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A few days after the announcement of BMW's retirement from Formula 1 at the end of the season, here is an important return. Alfa Romeo returns and from next year will supply a new four-cylinder turbocharged engine to Ligier. Meanwhile, the environment is shaken by rumors concerning Ferrari. According to the opinion of a Milan newspaper, the Maranello team, demoralized by the negative results of recent times, has examined the possibility of a temporary withdrawal. The rumor was immediately denied, or rather downgraded, by the Modenese manufacturer itself.
"The lack of sporting results compounded by the bitterness of repeated critics, in some cases to the point of ridicule, isn't one of the reasons that could lead me to a decision to give up on Formula 1. This is not the response I intend to give to the current situation at Scuderia Ferrari".
On more than one occasion, Enzo Ferrari has declared himself ready to leave Formula 1. But the motivations are quite different and not based on competitive performance. Abandonment would take place if the technical regulations were manipulated for the benefit of those who have little to do with the sport or if the chosen formulas weren't interesting enough for the Italian factory. Ferrari's participation in the American Cart championship, scheduled for the last three races of the season, also has sporting and commercial reasons, given the interest in the US market. Not forgetting the commitments with sponsors, technical collaborators, suppliers, that the Maranello team has made. Not to mention the fact that there is a racing department with 200 employees working. And keeping in mind origins and traditions. In short, only a technical cataclysm would induce a withdrawal. Ferrari remains, therefore, intent on giving a different answer. And back to Alfa Romeo. It had left last year with a promise to return. On Wednesday, 9 July 1986, the full management staff with Dr Giuseppe Tramontana (vice-president and managing director), engineer Eugenio Alzati (general manager), Bruno Rota (external relations director), confirming the value attached to the company's image in the sporting sphere, presented their programmes. First of all, the return to Formula 1 was announced. The four-cylinder turbocharged engine developed under the supervision of Gianni Tonti was given exclusively to Ligier for three years. Why the French team? Because it is a team that has always been at a certain level, which isn't huge. Alfa will provide the engines, the assistance, and take care of the development. The planned expenditure hasn't been defined.
"But it is an operation to safeguard Alfa Romeo and its identity".
This is to make it clear that whoever the next industrial and financial partner is, the Arese company wants to maintain its own character. This is why the Racing Department has been reconstituted, which now has 75 employees and will be expanded, in collaboration with the experience offices for a technical transfer. Meanwhile, back to the main topic, namely the World Championship, Nigel Mansell is forced to play it safe. Until now the Williams driver has been hiding behind the screen of those who say he considers himself only an outsider, that the favorites in the title fight are still Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet. But with three wins to his credit and a second place in the championship standings just one point behind the McLaren Frenchman, the British racer needs to show his skills. The good opportunity comes with the British Grand Prix, the ninth round of the Formula One World Championship, which kicks off on Friday 11 July 1986 with the first day of qualifying. Nigel Mansell is expected to be tested by his rivals, his own team, his team-mate, Nelson Piquet, and by the fans. The Mansell topic is on the crest of a wave not only because of his chances of success. On Thursday 10 July 1986 rumors are circulating that Mansell will sign the contract linking him for another season with Williams: the news is expected to be announced on Friday morning. There are other rumors. After Wednesday's announcement, in which Enzo Ferrari himself spoke of a renewed commitment, there is an increasingly insistent rumor circulating in the environment that the passage of Ayrton Senna and Gérard Ducarouge to the Italian team is imminent. Even the Lotus technician lets it be known that he will define his commitments by the end of the month. It is not certain that he won't stay with the British team, but a sensational move to Maranello, or to another team, is not ruled out either.
Ducarouge has a contract that binds him to Lotus. It is not ironclad, but to dissolve it a penalty will have to be paid. So the offer will have to be very interesting in all respects. And Senna, in all probability, will go with his designer of choice. The fact that there is a lot of talk around Ferrari means that there are clearly doors open to a renewal of some kind. However, these are matters that will be decided in the short term. Meanwhile, on Friday practice will begin. Maybe there will be a new Arrows for Thierry Boutsen, Ferrari has nothing new, Brabham has a new car, i.e. the old BT54 for Riccardo Patrese to try out to see if it goes better than the revolutionary but disappointing BT55. One more news: fans may have noticed Clay Regazzoni's absence from a few races for television commentary. Well, the Swiss newspaper Blick published an entire page in which the former driver bitterly justified his defection for not being paid by RAI. It had only taken a few lackluster races, a serious mistake (the one in Detroit, when he went off the track) and even a bit of bad luck for Nelson Piquet to be put under accusation.
