1987 Formula One World Championship — Piquet’s Redemption
The 1987 Formula One season was a reckoning.
It was the year Nelson Piquet proved that intelligence could conquer emotion — that patience, not passion, wins the crown.
Where 1986 had been fire and heartbreak, 1987 was calculation and control.
Williams still reigned supreme, their FW11B an evolution of perfection.
But inside the team, the tension between Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet had grown poisonous — a silent civil war within a machine built for victory.
And hovering just behind, a yellow-and-black Lotus-Honda carried a young man whose sheer speed was already rewriting the limits of possibility.
His name was Ayrton Senna — and though the title would not yet be his, the future unmistakably was.
Williams and the Weight of Dominance
The FW11B was a masterpiece — a 1,000-horsepower monster balanced by precision engineering.
Patrick Head and Frank Dernie had refined its aerodynamics, its active suspension giving it grace over chaos.
But within its cockpit, two philosophies collided.
Piquet, cold and cerebral, saw racing as geometry.
Mansell, all instinct and emotion, raced as though every lap were a declaration of faith.
Behind them, Senna — driving the Lotus 99T — harnessed Honda power with artistry that bordered on the divine.
The 1987 season would be defined by these three men: the engineer, the warrior, and the prophet.
Round 1: Brazilian Grand Prix — Jacarepaguá (12 April 1987)
Home soil, home heartbreak.
Piquet led early, only to crash violently after a tire failure at 180 mph. He escaped serious injury, but the incident rattled him deeply.
Alain Prost seized the moment, winning comfortably in his McLaren.
For Piquet, the championship began not with triumph — but a reminder of mortality.
Round 2: San Marino Grand Prix — Imola (3 May 1987)
The Tifosi roared for Ferrari’s return, but Williams’ pace was unassailable.
Nigel Mansell, back in rhythm, charged to victory with typical aggression.
Piquet, still cautious after Brazil, finished third — quietly collecting points, quietly plotting.
Round 3: Belgian Grand Prix — Spa-Francorchamps (17 May 1987)
Spa’s rain came and went.
Senna, serene in the Lotus, took victory — his second at the Ardennes circuit.
He glided where others twitched, his yellow helmet moving like a pendulum through the mist.
Piquet finished second; Mansell, frustrated by traffic, trailed home fourth.
Senna was no longer a rising star. He was a storm approaching.
Round 4: Monaco Grand Prix — Monte Carlo (31 May 1987)
The Principality belonged, once again, to Ayrton Senna.
His control was absolute — gentle on throttle, ruthless on precision.
Mansell retired. Piquet, pragmatic as ever, finished third.
It was the Brazilian’s second consecutive victory, and his first true declaration:
“I don’t want to be famous. I want to be the best.”
Round 5: Detroit Grand Prix — Detroit (21 June 1987)
Concrete, heat, attrition — the kind of race only Nigel Mansell could love.
He bullied his car through every wall and bump to win in spectacular fashion.
Behind him, Piquet collected quiet points once again, his strategy already showing its genius.
By mid-season, Mansell had more victories — but Piquet had the lead.
Round 6: French Grand Prix — Le Castellet (5 July 1987)
France bathed in summer light as Nelson Piquet struck back.
He controlled the race from pole, his first win of the season, driving with surgical precision.
Mansell fought hard but fell short — his aggression once again his undoing.
It was a turning point.
Piquet’s methodical approach — finishing every race, never overdriving — was beginning to shape the championship.
Round 7: British Grand Prix — Silverstone (12 July 1987)
A nation held its breath.
Mansell, after losing the lead to Piquet mid-race, made a pit stop for fresh tires — and began one of the greatest charges in Formula One history.
Lap after lap, he closed the gap, the crowd roaring louder each time he appeared.
With two laps remaining, he slipped past Piquet into Copse — and the circuit erupted.
England had its victory.
But Piquet, second again, left with the bigger prize: the points lead.
Round 8: German Grand Prix — Hockenheim (26 July 1987)
Piquet’s patience faltered.
A poor start allowed Senna and Mansell ahead, and a gearbox issue ended his day early.
Mansell seized the win, momentum shifting back once again.
Still, Piquet’s consistency meant he remained ahead in the standings — just barely.
Round 9: Hungarian Grand Prix — Hungaroring (9 August 1987)
Ayrton Senna led most of the race, his Lotus nimble through the tight corners.
But Piquet, relentless, stalked him lap after lap.
With just three laps to go, he forced his way through, claiming victory in a move that echoed his artistry from 1986.
It was Piquet at his finest — calm, patient, lethal.
Round 10: Austrian Grand Prix — Österreichring (16 August 1987)
Chaos from the start — collisions on lap one, then again on the restart.
Mansell’s race ended in flames; Piquet’s ended in triumph.
Another win, another step toward destiny.
The championship was now clearly his to lose.
Round 11: Italian Grand Prix — Monza (6 September 1987)
Ferrari thrilled the home fans with speed but not endurance.
