Nelson Piquet at the head of the field.
It had been advantage Mansell during qualifying, with the Brit claiming pole position as Piquet claimed fourth. They were split by Alain Prost in the and Championship leader Ayrton Senna, with Thierry Boutsen best of the rest in the first of the s.
Mansell would make a strong start to sprint away from Prost into the first corner, while Piquet got the jump on Senna to claim third. The rest of the field were led by Boutsen and his teammate Teo Fabi, the latter scrapping with Michele Alboreto.
Piquet would power past Prost on the run to Signes on the opening tour, before joining Mansell in a quick sprint away from the rest of the field. That left Prost to lead the rest of the field, while a clumsy accident between Stefan Johansson and Andrea de Cesaris left debris at the first corner.
That debris looked to prove crucial a few laps later, with Mansell running over the debris to damage his car. Piquet, meanwhile, would make a rare mistake sliding wide to gift second back to Prost, and was powerless to re-pass the McLaren as his tyres faded.
Yet, Piquet would have an excellent first stop for tyres, jumping both Prost and Mansell to claim the lead. Mansell would also drop behind Prost, Williams taking time to look for damage after his debris strike, although it was not long before the Brit charged past Prost to claim second.
Mansell duly cruised onto the back of Piquet but, try as he might, he could not find a way past the Brazilian to reclaim the lead. That was, until Piquet suddenly slid wide for the second time in the race, gifting the lead to Mansell shortly before they stopped for their third set of tyres.
This time it was Piquet who had the slow stop, stalling as he tried to leave the pits and hence lost ten second. That would effectively end the fight for victory, with Mansell able to cruise to the chequered flag, while Piquet tried in vain to catch his teammate. Prost, meanwhile, would finish third ahead of Senna, while Fabi secured fifth ahead of Philippe Streiff.
Victory propelled Mansell back into the title hunt, moving to within six points of Championship leader Senna. Prost, meanwhile, would move a point behind the leading Brazilian, while Piquet retained third, three of his compatriot out front.
==Background==
Victory in Detroit had ensured that Ayrton Senna left the US in the lead of the Championship, albeit with a slim, two point lead. Alain Prost, former leader, had dropped to second as he looked for a third straight crown, while Nelson Piquet had climbed above Stefan Johansson for third. Behind, Nigel Mansell had retained fifth ahead of Gerhard Berger, with no new names added to the scorers' list in Detroit.
In the Constructors' Championship it had been a relatively neutral day in Motor City, although the gaps at the top of the title hunt had come down. Indeed, while had retained their lead, their advantage over had been reduced to five points, while had closed to within seven of the Anglo-German alliance. Behind, were an increasingly distant but solid fourth, while moved level with in fifth.
Jonathan Palmer had returned to the top of the Jim Clark Trophy in Detroit, opening out a five point gap to Pascal Fabre. The Frenchman himself had overhauled Palmer's teammate Philippe Streiff in Detroit, leaving a point ahead of his compatriot, before a six point gap back to Philippe Alliot. , meanwhile, had continued to dominate the Colin Chapman Trophy, largely due to the fact that they were the only effort fielding two cars.