"He isn't the same, he has a lack of concentration, he suffers from the rivalry of his teammate Mansell and Senna".
But the Brazilian is not a man of such fragile nerves and Formula 1 is still his first love. So, on Friday 11 July 1986, in the first qualifying round of the British Grand Prix, he took provisional pole position. It cannot be said that he went extremely fast. In fact, Nelson Piquet's time was 1'07"690, at an average speed of 223.734 km/h, about 0.5 seconds more than the circuit record held by the young Ayrton Senna, with a time of 1' 07"169. But on a day when the track turned out to be slower than expected, Nelson Piquet had no trouble getting ahead of the no longer surprising Gerhard Berger, the highly awaited and also nervous Nigel Mansell, the unfailing Ayrton Senna and Keke Rosberg. They were followed, with quite heavy gaps, by Alain Prost, René Arnoux, Johnny Dumfries and Martin Brundle. Nelson Piquet makes Frank Williams happy, who for the first time returns to the world of Formula 1 after the terrible accident in February. Sitting in a wheelchair, completely immobilized, the English constructor attends practice. A very unfortunate man of great courage. In a press conference, Frank Williams says:
"The team is doing great, they couldn't have done better with me. I hope it continues like this. As for me, I'm starting to move my arms. I actually did it yesterday. I say that in six months I'll be able to shave and push a wheelchair".
Bernie Ecclestone had arranged for Frank Williams, Virginia Williams and a nurse to be flown from Boxford House to the circuit. Frank Williams received a standing ovation as they pushed him into the press room. When Frank and Virginia entered the circuit they were greeted by a large banner in front of the pits:
"Welcome back Frank - from Brands Hatch".
Therefore, preceded by the Lotus of the Scottish Count and the Englishman's uncompetitive Tyrrell, the Ferraris, with the tenth position of Stefan Johansson and the eleventh of Michele Alboreto, fully confirmed expectations. Nothing has changed since the Le Castellet race. In fact, on a track full of slow and fast corners the two F1-86s show all their limits. Abyssal margins of disadvantage (around 4 seconds on the lap) on a track where the average speed is over 220 km/h, just 4206 meters long. Lack of grip, poor traction, understeer, are the usual problems. Despite the engine still running well, as Stefan Johansson is the fastest on the finish line, with 299.215 km/h, and also the fastest on the Pilgrims Drop, the straight, where he reaches 312.390 km/h. Only Gerhard Berger in the Benetton-BMW came close to these peaks, while Nelson Piquet, for example, despite being the best on the lap, passed in the straight at 297.275 km/h, even preceded by the Minardi of the ever-improving Alessandro Nannini, considering the potential of his car. During practice Stefan Johansson experienced some difficulties, perhaps due to the systems, both in the morning and in the afternoon, with the engine shutting down in left-hand bends.
Michele Alboreto, on the other hand, dedicated himself to experiments.
"Nothing has changed, which is why it is better to try new things and sacrifice a race from which we don't expect much at the start. Better to work for the future, even if my determination is still the same. A necessary sacrifice".
Brands Hatch circuit manages to get many drivers into difficulties. Apart from the Williams and Gerhard Berger, everyone complained of a few problems. Ayrton Senna appeared to be struggling with terrible oversteer, which forced him to do stunts. Alain Prost, who has a modified front suspension and a new type of turbine on his McLaren, says at the end of practice:
"This is a very complicated track to understand. And it is difficult to set the car well, also because it's dangerous and wrong judgments could be fatal. However, we should do well in the race".
There were also a couple of spectacular accidents. During free practice Piercarlo Ghinzani collided with Martin Brundle ( because of the English driver). In qualifying Jacques Laffite collided with Keke Rosberg's car:
"Jacques told me that a wheel got stuck and I have forgiven him in the name of an old friendship. If it was anyone else I would kill him".
