.png "os2 trasparenza (1)")
Formula 1 is waiting for two flags. The first is the one that will officially start the 1986 World Championship on Sunday, March 23, 1986, at 1:00 p.m. with the Brazilian Grand Prix. The second, checkered, is the one that will greet the winner at the finish line. At this point. Basically, that's all there is to it: everyone is waiting for the outcome of the race to verify the work done during the long winter break. The World Championship thus begins under the banner of uncertainty. This is not a new fact. In Formula 1 there are always parameters on which to base: the quality of the team and drivers, the means available, the results obtained in the previous championship and during the tests from November to March on different circuits. But every prediction can be upset by facts or, better, by an innovative element: a modified engine, a guessed aerodynamics. In theory, the aces are in the hands of Nelson Piquet and Williams, Alain Prost and McLaren. Then, Ayrton Senna and Lotus, Teo Fabi and Benetton. There are also those who bet on Ferrari, Alboreto and Johansson, and Brabham, Patrese and De Angelis, but the risk is high. The Maranello team has a completely new, undiscovered car, the British one-with the revolutionized BT 55 sole car equipped with a 7-speed gearbox-in last month's testing proved a disaster due to cooling problems. Now Gordon Murray's single-seater has been modified, has two sets of radiators on each side and a wider belly pan inlet, but it remains an unknown. Says Michele Alboreto:
"In Ferrari we are very curious to see if we have worked in the right direction. But don't ask me for a prediction. We'll see later. I would settle for a good start, with the hope of improving then over the course of the championship. In short, to do the reverse of last year".
Alboreto's role is not an easy one. If in 1985 the Italian driver after the first few races, thanks in part to the placings obtained, had implicitly obtained the help of his teammate, he must now regain this position. And if Stefan Johansson were to win a lot of points right away, the parties could be reversed. One fact is certain: they would be happy in Maranello if these were the problems to be addressed. Instead (but this applies to all teams) the Jacarepaguà circuit presents many questions: the great heat, the technical innovations to be tested in the race, the fuel consumption reduced to 195 liters, the choice of tires. By the way: it seems that cars with Goodyear tires will have to stop twice in the race to change them, while Pirelli would have planned only one stop. The drivers for the moment enjoy their last moments of relaxation. On Wednesday, March 19, 1986, the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius in the shade, and many drivers are at the beach, or at the pool gazing not even too detachedly at the local beauties, or playing golf (like Prost and Laffite). The World Champion seems to be the quietest of all:
"They say the favorite is Piquet, at least for this race. The role of outsider suits me just fine. I don't have any problems. I have won a title by now, and I can face the new season with complete peace of mind. It is an extra weapon that I did not have before. Of course, it's not going to be easy, but I'm going to try to do an encore right away".
There is no major breaking news. Benetton has colored the cars of Fabi and Berger with a new look: flashy brushstrokes on a white background. Generally, the single-seaters released in recent times are lower than previous models. And they are also said to go much faster, despite the fuel restriction. Words, in any case, are no longer needed. On Friday, March 1986, at 10:00 a.m. the first round of untimed practice begins, and subsequent qualifying in the afternoon will reveal the first secrets of the long World Championship that will end in October, in Australia. With twenty-five cars and two rookie drivers, Italian Alessandro Nannini and Scottish baronet Johnny Dumfries, Formula 1 finally takes to the track. The World Championship begins under the banner of optimism, although there is no shortage of difficulties. The fall of the dollar has slowed the rise in costs, but at the same time financial commitment and super technical sophistication have made the gap between rich and poor teams ever wider. On one side are McLaren, Ferrari, Williams, Brabham and Lotus; in the middle are Benetton, Ligier, Arrows and Lotus; on the other side are Tyrrell, Zakspeed, Osella, Minardi and Lola. The drivers are anxious to begin the World Championship and look forward to the first practice. On the surface they are all calm confident. But the tension of difficult moments can be felt. Says Nelson Piquet:
"The time has come to discover The Game. I believe I have an outstanding car. My Williams is going strong and possesses incredible road holding. If there are no surprises I am convinced that, with my teammate Nigel Mameli, we will be protagonists in this race. For the World Championship, however, I want to be more cautious. We will see after the next races".