===Entry list===
The full entry list for the is outlined below:
No. 	Driver 	Entrant 	Constructor 	Chassis 	Engine 	Model 	Tyre
1 	Alain Prost 	Marlboro McLaren International 	 	MP4/3 	 	TTE PO1 1.5 V6t 	
2 	Stefan Johansson 	Marlboro McLaren International 	 	MP4/3 	 	TTE PO1 1.5 V6t 	
3 	Jonathan Palmer 	Data General Team Tyrrell 	 	DG016 	 	DFZ 3.5 V8 	
4 	Philippe Streiff 	Data General Team Tyrrell 	 	DG016 	 	DFZ 3.5 V8 	
5 	Nigel Mansell 	Canon Williams Honda Team 	 	FW11B 	 	RA167E 1.5 V6t 	
6 	Nelson Piquet 	Canon Williams Honda Team 	 	FW11B 	 	RA167E 1.5 V6t 	
7 	Riccardo Patrese 	Motor Racing Developments Ltd. 	 	BT56 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
8 	Andrea de Cesaris 	Motor Racing Developments Ltd. 	 	BT56 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
9 	Martin Brundle 	West Zakspeed Racing 	 	871 	 	1500/4 1.5 L4t 	
10 	Christian Danner 	West Zakspeed Racing 	 	871 	 	1500/4 1.5 L4t 	
11 	Satoru Nakajima 	Camel Team Lotus Honda 	 	99T 	 	RA166E 1.5 V6t 	
12 	Ayrton Senna 	Camel Team Lotus Honda 	 	99T 	 	RA166E 1.5 V6t 	
14 	Pascal Fabre 	Team El Charro AGS 	 	JH22 	 	DFZ 3.5 V8 	
16 	Ivan Capelli 	Leyton House March Racing Team 	 	871 	 	DFZ 3.5 V8 	
17 	Derek Warwick 	USF&G Arrows Megatron 	 	A10 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
18 	Eddie Cheever 	USF&G Arrows Megatron 	 	A10 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
19 	Teo Fabi 	Benetton Formula Ltd. 	 	B187 	 	GBA 1.5 V6t 	
20 	Thierry Boutsen 	Benetton Formula Ltd. 	 	B187 	 	GBA 1.5 V6t 	
21 	Alex Caffi 	Osella Squadra Corse 	 	FA1I 	 	890T 1.5 L4t 	
23 	Adrián Campos 	Minardi F1 Team 	 	M187 	 	615-90 1.5 V6t 	
24 	Alessandro Nannini 	Minardi F1 Team 	 	M187 	 	615-90 1.5 V6t 	
25 	René Arnoux 	Ligier Loto 	 	JS29C 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
26 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	Ligier Loto 	 	JS29C 	 	M12/13 1.5 L4t 	
27 	Michele Alboreto 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	F186 	 	033D 1.5 V6t 	
28 	Gerhard Berger 	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 	 	F187 	 	033D 1.5 V6t 	
30 	Philippe Alliot 	Larrousse & Camels F1 	 	LC87 	 	DFZ 3.5 V8 	
Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Entrants', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2015), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/engages.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)
* Entries with a white background denote eligibility for the Jim Clark Trophy and Colin Chapman Trophy.
==Practice Overview==
==Qualifying==
===Friday Qualifying===
===Saturday Qualifying===
===Qualifying Results===
The full qualifying results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Time 	Time 	Gap
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Q1 	Q2 	Gap
1 	5 	Nigel Mansell 	 	1:06.454 	1:06.705 	—
2 	1 	Alain Prost 	 	1:06.877 	1:07.843 	+0.423s
3 	12 	Ayrton Senna 	 	1:07.303 	1:07.024 	+0.570s
4 	6 	Nelson Piquet 	 	1:07.270 	1:07.140 	+0.686s
5 	20 	Thierry Boutsen 	 	1:08.077 	1:08.176 	+1.623s
6 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	1:08.198 	1:08.335 	+1.744s
7 	19 	Teo Fabi 	 	1:08.293 	1:11.815 	+1.839s
8 	27 	Michele Alboreto 	 	1:08.390 	1:08.916 	+1.936s
9 	2 	Stefan Johansson 	 	1:08.577 	1:09.095 	+2.123s
10 	17 	Derek Warwick 	 	1:09.256 	1:08.800 	+2.346s