A bad day for the old Laffite, who also burnt a car due to the failure of a turbo. But the Frenchman didn't mind: this is his Grand Prix number 176. He has joined the great Graham Hill at the top of the veterans' classification and in the next race will become the driver with the most races to his credit. Meanwhile, he promises battle. But that is the intention of all his rivals in the second qualifying round, which will decide the grid for the race. Meanwhile, the drivers' market turns yellow, in every sense of the word. The latest news of the day concerns Lotus. A sensational rumor is circulating that the prestigious English team would have been bought en bloc by Honda. If this were true for Ferrari, goodbye Gérard Ducarouge and Ayrton Senna. According to these rumors, the Japanese would have two teams in 1987: Williams with Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell and Lotus with Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. Yet the British driver keeps repeating that he has not signed any contract. And the Brazilian Lotus driver says he will decide by the end of next week. Regarding Lotus, the president (of the team and the car factory of the same name, which has General Motors as a shareholder), Fred Bushell, made it clear that the Chapman family, owners of the racing team, have no intention of selling it. In short, the mystery continues and is increasingly intricate. The only thing that is certain is that the main questions, those concerning the most important names, will be answered within a few days. Even Ferrari seems to be anxiously awaiting to know certain decisions. The sporting director of the Maranello team, Marco Piccinini, says:
"We are in the consultation phase. We also hope to make our own pentapartite".
Back to the events of the British Grand Prix, Saturday 12 July 1986, at the end of the second practice session, it can be said that Nelson Piquet was racing against everyone. Against the more than 100.000 people cheering Nigel Mansell, against his teammate, against his great rival Ayrton Senna and even against the current World Champion, Alain Prost. This was the dominant reason for the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, the ninth round of the World Championship. The Brazilian star was a candidate for an eventual victory, taking pole position (the 20th of his career) by completing two perfect laps and setting two circuit records, with the overall record lowered to 1'06"961, at the beautiful average of 226.170 km/h, considering that this track has no straight worthy of being defined as such. Behind Nelson Piquet the battle breaks out. Nigel Mansell overtakes Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger, moving onto the front row, the Brazilian passes the Austrian in turn but fails to set the best time. There is also a big step forward for Teo Fabi, seventh, and progress for Derek Warwick in the latest model Brabham.
The Ligiers slowed down, compared to their previous positions, with René Arnoux eighth and Jacques Laffite even nineteenth, with an unplayable car. The palm of the day's black sheep, however, goes to the Scuderia Ferrari, which went beyond even the most negative expectations. Michele Alboreto's twelfth time and Stefan Johansson's eighteenth are the worst of the season. But what is most worrying is the atmosphere inside the Maranello team, tense, gloomy, really bad. On a circuit where engines count for relatively little the chassis of the F1-86 showed all their limits. And as if that wasn't enough, as so often happens in these cases, trouble also hit Michele Alboreto and Stefan Johansson, who for the first time in a long time failed to be the fastest even on the straight. Actually, the two drivers of the Maranello team did not even manage to put in a decent lap. In the morning, during free practice, the electrical systems had gone crazy, even compromising an engine. In the afternoon, during the qualifying session, everything happens. Stefan Johansson hits the track and is immediately the author of a spin due to an engine failure. Michele Alboreto brings the burning car into the pits due to a burst turbine. So only one car remains, with a race engine. The Swede is unable to improve, also due to the presence of oil on the asphalt, and in the last ten minutes the car is given to Michele Alboreto, who on the last lap, driving at the limit, sets a time of 1 '10"338. A time that many rivals clearly beat in race trim, with plenty of fuel in the tank. Stefan Johansson, literally ripped from the car to make room for his team-mate (explains sporting director Marco Piccinini: 'He had run out of tyres') for the first time since he has been at Ferrari, abandons the smiles of convenience to react. The Swedish driver protests at this decision and is furious, to tell the truth, without too many reasons, as Michele Alboreto was also entitled to test the only remaining car. An indignation, however, justified by the nervousness of the moment, which at the end of the season could cost the friendly Nordic driver a high price. Michele Alboreto didn't seem much more cheerful. Dark face, no declaration, just eloquent glances as if to say:
"Help, how low we have fallen".
There are no technical explanations, other than that it was already known that things wouldn't go well at Brands Hatch. At this point it's better to talk about something else. About the fight for the World Championship, for example, which could experience a decisive day. Nelson Piquet says he would like to have an attacking race, to take himself out of the fray immediately. The choice of tyres will be very important. The race, however, won't be very easy for the Brazilian, who will have at his side at the start the unleashed Nigel Mansell and behind him the no less fearsome Ayrton Senna. In the distance then could come Alain Prost, although the McLaren has lately shown signs of inferiority to the Williams due to excessive petrol consumption. Last chance also for Keke Rosberg, who if he doesn't get a major result will be left out of the fray for the title and may even have to look for another team next year. For the rest, there is no more to say. With the exception of the young Teo Fabi, a few sponsors who make a fine display on the bodies of some cars, and a few suppliers of technical details, all the Italian spirit of Formula 1 is relegated to the second half of the grid. As often happens during race weekends, at the end of practice the rumors of the drivers' market begin to circulate. Honda team leader Osamu Goto, at the request of Italian journalists, intrigued and interested by the rumors about the Japanese company's purchase of Lotus, improvises a kind of press conference. Short, black, bespectacled Osamu Goto says:
"We have proposed an agreement to Williams to supply engines for another two years. Senna is the fastest driver and we like him a lot. We don't know Ducarouge well. In any case we will make an official announcement at Hockenheim at the end of the month".