It is the first challenge, one that is met by the rival with much caution. No one dares to make proclamations except Alain Prost, who flaunts a certain confidence. The World Champion is in high spirits. On Thursday, tired of being hounded by photographers on the beach, he puts his back to the lenses by lowering them swimsuit with a gesture of dubious taste. There is very little talk at Ferrari. Except that everything that needed to be said has been said in the past few days. Piero Lardi Ferrari, son of the Modenese manufacturer, commands the expedition. He merely declares:
"We are waiting to see the new car on the track".
Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson simply stand by their best efforts. If the new F1-86 single-seater will allow it, they will certainly not back down. Small changes have already been made on the cars since the Fiorano presentation. But really the level of their competitiveness is not yet known. Last year Alboreto in the 156-85 took pole position, turning in 1'27"76, and then finished second, 3.259 seconds behind Prost. However, there is also the unknown of the weather: it rains a lot on Thursday and the temperature drops. The only one who is happy with this weather situation is Ayrton Senna, who hopes to race on a wet track for three days. The young Brazilian, now almost a national hero (he tarnished Nelson Piquet's fame in Brazil) is eagerly awaited at the test, but he too will be affected not so much by the efficiency of the Lotus as by the Renault engine. Be that as it may, on Friday, March 21, 1986, Formula 1 begins in the sign of Brazilian drivers and with a record. It is that of Nelson Piquet, who with the Williams marks the new record of the Jacarepaguà circuit in 1'26"266, at an average of 209.951 km/h. The previous limit belonged to Michele Alboreto, who last year turned in 1'27"768 on the track's 5031 meters. Nelson Piquet thus accomplished another of his feats. With a single-seater different from those he had driven for seven years, he proves that he has once again chosen the right team at the right time. And moreover, he immediately confirms the eve's predictions that point him as the favorite for victory in the Brazilian Grand Prix, the first of the sixteen races of the World Championship. For the likeable Formula 1 gypsy, in fact, it is a double satisfaction, since he manages to beat his great rival Ayrton Senna, whom they call Halley's Comet here, in homage to the celestial bolide that these days sets the tropical skies ablaze at night. The Lotus driver is not giving up and promises a rematch for the second qualifying round, scheduled for Saturday. Behind the two Brazilians follow, in order, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg, Michele Alboreto, Jacques Laffite and Stefan Johansson. The Englishman from Williams complains of gearbox problems, while the two McLaren drivers point out the chronic inability of their cars to be the best in qualifying.
"But the race will be something else".
He already warns the reigning World Champion. For Ferrari it was an uninspiring day. Alboreto's sixth place is not disastrous (although the gap of about 4 seconds to Piquet's Williams seems abysmal) but it was achieved with the old 156-85 car, while Johansson does not go beyond eighth with the new F1-86. The Italian driver could almost certainly have done better if he had not been held up by an inconvenience. A fuel pump failure that was repeated twice, in the morning at the end of free practice and in the afternoon on the first flying lap in qualifying. Alboreto had already completed about three-quarters of the track and had appeared very fast when he was forced to stop In an attempt to recover the car and then return to the track, Alboreto did not quite get to the side and then had to endure a reprimand from the stewards. After all, however, during free practice in similar situations testing had been interrupted for more than an hour and the attempt was not entirely unfounded.
It is clear, however, that the new Ferrari F1-86 still needs to undergo fine-tuning work, assuming it has underlying qualities, as it seems to have. As early as Saturday there could be some improvement. Some data comfort the impressions beyond the results obtained: only 3 km/h less than Piquet's Williams on the finish line (232 km/h vs. 235 km/h) and 5 km/h less than Berger's very fast Benetton at the fastest point of the circuit (303 km/h to 308 km/h). Says Michele Alboreto, at the end of practice:
"I am not pessimistic, but there is a lot of work to be done".