Mansell fought to stay alive in the title hunt, but Piquet, ever the tactician, finished second behind Senna.
He didn’t need to win — only to keep surviving.
He was playing a game Mansell refused to understand.
Round 12: Portuguese Grand Prix — Estoril (20 September 1987)
Prost took victory in Portugal, his McLaren still capable of brilliance.
Mansell and Piquet again finished nose-to-tail — first and second in the standings, last in friendship.
With two rounds remaining, the tension was unbearable.
Round 13: Mexican Grand Prix — Mexico City (18 October 1987)
At altitude, the Honda turbos screamed — but Mansell’s body broke before the machinery did.
A crash in practice injured his back, forcing him to withdraw from the race and the title fight.
Piquet finished second to Prost and secured his third World Drivers’ Championship.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t celebrate. He simply nodded — victory, to him, was arithmetic fulfilled.
Round 14: Australian Grand Prix — Adelaide (15 November 1987)
With the title already his, Piquet cruised to fourth place.
Mansell watched from the pit wall, his hands bandaged, his heart broken.
Senna, meanwhile, ended Lotus’s Honda partnership with another podium — his gaze already fixed on McLaren for 1988.
Epilogue: The Engineer’s Crown
Nelson Piquet’s 1987 championship was not won through emotion or dominance — but through discipline.
He won fewer races than Mansell but made fewer mistakes than anyone.
It was the culmination of a career built on intellect and restraint — and a reminder that Formula One rewards not just courage, but comprehension.
Mansell’s passion made him loved.
Senna’s genius made him feared.
But Piquet’s mind made him champion.
It was the last great triumph of the true turbo age — before the revolution gave way to refinement.
World Drivers’ Champion: Nelson Piquet 🇧🇷 (Williams FW11B, Honda Turbo)
Constructors’ Champion: Williams-Honda 🇬🇧 (FW11B — 9 Wins out of 16 Rounds)
📚 Sources & References — 1987 Formula One World Championship
Primary Historical Records
Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) — Official Results Archive: 1987 Formula One World Championship.
Race results, standings, and regulation changes (active suspension, turbo boost limits).
https://www.fia.comFormula One Management (FOM) — 1987 Season Archive.
Lap charts, race analysis, and Constructors’ standings.
https://www.formula1.com/en/results/1987Williams Heritage Archive (Grove, UK).
FW11B development notes, Honda correspondence, and team strategy records.Lotus Heritage Archive (Norfolk, UK).
Engineering and race notes for the Lotus 99T, Gérard Ducarouge’s setup documentation.McLaren Heritage Archive (Woking, UK).
Prost’s telemetry and post-race analysis reports.
Contemporary & Period Publications
Motor Sport Magazine (1987 Issues, April–November).
Alan Henry & Nigel Roebuck reports:“Piquet’s Redemption.”
“Mansell’s Glory and Grief.”
“Senna Ascending.”
The Autocar & The Motor (UK).
“The Battle Within Williams.”
“Senna and the Science of Precision.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport (Italy).
“Piquet, il Campione Freddo.” October 1987.
“Mansell, il Leone Ferito.”L’Équipe (France).
“Piquet, le Calculateur.” October 1987.
“Senna, l’Ombre du Futur.”O Globo (Brazil).
“Piquet: Três Coroas e Nenhuma Emoção.” October 1987.Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Switzerland).
“Turbo und Taktik — Piquet siegt durch Vernunft.”
Historical Analyses & Books
Henry, Alan. Formula One: The Complete History. Motorbooks International, 2012.
Chapter: “1987 — Piquet’s Redemption.”Hilton, Christopher. Mansell vs. Piquet: The War at Williams. Haynes Publishing, 2004.
Roebuck, Nigel. Grand Prix Greats: The 1980s. Motorbooks, 2010.
Donaldson, Gerald. Grand Prix People. Virgin Books, 1999.
Setright, L.J.K. Drive On! A Social History of the Motor Car. Granta Books, 2003.
Head, Patrick. Williams: Engineering the Edge. Williams Heritage, 2014.
Nye, Doug. The Grand Prix Car 1986–1991. Motor Racing Publications, 1995.
Hilton, Christopher. Ayrton Senna: The Whole Story. Haynes Publishing, 2003.
Documentary & Audio-Visual Material
BBC Archives. “Grand Prix 1987 Season Review.”
FIA Heritage Series. “1987 — Piquet’s Redemption.”
Williams Heritage Films. “The War at Williams.”
ITV Motorsport. “Senna Rising.”
Digital & Museum Archives
Williams Heritage Museum (Grove, UK).
Exhibit: “1987 — The Championship Divided.”Lotus Heritage Collection (Norfolk, UK).
Exhibit: “Senna and the 99T.”Honda Collection Hall (Motegi, Japan).
Display: “FW11B — Engineering the Future.”GrandPrixHistory.org.
“1987: Piquet’s Redemption.”OldRacingCars.com.
Verified chassis records for Williams FW11B, Lotus 99T, and McLaren MP4/3.