Straight words that at the same time don't bring any new clarification. It seems that the purchase of Lotus by Honda has already taken place anyway. This means that both Ayrton Senna and Gérard Ducarouge would remain in the British team, forming a team that would be potentially difficult to beat. Among other things, an old dream of the French technician's would come true: to have a team to manage that would be set up in some sheds next to the Le Castellet track. How does Ferrari fit into this game?
It seems that the Maranello team is waiting for an answer from Gérard Ducarouge and Ayrton Senna by the Sunday after the British Grand Prix. An answer that can only be negative. So Ferrari will once again be mortified. And it will be forced to look elsewhere. For the driver to stand alongside Michele Alboreto, Ferrari can look to Gerhard Berger and perhaps Nigel Mansell, assuming they are available. Those who will pay dearly will be Williams, who, despite having Honda engines at their disposal, will always be in sub-order to Lotus. However, it must be emphasised how Gérard Ducarouge and Ayrton Senna, very good in the workshop and on the track, have handled the matter very intelligently and profitably. They will be able to aim for the World Championship and earn a huge amount of money: it is whispered of $6.000.000 for the driver, and $1.500.000 for the designer. At the same time, Honda will have in its hands a formidable weapon to magnify its image and increase its penetration in the motor racing market. Ferrari will just have to look for a technician capable of putting the team back in order: perhaps Rory Byrne from Benetton, but it is more likely that it will be forced to dust off the old, timeless Mauro Forghieri. In the Formula One environment, all it takes is for one person to talk to another to give rise to the most fanciful rumours: on Saturday, an executive from Alfa, who was preparing to return to 1987 with Ligier, asked out of curiosity how much Michele Alboreto could cost. And so someone immediately thought of a sensational divorce. Sunday 13 July 1986, at the start of the British Grand Prix Nigel Mansell starts slowly, favoring Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger, Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg, who overtake him. It is clear that something is wrong with his car. In the meantime, Thierry Boutsen loses control of his Arrows, causing a chain accident that leads to Jacques Laffite's Ligier hitting the barriers head-on and involves Christian Danner, Allen Berg, Piercarlo Ghinzani, Jonathan Palmer, Huub Rothengatter, Andrea De Cesaris, Alessandro Nannini, Stefan Johansson, Derek Warwlck, Johnny Dumfries and Martin Brundle. Jonathan Palmeri immediately gets close to Jacques Laffite's car to render aid, as in addition to being a driver, he is also a qualified doctor.
Most of the drivers rushed back to the pits, but Jacques Laffite got trapped in his cockpit and when the trackside crews started to cut him out of the car, the first start was declared void and a second attempt would be made. The accident, which seriously injured the French Ligier driver Jacques Laffite, forces the stewards to stop the race immediately. In any case, the regulations provide for a restart in this case and allow for the replacement of damaged cars. Obviously Jacques Laffite, who was rushed to hospital, Piercarlo Ghinzani, Allen Berg and Christian Danner, who have no spare single-seaters at their disposal, are excluded. Stefan Johansson changes his Ferrari, which is damaged on a radiator. Nigel Mansell takes the reserve car because the differential broke in the first start. And therein lies the key to the race. In the morning a fire had broken out in Nelson Piquet's car due to a broken turbine. The Brazilian had therefore tested the third Williams, but hadn't found it right and had worked to fix the set-up. He then preferred to choose for the race the single-seater that the mechanics had repaired in the meantime. So Nigel Mansell takes the start, the second time, with the car discarded by Nelson Piquet. The start of the race is meanwhile delayed by almost an hour, while Jacques Laffite - with both legs broken - is transported by helicopter to Sidcup hospital. Only when the helicopter returns to the medical center the race can start again. Unfortunately for Jacques Laffite, with the first start declared void, Graham Hill's record remains intact. When the group lined up again, only 22 cars are present. At the second start Nigel Mansell gets off to a good start and moves up to second place, finishing behind Nelson Piquet, while Gerhard Berger gets off to a good start and surprises Ayrton Senna, moving into the third position. During the second lap the Austrian also manages to pass Nigel Mansell, but at the start of the third lap the British driver, having taken the measure of his new car, regains the second position. While Mansell begins to reduce Nelson Piquet's lead, Ayrton Senna has to defend himself against the attacks of Keke Rosberg's McLaren. The Finnish driver's run-up ends on lap 8, due to a gearbox failure, while Nelson Piquet begins to pull away from Nigel Mansell. Around lap 20 the first drivers begin to pull into the pits to change tyres: Alain Prost is the first, on lap 18. The French driver goes from fifth to ninth position. This favors the comeback of Michele Alboreto, who finds himself in fifth position.