The first day of the Formula 1 World Championship did not hold any other great excitement. In the noontime trials - as mentioned - there were many interruptions. Three cars powered by a Renault engine caught fire, without serious damage: the Lotus of Dumfries (who was then good in qualifying), the Tyrrell of Streiff and the Ligier of Arnoux. The French company's executives claim not to be concerned because these were three different reasons. However, these unpleasant incidents had already occurred repeatedly in the February tests. Thus an indiscretion immediately leaked out: it seems that Lotus and Tyrrell are ready to lean on Ford as soon as possible, that is, in the coming year. Lotus would have a contract until and including 1987 with Renault, but could find the excuse of a lack of engine development to switch sides. It was not a good day for the Italian racers. Behind Alboreto, first was Teo Fabi, 11th in the new Benetton-BMW. The car complained of grip problems, and the Italian driver says he expected more. But the name of the only Italian driver who took pole position in Indianapolis is also being put among the possible protagonists of the season. As for Andrea De Angelis and Riccardo Patrese, however, it was a day to forget. The Roman was the protagonist of a spin and then broke The engine. For Patrese it was even worse: to complete a lap he took 11'25"561, that is, at an average of 4.998 km/h. Perhaps if he walked he would have been faster. Disappointed with the national soccer team, Brazilians found the new Zico and Socrates in motor racing on Saturday, March 22, 1986. Ayrton Senna and Nelson Piquet will definitely start on the front row at the start of the Formula 1 Brazilian Grand Prix. And the circuit, at the end of practice, turns into an immense Maracana. It is Ayrton Senna da Silva, in his black and gold Lotus, who takes on the role of the goal-scorer. At the very last minute of the second qualifying session, Senna (26 years old on Friday) shreds the track record, turning in 1'25"501, averaging 211.829 km/h. From the crowd scattered in the grandstands and the pits comes a single, deafening scream: just as if a ball had entered the opponent's goal:
"It was beautiful. But I was expecting it. With the car in order I knew I could get down to the 1'25"0. I don't want to make predictions for the race, though. The Grand Prix can be affected by the consumption problems. Starting on pole position here in Brazil is not a big advantage, you can be overcome quite easily. But this result still has a very special flavor for me".
While Senna is being congratulated by all, in the corner of his pit box, Nelson Piquet is chewing bitterly, with one wrist placed in a bag of ice. The two-time World Champion had been right. On Friday, after setting the best time, he had said:
"To be comfortable you need to do at least 1'25"5".
But the Brazilian Williams driver could not defend himself: shortly before, he had been the protagonist of a spectacular and dangerous accident that, among other things, gave him a bruised right wrist. It is a day in which great occasions are experienced. There is also no shortage of dramatic episodes, such as the accident between Michele Alboreto and Patrick Tambay. Elio De Angelis also goes off the track, and Jacques Lafflte risks terribly with a frightening embarkation. All drivers are not physically harmed, fortunately, but there are concrete signs that Formula 1 is going too fast again, that ways must be found to slow the cars down, as was the case at the time of the infamous miniskirts. The sport is successful, it always finds new more or less loyal proselytes, but it must be careful not to overdo it. The Brazilian Grand Prix, however, looks good, with many and great reasons for interest.