11 	8 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	1:09.499 	1:08.949 	+2.495s
12 	7 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	1:09.458 	1:08.993 	+2.539s
13 	25 	René Arnoux 	 	1:09.430 	1:09.970 	+2.976s
14 	18 	Eddie Cheever 	 	1:09.828 	1:09.869 	+3.374s
15 	24 	Alessandro Nannini 	 	1:10.388 	1:09.868 	+3.414s
16 	11 	Satoru Nakajima 	 	1:12.268 	1:10.652 	+4.198s
17 	26 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	 	1:10.798 	1:10.900 	+4.344s
18 	9 	Martin Brundle 	 	1:11.451 	1:11.170 	+4.716s
19 	10 	Christian Danner 	 	1:11.456 	1:11.389 	+4.935s
20 	21 	Alex Caffi 	 	1:12.167 	1:12.555 	+5.713s
21 	23 	Adrián Campos 	 	1:13.145 	1:12.551 	+6.097s
22 	16 	Ivan Capelli 	 	1:13.204 	1:12.654 	+6.200s
23 	30 	Philippe Alliot 	 	1:13.026 	1:14.422 	+6.572s
24 	3 	Jonathan Palmer 	 	1:13.443 	1:13.474 	+6.989s
25 	4 	Philippe Streiff 	 	1:13.533 	1:13.525 	+7.071s
26 	14 	Pascal Fabre 	 	1:14.699 	1:14.787 	+8.245s
Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 1', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'French Grand Prix - QUALIFYING 2', formula1.com, (Formula One World Championship Ltd., 2019), https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/1987/races/516/france/qualifying-1.html, (Accessed 02/04/2019)'France 1987: Qualifications', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/qualification.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)
* A white background indicates an entrant in the Jim Clark Trophy.
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session.
*Bold indicates a driver's best/qualifying time.
===Grid===
==Race==
===Report===
===Results===
The full results for the are outlined below:
Pos. 	No. 	Driver 	Constructor 	Laps 	Time/Retired 	Grid 	Points
1 	5 	Nigel Mansell 	 	80 	1:37:03.839 	1 	9
2 	6 	Nelson Piquet 	 	80 	+7.711s 	4 	6
3 	1 	Alain Prost 	 	80 	+55.255s 	2 	4
4 	12 	Ayrton Senna 	 	79 	+1 Lap 	3 	3
5 	19 	Teo Fabi 	 	77 	+3 Laps 	7 	2
6 (1) 	4 	Philippe Streiff 	 	76 	+4 Laps 	25 	1
7 (2) 	3 	Jonathan Palmer 	 	76 	+4 Laps 	24 	
8 	2 	Stefan Johansson 	 	74 	+6 Laps 	9 	
9 (3) 	14 	Pascal Fabre 	 	74 	+6 Laps 	26 	
Ret 	28 	Gerhard Berger 	 	71 	Suspension 	6 	
NC* 	11 	Satoru Nakajima 	 	71 	+9 Laps 	16 	
Ret 	27 	Michele Alboreto 	 	64 	Engine 	8 	
Ret 	17 	Derek Warwick 	 	62 	Turbo 	10 	
Ret 	30 	Philippe Alliot 	 	57 	Gearbox 	23 	
Ret 	16 	Ivan Capelli 	 	52 	Engine 	22 	
Ret 	23 	Adrián Campos 	 	52 	Turbo 	21 	
Ret 	25 	René Arnoux 	 	33 	Exhaust 	13 	
Ret 	20 	Thierry Boutsen 	 	31 	Engine 	5 	
Ret 	10 	Christian Danner 	 	26 	Overheating 	19 	
Ret 	26 	Piercarlo Ghinzani 	 	24 	Engine 	17 	
Ret 	24 	Alessandro Nannini 	 	23 	Turbo 	15 	
Ret 	7 	Riccardo Patrese 	 	19 	Differential 	12 	
Ret 	9 	Martin Brundle 	 	18 	Wheel 	18 	
Ret 	21 	Alex Caffi 	 	11 	Engine 	20 	
Ret 	8 	Andrea de Cesaris 	 	2 	Turbo 	11 	
Ret 	18 	Eddie Cheever 	 	0 	Electrical 	14 	
Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)	Source:'France 1987: Result', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2016), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france/classement.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)
* A white background indicates an entrant in the Jim Clark Trophy with numbers in brackets indicating their finishing position in that class.