On lap 20 Stefan Johansson is forced to retire due to an engine failure, just as he is overtaken by Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell, who are now very close to each other. When the Swede parks his car, Nigel Mansell overtakes Nelson Piquet also due to a gear change error. On lap 22 Gerhard Berger also stops, and a lap later Andrea De Cesaris stops for the same reason: both engines suffer from electrical problems. Also the Ford engine mounted on Alan Jones' Lola stops working properly, due to a problem with the accelerator, and the Australian driver is forced to retire. While Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet fight for first position, Alain Prost is eighth with both Brabhams ahead of him: Derek Warwick is sixth with the new BT55 and Patrese is seventh with the old BT54. While Prost puts Patrese under pressure, Senna returns to the pits for what appears to be a regular stop for a tyre change. In reality, on lap 27, Ayrton Senna is forced to retire due to a gearbox failure. This puts Michele Alboreto in third place, followed by René Arnoux, Derek Warwick, Riccardo Patrese and Alain Prost. Being stuck in traffic, the French McLaren driver starts to risk being lapped. On lap 30 Nelson Piquet pits for a tyre change, while Nigel Mansell performs the same operation two laps later. The English driver's stop is only 9.57 seconds, just enough to re-enter the track in first position but Nelson Piquet, on warmer tyres, attempts to overtake. Nigel Mansel therefore decides to widen the trajectory as much as possible and Nelson Piquet is forced to give up the overtaking move. Subsequently, the positions stabilize. René Arnoux continues alone in third position, but is corrected to make a second pit stop due to a wrong choice of tyre compound during his first stop. As a result, Alain Prost climbs to third place, still far behind the Williams drivers but ready to capitalize if one of them retires or, even better, eliminates each other. However, Nigel Mansell continued his race by remaining quietly in first position, setting several fastest laps, while Riccardo Patrese retired on lap 39 (engine), Teo Fabi on lap 45 (fuel system), Alessandro Nannini on lap 50 (steering) and Michele Alboreto on lap 51, due to turbo problems. On lap 48 Nigel Mansell has to overtake Martin Brundle's Tyrrell, but the moment is inopportune and Nelson Piquet almost takes advantage of it to pass in first potion. The Brazilian is pushed back by his team-mate with a fairly frenetic defensive maneuver. Soon afterwards Alain Prost stops in the pits again to change his tyres, but re-enters the track without losing a position. On lap 60 the Williams drivers, having lapped all the cars, are about to double René Arnoux, who is fourth, for the second time. Nothing could stop Nigel Mansell from winning the British Grand Prix and taking the lead in the World Championship. With five laps to go from the Williams pits a sign is shown to him:
"P2".
The Williams engineers explained that the sign indicated to keep the turbo pressure low to avoid taking risks. Someone claims instead that it was a matter of maintaining positions. Nigel Mansell staggers from his car to the tailgate of a Range Rover to make the short trip to the podium, while 100.000 fans shout their approval. Nelson Piquet has to settle for second place. Almost unnoticed, Alain Prost finishes the race in third place and René Arnoux in fourth. Derek Warwick was fifth in the closing stages, but ran out of fuel and as he tried to reach the finish line by saving fuel, first Martin Brundle and then - on the last lap - Philippe Streiff manage to secure a double points finish. The most intense moment is when Virginia Williams lifts the golden cup, proudly holding it aloft (Frank Williams, who was supposed to be present at practice on Saturday, instead preferred to stay at home and watch the race on television).
"On Sunday Frank wasn't in a good mood, so I went. I don't know exactly why. I think Patrick said I should go on the podium. But I said no. Then he said everyone would like it, so I agreed but only if he came with me. I was terrified, I forced myself not to cry: that was all I could concentrate on, I didn't want to stand there and cry. Afterwards I felt I could no longer look at Nigel and Nelson. I couldn't understand anything or look at anyone. That was emotional".