There is the technical challenge in fuel consumption, the tire challenge and the engine challenge. There is no shortage of human aspects, with the drivers engaged at the peak of physical endurance, running at over 200 km/h average speed with 40 °C in the shade. Also the emotional duel between Senna and Piquet, in front of the home crowd. Derby. Favorites are always Piquet and Mansell (keep an eye on the stout Englishman), but several outsiders are lurking. First among them are Rosberg and Prost with the McLarens starting further back (seventh and ninth) but are always valued customers. Then the veteran pair Amoux and Laffite with the Ligiers in fourth and fifth (three engines in the top five, quite a coup for Renault). The two Frenchmen, 363 Grand Prix contested and 81 years old in two, might have the advantage of fitting Pirelli tires, which, according to radio-boxes, would not need frequent changes like those who use Goodyear tires. And we come to Ferrari. Alboreto is sixth on the grid, Johansson eighth. The F1-86 shows signs of slight improvement, passing on more acceptable times and gaps. And it records with Alboreto himself the highest speed at the finish line (235.217 km/h) and one of the best at the end of the straight. The reliability and competitiveness in the race remains to be verified. The Italian driver, accident aside, experienced one of the worst (and this time one can say most unfortunate) days of his career. When, with twenty minutes to go, the mechanics finished rebuilding his single-seater with a miracle of skill, he took to the track. But he was unable to complete the fastest lap. Again a fuel pump failure, the third in two days, stopped him, again at the same spot on the circuit three-quarters of the way down the track. The Italian driver rushed back to the pits, and then improved on Friday's time with the old car. In the meantime, an accident involving Nelson Piquet occurred, and it was possible to bring the F1-86 back into the pits. Alboreto was thus able to take the seat (there is currently only one available) and mount it on Johansson's identical car, which had already run out of qualifying tires. When Michele crossed the finish line to launch, the checkered flag was lowered in front of his face. So much contrariness would deserve at least a small reward in the race. Stefan Johansson, at the end of qualifying practice, explains:
"The car has improved. Before it jumps goes a lot in the rear, now this dysfunction has reduced. But I don't want to make predictions either. Let's see in the race because these days we have only given a roughing up of a new car".
For Michele Albereto, the F1-86 is still undiscovered. He hardly ever ran with the new car and qualified both Friday and Saturday with the old model. Despite this he got a very good result and everything bodes quite well. The Italian driver says:
"Everything went wrong, it couldn't have ended worse, but I can see some potential in the car. Now we will try to find out what the glitch is that always causes the fuel pump to break, and then we will try to have a race in the best possible way. I am always very confident, and I hope to get a good result".
Otherwise, Riccardo Patrese set the tenth time and showed some signs of small improvements in the Brabham, which, however, is still struggling with a thousand problems. Teo Fabi lapped only on race tires due to lack of turbo pressure, the other Italians defended themselves as best they could with Andrea De Angelis on the seventh row, and Andrea De Cesaris, Piercarlo Ghinzani and rookie Alessandro Nannini in the last ranks. A race, in short, all to be seen. And tonight many questions will already be answered. On Sunday morning, the Federation issues a statement of protest to the organizers of the Brazilian Grand Prix. The reason for the stance is quite unique: on Friday, practice had been interrupted with some frequency due to cars leaving the track and being recovered by emergency vehicles and brought back to the pits. However, these stops had been prolonged beyond measure. It was later learned that it was the police who had practically blocked off the track for 45 minutes. A diatribe had arisen between the organizers and The police leadership itself over the number of passes to be granted to enter the circuit. The authorities' decision violated--in FISA's opinion-Brazilian law and national and international sports sovereignty, bringing serious harm to the image of motor sports. Since an investigation by the federation did not uncover. Those responsible for the action, described as stupid and scandalous, FISA imposes a fine of $50.000 on the promoter and the organizer (the Automobile Club of Brazil).
In addition, it threatens to cancel the 1987 edition if guarantees are not given that such incidents will not happen again in the future. There is a small but relevant detail to consider. The promoter of the race is Bernie Ecclestone, president of FOCA. II who certainly does not accept certain impositions and especially certain harsh tones of Balestre. The affair could therefore have controversial developments. On Sunday, March 23, 1986, at the start of the Brazilian Grand Prix, while Ayrton Senna immediately sprints to the lead and Nelson Piquet tries to avoid any possible incident, it is Nigel Mansell who seeks the tussle, clamorously misfiring. The English Williams driver, when the green light came on, pressed the accelerator pedal hard, overtook his teammate and slipped in behind Senna. At the sixth corner, at the end of the straight, Mansell tries everything, putting himself on the inside of the Lotus, overtaking it with the nose. But the Brazilian also holds on, keeping his trajectory. Result: the two cars touch each other, damaging the English driver's Williams, which after the skid ends up in the grass damaging itself irreparably. Out of the scene the brave but reckless Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna's escape lasts only three laps. On lap four it is already Piquet at the head of the pack, with Alboreto, author of a splendid start in third position. The trio remains composed until lap 15, while from the thirteenth position, in which he had become entangled, Alain Prost comes out on top, when his teammate Keke Rosberg is already in the pits with a smoking engine, and the Finnish driver is forced to retire. The Frenchman fairly easily overtakes Alboreto's Ferrari (after a tentative pole) and attacks Senna. Meanwhile, the Goodyear-tyred cars begin their pit stops. First is Johansson (who is in sixth position), in the grip of terrible understeer, which will cause him to plummet to 11th place before his retirement that occurred with a spectacular run off the track due to a brake failure, on lap 26. Piquet also stops to change tires and Senna again takes the lead in the race, for only one lap, lap 19. Meanwhile, Michele Alboreto, who also entered the pits, restarts after a few seconds but is forced to have to make a second stop because a wheel had not been tightened properly, In the hurry are things that unfortunately happen, as, moreover, also happens to Elio De Angelis. Alboreto does not lose heart and tries a comeback.