*T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car.
** Nakajima was unable to be classified as he failed to complete 90% of the race distance.
==Milestones==
* Riccardo Patrese started his 150th Grand Prix.'6. France 1987', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/1987/france.aspx, (Accessed 02/04/2019)
* Stefan Johansson started his 50th race.
* Tenth entry for Ivan Capelli.'1987 French GP', chicanef1.com, (Chicane F1, 2014), http://www.chicanef1.com/racetit.pl?year=1987&gp=French%20GP&r=1, (Accessed 02/04/2019)
* Ninth victory for Nigel Mansell.
** This was the 50th win for a car using #5 as its race number.
* claimed their 33rd win as a constructor.
** Twentieth win for as an engine supplier.
* Alain Prost recorded the 140th podium finish for as a constructor.
==Standings==
Ayrton Senna retained the lead in the Championship hunt, although he ended the French Grand Prix just a point ahead of second placed Alain Prost. Nelson Piquet was next, just two further back, while Nigel Mansell's victory shot him back into contention, six off the leader. Stefan Johansson, meanwhile, appeared to have already fallen out of the fight, although he held onto his top five status ahead of Gerhard Berger.
In the Constructors' Championship it was advantage after the battle of Le Castellet, leaving France six ahead of former leaders . The Anglo-German squad had done enough to remain in the fight, however, with losing ground in third. had also lost ground in their lonely fourth place position, while had joined and on four points in fifth.
 
World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers	World Championship for Drivers
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Ayrton Senna 	27 	
2 	Alain Prost 	26 	
3 	Nelson Piquet 	24 	
4 	Nigel Mansell 	21 	1
5 	Stefan Johansson 	13 	1
6 	Gerhard Berger 	9 	
7 	Michele Alboreto 	8 	
8 	Andrea de Cesaris 	4 	
9 	Eddie Cheever 	4 	
10 	Satoru Nakajima 	3 	
11 	Martin Brundle 	2 	
12 	Teo Fabi 	2 	6
13 	Jonathan Palmer 	2 	1
14 	Thierry Boutsen 	2 	1
15 	Philippe Streiff 	1 	3
16 	René Arnoux 	1 	2
17 	Ivan Capelli 	1 	2
World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors	World Championship for Constructors
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	45 	1
2 	 	39 	1
3 	 	30 	
4 	 	17 	
5 	 	4 	
6 	 	4 	
7 	 	4 	2
8 	 	3 	
9 	 	2 	2
10 	 	1 	
11 	 	1 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
===Jim Clark/Colin Chapman Trophy===
Philippe Streiff moved back within three points of teammate Jonathan Palmer at the head of the Jim Clark Trophy chase, and hence moved back ahead of compatriot Pascal Fabre. Philippe Alliot and Ivan Capelli were the only other scorers in the Cup, while continued to dominate the Colin Chapman Trophy after another one-two.
 
Jim Clark Trophy	Jim Clark Trophy	Jim Clark Trophy	Jim Clark Trophy
Pos. 	Driver 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	Jonathan Palmer 	33 	
2 	Philippe Streiff	30 	1
3 	Pascal Fabre 	26 	1
4 	Philippe Alliot 	15 	
5 	Ivan Capelli 	6 	
Colin Chapman Trophy	Colin Chapman Trophy	Colin Chapman Trophy	Colin Chapman Trophy
Pos. 	Team 	Pts. 	+/-
1 	 	63 	
2 	 	26 	
3 	 	15 	
4 	 	6 	
Only point scoring drivers and constructors are shown.
==References==
Images and Videos:
* 
References:
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:Grand Prix articles
Category:1987 Grands Prix
Category:French Grand Prix
Category:Formula One races in France