In sport, as in life, there are those who win and those who lose. Those who cheer and those who suffer. But the Formula 1 British Grand Prix, if it certainly gave Nigel Mansell the best day of his lifetime, with a total triumph that also took him to the top of the World Championship, has been too mean to Jacques Laffite.
The friendly Frenchman was the victim of an accident that sent him to hospital in serious condition, with several leg fractures. One of the most spectacular pile-up in history at the start, a tangle of cars, and for the French driver it was drama, almost certainly the end of his career, if not worse. And to think that it was supposed to be a special day in England for Jacques Laffite. He had to celebrate his race number 176 in Formula 1. Thus, he would have balanced the score with Graham Hill, the leader of the special ranking of drivers who have competed in the most Grand Prix and, in the next race, he would have become number one overall. A title deserved for continuity of results, for commitment, for passion. Instead a cruel fate was waiting for him behind the door. The accident was extremely dangerous, it could even have turned into an even more serious tragedy, given its dynamics, but it only affected the Ligier driver, castigated him for almost twenty years of racing without ever suffering any major damage, and reduced him to a bad shape, as happened to his brother-in-law Jean Pierre Jabouille, who ended up off the track in Montreal in 1980 with fractured legs. The accident at the start was a sneaky one, which was practically only noticed by the spectators who were stationed in the Paddock Hill Bend, the corner that follows the finishing straight. The leaders had come through the most difficult moment unscathed and everyone's eyes were on Nelson Piquet who had taken the lead, ahead of Ayrton Senna while Nigel Mansell appeared to be in trouble, due to a differential failure. When the danger seemed to have passed, the black flags of the stewards appeared along the route, interrupting the race. What was happening? Belgian Thierry Boutsen's Arrows, which was starting in thirteenth position, crashed into the guards on the left, then bounced into the middle of the track, creating chaos. Practically all the cars behind him found the road blocked. A few of them managed to get through with a few bumps, others literally smashed into the improvised obstacle or in resounding exits from the track. Destroyed were the single-seaters coming from the last rows, because they were faster, such as the two Osellas of Allen Berg and Piercarlo Ghinzani. In the great fuss, it was then seen during the TV replay, a red car unintentionally squeezing the #26 Ligier in an attempt to avoid the Arrows and the wreckage of the other cars. It was a red car, probably the Ferrari of Stefan Johansson, or the Zakspeed of Huub Rothengatter. Not even the drivers could give precise indications, such was the confusion. Thierry Boutsen explains:
"I felt a blow from behind, I don't know if someone hit me or if a suspension failed. My car went straight into the barriers and then jumped into the middle of the road. I had a big scare. Luckily I wasn't injured".
The Ligier, squeezed on the right, got stuck under the guardrails, crushed. Rescue services, which immediately arrived on the scene, had to work intensively to free the driver, who was moaning in pain. It took 33 minutes to extract Laffite and take him to the emergency room. An ambulance then transferred the rider to the center of the circuit, where a helicopter took off (an hour had meanwhile passed) for the Queen Mary Hospital in Sidcup, a few kilometers away, where the poor Jacques was hospitalized. Initial X-ray examinations revealed two fractures in the right leg (including the ankle), one in the left leg and injuries in the pelvis. A difficult clinical situation. Before boarding the helicopter, Laffite had asked to be transported to Paris as soon as possible. In the late afternoon, the pilot underwent surgery that lasted an hour and a half and his condition is stable. According to the administrator of the Queen Mary Hospital, the pilot is now in an intensive care unit. But back to the winner. It feels good to win. But of course Nigel Mansell didn't just win. He triumphed, he dominated, he shredded his competitors. It should and could have been Nelson Piquet's race. Alain Prost's revival was expected, Ayrton Senna's attack. Instead came the man of the moment, the calm champion, the driver who loves fishing and playing golf, who lives on the Isle of Man. Fourth success of the season, six first places in the last twelve races. Who would have guessed it only three years ago, when he was at Lotus and had only once been on the podium, with a third place in Austria? And then what determination, what character. At Brands Hatch it was not easy to control the situation, there was tension in the air for so many reasons. For the rivalry within Williams, for the World Championship, for the incident involving a dozen cars at the first start, for the second start. The 31-year-old Englishman was able to overcome everything, he raced like a fury, he conceded nothing. Helped also by a Williams that with a dizzying one-two thanks to Nelson Piquet's second place, dazed the rival teams. Alain Prost, third at the finish, came in almost two laps behind, René Arnoux fourth almost three laps behind, then the two surprising Tyrrell cars of Thierry Brundle and Philippe Streiff in fifth and sixth, almost fifteen kilometers behind.