The Italian driver climbs back up to sixth position (from the fourteenth in which he had plummeted), but is forced to stop on lap 35 due to an engine shutdown. Once again, the fourth in three days, the flexible fuel pump shaft failed on his Ferrari. Out went the two McLarens (Prost after seven laps in the lead was also forced to retire on lap 30 at home with engine failure, while Keke Rosberg retired on lap 6, again due to Tag-Porsche engine failure) and the two Ferraris, and it was very easy for Piquet to control the situation. The Brazilian had only forced the pace when Prost attacked. First to catch him and then to pull away from him. With the Frenchman's abandonment, the game ends, as Senna runs at a slower pace than Williams. The albeit good and combative Ayrton Senna climbs to first place again on lap 41, taking advantage of a second tire change made by Nelson Piquet. Only at the rear or in the back positions are struggles noted among the various competitors. Extraordinary, for sixteen laps disputed until the withdrawal due to the failure of a turbine, the test of Andrea De Cesaris, for the first time at the wheel of the Minardi. The Italian thrilled the crowd present at the circuit: starting on the penultimate row, he was six positions ahead after one lap. Then he passed one competitor after another until he moved up to sixth place, preceded only by Piquet, Senna, Prost. Alboreto and Laffite. Just as the talents of old Laffite and Arnoux have not diminished, a pair that gives Ligier great satisfaction with third and fourth place. The two drove like youngsters at their first experience, with enthusiasm and without making any mistakes. Behind, both Martin Brundle, with a Tyrrell that is certainly not among the most competitive cars, and Austrian Gerhard Berger make their way strongly. For the others it is an ordeal, with continuous pit stops: Elio De Angelis (Riccardo Patrese after an excellent start was eliminated by the breakage of a water sleeve) is forced to turn even on three wheels, Teo Fabi disputes the entire race with the engine that seems to run on three cylinders. Courageous but unsuccessful were the efforts of Tambay and Jones with the Lola powered by the Hart engine. The Brazilian Formula 1 derby records, at the Jacarepaguà circuit, the clear victory of Nelson Piquet. A peremptory success, without argument, over rival Ayrton Senna. Thus, as was largely expected, ended the first race of the World Championship. A race that provided indications for the rest of the season, that answered the questions of the eve, but without enthusiasm.
A flat, fairly boring Brazilian Grand Prix, enlivened only by the constant pit stops that eventually threatened to make nothing more clear. Only ten cars crossed the finish line. Behind Piquet and Senna were veterans Laffite and Arnoux, then the younger Brundle and Berger. Missing from the final standings were some of the most anticipated names. Prost and Rosberg, stopped by engine problems, Alboreto and Johansson, the former blocked by the same fault that had plagued him in recent days (the imperfect functioning of the fuel-pump), the latter by the failure of a brake. For Ferrari, therefore, as for McLaren, the World Championship has started uphill, although the men of the Maranello team do not consider the balance of the trip with the new F1/86 completely negative. Last year, even with a rookie car, Scuderia Ferrari had started in pole position and had taken second place with the Italian driver. The whole day then polarized on the Piquet-Senna challenge. The public, more than 100.000 people, indifferent to every other attraction of the race, was perhaps the greatest protagonist. Not least because the constant stops for tire changes well and poorly enlivened the situation and provoked some fictitious front flips. Football stadium cheers, everyone on their feet screaming at the top of their lungs. And flags from the state of São Paulo (Senna) and the state of Brasilia (Piquet). When the two rivals crossed the finish line there was like a roar. And the people, after still skinning their hands to cheer, went home happy, as if Zico and Socrates had scored against the team of the rest of the world. Then on the podium the big celebration, the yellow-green banner in the hands of the two opponents, champagne flowing over the photographers.