The most concrete fact then, for the British driver, comes from the World Championship standings: he's first, four points ahead of Alain Prost and 11 ahead of Ayrton Senna. And with one less result possibly to discard compared to the Frenchman, who has so far scored points in eight out of nine races, against his opponent's seven. On the podium, with his little son Leo beside him, waving an English flag, Nigel Mansell, a man who also knows how to be touched, cried. Then, afterwards, in the ritual press conference following the Grand Prix, he almost collapsed, he was very tired, exhausted. But he has the strength to respond, to smile, to say all his happiness. He raced in front of 150.000 enthusiastic people and his first words were for the fans:
"Thank you all for running with me".
Then the explanations, the background of the race.
"It went very well, and it had also gone badly. At the beginning, before the start which was blocked by the accident, I had a problem with the right brake which was fixed on the track. Then my differential practically exploded. I was already thinking about the bad figure, the disappointment. I saw everyone passing me, I was unhappy, especially for my fans who have been following me since Formula Ford, since I was a kid. Then suddenly the black flags for the interruption were thrown in my face and hope was rekindled".
What did Nigel Mansell think during the race?
"I felt sorry for Jaques Laffite whom I consider one of the best drivers, one of my greatest friends. The race? It was the fastest of all the races in my life, I was under pressure. The team was fantastic with me and with Nelson in the stop for the tyre change. Congratulations to Piquet because he was the one who did the set-up of my car in the morning, it fitted me perfectly".
Perhaps there is also some irony towards his teammate, but Nigel does not want to explain himself further.
"I never lowered the pressure. Nor did I want to think about victory, lap by lap, until the end. But I think I deserved it. I worked long and hard these days because I wanted to finish first. And now a weight has been lifted. Nelson? He always pushed me, he was a very difficult opponent".
Mansell is now leading the championship but doesn't want to hear about the title:
"Don't ask me about the World Championship standings. I follow the races as they come, time after time. Above all, I don't want to get emotionally involved, I don't want to make mistakes. During the race I was able to listen to our designer Patrick Head advising me. I didn't think I had much fuel but there weren't any problems with consumption. It's the second victory on this track and it's the most beautiful one. I dedicate it to myself and to England".
Nelson Piquet, dark in the face, doesn't say a word, on the podium, to his team-mate. The Brazilian thinks he gets second-class treatment from the British driver. He is by no means satisfied. This week he will try to have a clarifying talk with Frank Williams who, as everyone knows, is immobilized in a wheelchair. The British constructor will have to tell the two-time World Champion driver whether he should consider himself a second driver.
"It seems clear now that Williams is split into two teams. Nigel Mansell overtook me in a flash thanks to his engine power. When I tried to overtake him he closed the way. In the end I gave up to avoid damage. However, I don't consider the matter closed yet, especially as far as the championship is concerned. There are still seven races to go and anything is possible".
Alain Prost finished on the podium once again, the eighth in a row. But even he wasn't satisfied. He took a lap down, the car was vibrating like crazy, it was certainly not the McLaren that won the two world titles. Perhaps the British team with the German engine has lost the train towards Williams. Or more likely on this track they have failed to set up the car as they wanted and as has happened on other occasions. In any case, it isn't the first time this season that also McLaren has had to submit to unbelievable supremacy by the single-seaters powered by the Japanese engine. Alain Prost doesn't comment. He is angry and also worried. The French driver immediately flies, by helicopter, to the hospital where his friend Jacques Laffite was hospitalized in the meantime. Earlier in the day, he had claimed that this circuit is dangerous, that there aren't enough protections. But with these cars traveling at averages of 208 km/h on a track where there is practically no straight, how do you find absolute safety? A very bad day for the Italian colors: not a car, not a driver at the finish line. Michele Alboreto had a good race, reaching up to third place, but then having to retire. Riccardo Patrese also had a good run, from fifteenth to seventh place, but not even the Italian driver had the satisfaction of finishing in the points. Also out were Andrea De Cesaris, Alessandro Nannini, Teo Fabi, Gerhard Berger's Benetton, which showed great potential; the two Osella cars didn't even start, because they were involved in the initial accident. In short, a complete debacle. At Ferrari, however, there isn't much despair. It was already known that it could have gone wrong, even if at one point in the race there was hope of a few placings. Michele Alboreto at the end of the race, quite peaceful, says:
"There was a gradual drop in engine pressure, slowly, and I had to stop at the side of the track. However, if we see the race from the perspective of the experiments we are conducting, I can't consider the outcome too negative. The car wasn't bad to drive, we hope to get better results in the next Grand Prix, in a couple of weeks at Hockenheim".