With 43-year-old Jacques Laffite almost apologizing for being there. Actually, apart from a fine chase by Prost, crowned on lap 20 of the scheduled 61 by the insertion of the World Champion in first place, the Brazilian of Williams dominated the race, remaining in command for fifty laps. For Piquet, this is the fourteenth Formula 1 victory, for the British team the fourth consecutive victory, if one considers the three with which it had ended last season. And these are precisely the human and technical themes that emerge from the Brazilian Grand Prix: the hunt for Piquet already launched toward the conquest of the third world title and the technical battle that also and above all involves 1 engines, with the Japanese Honda Under attack. Another interesting fact relates to the performance of the cars, which, despite the reduction of the gasoline tank to 195 liters (25 less than in 1985), are traveling at amazing speeds. Piquet completed the fastest lap in 1'33"546, averaging 193 km/h. Over three seconds of improvement, a real gulf. And the overall race limit was also beaten with 1 hour 39'32"583 (184.980 km/h average) versus 1 hour 41'26"115 last year. This means that Formula 1 is truly the most advanced field of experimentation in motor racing. The bogeyman of excessive fuel consumption this time seems to have been avoided. And that, too, is an achievement, technology-wise. The tire battle saw Goodyear prevail, but Pirelli did its part, with three cars in the top six. It would have been interesting to see what would have happened if the Italian company had had at least one of the most competitive cars available. At the end of the race Nelson Piquet appeared extremely satisfied with his success, with this achievement rewarding him for the sacrifices he had made, changing the team.
"Everyone was giving me as the favorite, but it wasn't that easy. You had to get ahead of everyone at the finish line and pay attention to what the others were doing. In any case, the car was fantastic, the engine very easy to drive,-I would always like to have a single-seater like that to race. I made a one-sided TV connection, via the BBC with London and spoke to my team-manager. Frank Williams. I dedicated this success to him. He is nailed on a crib, after the terrible accident two weeks ago in Le Castellet. All of us are waiting for him on the circuit as soon as possible, with the hope that he will make a full recovery".
But the rivalry with Senna?
"This big challenge mostly suits the newspapers. Rivalry is fine, I accept it all. But my real enemy is Nigel Mansell, that is, my teammate. Not because the Englishman is particularly bad towards me but because he has the same car as me, that is, the best car at this time".
Nelson did not seem to suffer much physically after Saturday's accident.
"I have a very good physiotherapist, an Italian, Domenico, and I stopped right away okay. Otherwise I just thought about the race. The only really difficult effort was chasing Prost when he took the lead. In total, though, I pulled hard for about 20 laps. Otherwise I just tried to control the race and everything went well".
Also on the podium is Ayrton Senna. The younger of the two South Americans does not disdain the second position:
"I'm perfectly fine with it; I couldn't do more. My car did not allow me more speed. I am happy because I was able to contain my desire to attack more, to take risks. I would have consumed perhaps too much fuel and would not have been able to get to the end. This is also an experience that counts, which I will treasure".
He is asked about the incident with Mansell.
"I was in my path and had the right to continue on the same direction. He slid in in a brutal way and touched me. I was lucky that I didn't get off the track as well. However, I think he should not have tried to pass at that point".
Much more controversial is the position of the interested party, namely Mansell. The Englishman is furious:
"I had already, overcome him when he squeezed me, touched me and threw me out. That's not how you do it. It's always the same".
Then Nigel thinks for a moment and continues:
"I, too, however, was a fool. I could have waited to try to pass. But in my defense, I have to admit that the car was running so well that I felt confident that I could put myself in the lead right away".