For Stefan Johansson - who on Saturday was the protagonist of a rather unpleasant scene towards his team, when he protested because the only car available was given to Alboreto - still another disappointment.
"I had very little power and a lot of understeer. When I tried to catch Brundle's Tyrrell, he would pull me 70-80 meters out of a corner. Nothing to do, once again. I am sorry because I feel that my days at Ferrari won’t last long…".
Among the losers of the British Grand Prix was also Ayrton Senna, whose Lotus these days was never as competitive as it had seemed in other races. The Brazilian broke his gearbox and was hardly in the race.
"I certainly didn't expect such a result, I thought I would at least get a placement. But as far as the world championship is concerned, I never had any illusions. I will continue to fight to the end, maybe there is still hope, but with a Williams like that, the chances go downhill race by race".
Nigel Mansell's stunning victory clarifies the situation in the World Championship, but it certainly complicates things in the difficult puzzle of the drivers' market. If the British driver of Williams, with a lot of skill and even a bit of luck, has put a serious mortgage on the title, the affair concerning the future of Formula 1 seems to have become more complicated. Nigel Mansell has accomplished his masterpiece. Not only on a competitive level, but also on a tactical and psychological one. The victory and the nine points gained, together with the world championship leadership, if they don't mortify the ambitions of his team-mate, Nelson Piquet, they surely cause a psychological backlash in Alain Prost and give a blow to the aspirations of Ayrton Senna, who realizes how fragile his Lotus is on certain occasions.
In addition, the Williams driver will appear this week to discuss his reengagement in a position of strength. It seems that an agreement in general has already been reached, all that is missing is the signature, which is conditioned by differences of opinion on the economic level. Nigel Mansell earned around 800.000.000 lire this year. Now he is asking for a sum close to 2.000.000 lire, not feeling inferior to the figures of Nelson Piquet, Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg who are on the order of 5.000.000 lire per season. If it came to a break-up, the British racer would enter the market, obviously involving many teams. However, everything depends on what will happen in the coming days, as many important decisions are on the table. In fact, the rumor continues to circulate, more and more insistent, that Honda has already bought or intends to buy Lotus in the near future, and together with the English team the technician Gerard Ducarouge and the driver Ayrton Senna. However, there is another sensational rumor. While also Ferrari is in all probability waiting for an answer from the French designer and the Brazilian driver, other teams are moving towards the same goal. These certainly include McLaren, which isn't resigned to a possible second-tier role. The Arab-born millionaire Mansour Ojieh, owner of the team, would make an incredible bid to have the duo considered to be winners. In fact, McLaren has for some years now always moved to get the best: Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg. Now, disappointed with the Finlander who had been taken to goad the French reigning World Champion, it would bet on Ayrton Senna. It has to be said that the engineer who designs the McLarens, the Englishman John Barnard, is highly regarded but the possible arrival of Gérard Ducarouge would put him in difficulty. Barnard, however, would have several offers, from Ford to Ferrari.
And here comes a complicated round that can be summed up with these movements. McLaren asks for Honda engines, gets Ducarouge and Senna. To partly cover the expense, they sell the Tag engines ( whose construction was financed at Porsche) to other teams, among which could be Lotus itself and possibly Benetton. Right now, with BMW leaving at the end of the year, there is a great demand for engines. Ferrari, needing a technical sector coordinator, takes John Barnard and is satisfied with a less important driver than Senna, betting on a name that is still valid, as that of Gerhard Berger. Williams has no choice but to keep the Honda engine (with the risk of being considered a team of secondary importance) or switch to the Renault engine. As one can see, these are very complicated and difficult situations to resolve. These things are being talked about in the environment and, on balance, there is reason to believe that something big is really going to happen. Also because Enzo Ferrari in his most recent statement formally promised a response to the current crisis. Crisis that revealed itself in all its seriousness, even if Michele Alboreto, with great generosity, saw in the performance of his car, in an experimental perspective, something good: in any case, the next few days will be decisive. In the meantime, Ferrari should present some technical innovations (suspension) for the upcoming German Grand Prix. The Hockenheim circuit, in theory, with its long straights, should allow the Maranello cars to achieve better results.