Frank Williams, still hospitalized at London Hospital in Whitechapel after the frightening car accident in France at the end of a day of his team's practice before the trip to Rio, learns with immense joy the news of the success of his car driven by Piquet.
"It's the best tonic I could get".
Exclaims Frank who is still suffering from paraplegia in his lower body. No one is allowed to speak with him directly, but his wife reports by phone her husband's excitement at learning of the Williams-Honda victory. From his hospital bed, Frank remains in contact by telephone with his press officer, Peter Windsor, who in a BBC television studio followed the race live on video. The recording of the race was then not broadcast until late in the evening on the BBC's national network, which, in order to allow Frank to rest without having to wait long, had installed a special closed-circuit link through which Frank was then able to watch the race on video in advance of the time of the television broadcast. The condition of the patron of the Didcot team is stable. According to reports, Frank was confident of success in Rio and now in high spirits he is looking forward to being able to resume his place on the team to make it to the world title. The hospital stay will be very long, however, according to Professor Sid Watkins who had subjected Frank to two operations to alleviate the problems caused by the scary accident. Meanwhile, the Scuderia Ferrari men packed up quickly.
Alboreto left while the race was still in full swing, Johansson stayed until the end to watch his opponents cross the finish line. There is a lot of work to be done: as early as Thursday, March 27, 1986, Mannello's team, along with almost all the other teams, will take to the track for a series of free practice sessions at the Imola circuit. Piero Lardi Ferrari says:
"Despite the huge number of troubles we had the balance is not completely negative. There are some fairly positive indications for the new car, and we will put cubitus to work to make it competitive. We have lacked, unfortunately, reliability. But in terms of speed and performance we are quite satisfied. Few cars traveled faster than ours as long as we were in the race. Prost himself achieved, in the McLaren, a lap time faster than Alboreto in his best pass. This means we are on the right track, although it will be very difficult to get to the top".
As for Johansson, the Swede complained of terrible understeer. His car - according to the technicians - had a different set-up than Alboreto's. Stefan asserts:
"I could hardly drive and eventually my left front brake gave out and I also went out on the dirt. A pity because in any case, despite all the difficulties, given the way the race went, I could also have entered the points zone".
Even Michele Alboreto, although displeased, did not express bitter words before leaving the circuit:
"My single-seater was not running badly and honestly I could also get a good result. We had for three days This problem inside the fuel pump, due to the failure of a hose. On the body of my car this system is attached differently from Johansson's. We should find a solution to eliminate the inconvenience. Otherwise, bad luck aside, I can't complain too much. I have hopes to improve in the next races".
Full satisfaction, however, in the Ligier team. There it should be noted that Laffite and Arnoux, two veterans, captured a very prestigious placing, with Jacques in third and René, in his first race after a season of complete inactivity, in fourth. Credit also goes to the Pirelli tires, which allowed the cars of the two Frenchmen to make only one tire change, while all the cars with Goodyear tires made two stops. Laffite smiles:
"Old hen makes good stock, I honestly did not expect to get a placement. We hope to continue like this throughout the season".
Arnoux is not argumentative with anyone, and in fact he says:
"I'm okay with that. I had a few little problems but overall I'm not complaining. If everything had gone well maybe I could have even attacked Senna for second place".
Laconic comment from Elio De Angelis. eighth with the Brabham:
"They mounted a tire wrong and I went half a lap on three wheels. Then I lost third and fourth gear. The car was very good as a setup and traveled well in the corners. On the straights, however, it was very slow. Hopefully, as time goes on, Brabham will become more competitive".
The Formula 1 World Championship now sets the date for the Spanish Grand Prix at the unfamiliar Jerez track on Sunday, April 13, 1986. There will be three weeks to try to bridge the differences that Nelson Piquet and Williams showed everyone in Brazil. At the moment it seems that the only one who can oppose them is McLaren: the Anglo-German team certainly has the weapons to seek a rematch as soon as possible. Ayrton Senna, good, reckless, will certainly be one of the drivers who will enliven the season. What about Ferrari? We shall see.