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Compared to last year, Ferrari made a step back. In 1985, indeed, after first test of the season, the Maranello team had in budget a pole position and second place in the race to Alboreto, while Arnoux arrived fourth. Adding, the team was level on points with McLaren in the Championship. Now, with the Brazilian Grand Prix ended, the Maranello team has to work on some positive directions on where to work in the next days on track but also in the workshop to prepare the next Spain Grand Prix, scheduled for April 13, 1986. The new F1-86 puts in evidence some qualities to not underestimate: an excellent top speed (quite always the best of the 3 Brazilian days), a great acceleration and a decent road holding in speed turns. Reliability and efficacy in low turns were lacking (4 identical breakdowns on Alboreto's car, one different, to the brakes, on Johansson's car).
"Our problem is not balancing the car. Meaning put together motor skills obtained on rear wheels with the chance to insert the front end well in turns. In short words, there is the need to work on the front suspension to get the optimal set up of the car. The day we reach this goal will be a great step forward, because we'll have a better use of tyres and an easier type of drive and also beneficial".
On the technical aspect Ferrari should aim to improve brakes and development of the engine. For what concerns the braking system, the trouble happened to Johansson (breakdown of bell that hold the carbon disc) can also be just incidental. But a revision of the system, now completely realized in Maranello ( except for the discs that are made by the French motorhome Sep) is necessary. The discussion on the thruster is more complicated. A lot of observers believed to have noticed that Alboreto's car was equipped with an experimental engine, with better performance. Otherwise the kilometre difference between the Italian and his teammate Johansson can't be explained enough. Unless the Swedish isn't really that much slower than Michele, a second and a half per lap. What makes us think about a more advanced engine is the type of breakdown happened, inside the fuel pomp: the so called flexible shaft that gave way to stress. If they can solve this problem together with a global tune of the new car, maybe in a short time Ferrari could collect the first results of the work done in this last time. While waiting that from Maranello another completely new car is out, officially announced from Enzo Ferrari himself. In occasion of the presentation of the next San Marino Grand Prix, that will be the third of the F1 World Championship (more welcoming track, new paddock, more grandstanding), and for the first time it will be sponsored by Coca-Cola, on Thursday March 27, 1986, the cars left from Brazil have a test day that will continue on Friday and Saturday. 5 teams hit the track for the Goodyear test and Pirelli (with 2 F1-85 and a F1-86); McLaren; Lola; Williams and Benetton. During the morning few laps were done: the most active is Alain Prost, who goes more times while Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet do a reduced activity. The Brazilian from Williams increases the pace in the afternoon, making the best time of the day with 1'28"90, already close to Senna's record ( 1'27"327). Prost, Mansell and Jones complain of engine failure. The Australian officially breaks the first Ford turbo mounted on his Lola. Ayrton Senna is seen in the box in the afternoon, he will just take part in the test on Friday morning. Ferrari isn't particularly brilliant, it will try the time only at the end of the test. Once the tests are ended, after 5 years Formula 1 is back in Spain. During the last race held on the circuit of Jarama, during 1981 championship, the unforgettable Gilles Villeneuve accomplished one of the feats that made him famous, winning the race with a Ferrari that was clearly less competitive than the rivals. On Wednesday April 9, 1986, with a day of free practice at hand, to give a possibility to the drivers to try a new track. Ferrari shows itself in a more humble role, but it doesn't lack of ambition. At least on the progress. The recent tests of Fiorano with F1-86 apparently gave quite positive results, so much to bring about a cautious optimism in the Maranello team, even if anybody at the moment dares to make predictions. Somebody talks about very powerful engines (over 1000 HP in qualifying), about exceptional performance, but everything is to be verified. The fittest man to analyse the situation is the winner of the first race. Nelson Piquet.
"Us from Williams absolutely have to take advantage of the superiority showed at Jacarepaguà. We need to attack, take points that can be very precious after, when other teams will grow, as predictable. Let's take for example Ferrari: it didn't start very bad, even if it didn't collect much, some upgrades will be enough to become competitive. Even if I think that our main rival at Jerez will be McLaren".
And adds:
"The peculiar characteristics of the quite slow track, where medium tyres on lap should around 140 km/h, at least like Monte Carlo, they should level performance of a lot of cars. With regard to my team we should see if FW 11, that behaved very good on fast, will be valid again in this occasion. At the same time the consume of fuel will be more limited".
The two times World Champion is sure that these won't be the only reasons of interest of the race and official tests:
"There will be the new Tyrrell 015 to keep an eye on, even if a completely new car has always some trouble of youth to discover. Then we have to expect some progresses of Brabham, Benetton. In short we are in full tussle, even if for the moment I'm not worried, seeing that Williams is in great shape. Let's say I'm curious".
To return to Ferrari, there are rumours about the future of Stefan Johansson. There are those who argue that the Swede is in danger of being dismissed for poor performance. In reality, the likeable driver didn't shine much in Brazil. We need to see if he had the same material as Alboreto. In any case, only Ferrari has the precise data to evaluate its performance. And above all Johansson must respond to insinuations with results. Let's not forget, however, that at the gates of Maranello a certain Andrea De Cesaris is pressing, indicated as the possible candidate to drive the single-seater that will be sent to the United States for the Indy championship at the end of the season. Thursday 10 April 1986 Alain Prost sets the best time on the day dedicated to reconnaissance of the track for cars and drivers, lapping in 1'25"446, at an average speed of 177.712 km/h. Almost 40 km/h more. Compared to the initial predictions All the calculations were wrong. An average lap speed of around 140 km/h was expected on the new circuit that will host the Spanish Grand Prix. The baptism of the Jerez racetrack takes place without controversy or discussion. The track resists the strain, at least for now. Many drivers criticize the circuit, but nobody disputes it except in words. The facility - pharaonic, very beautiful in execution, costing 20.000.000 dollars to build alone - was in fact finished in record time with an abundance of means, Stairs also made of marble, very large paddocks, seated grandstands for about 100.000 people , good speakers for a hundred nightclubs. But many mistakes have been made on a technical level The pit lane is too narrow, five or six corners have no adequate escape routes (in right-hand turns the cars are faced with dangerous concrete walls), the asphalt the track itself is quite narrow and overtaking is difficult. Nelson Piquet says:
"The bottom of the track is wavy. It was built with an overdone technology. In a year it will have to be redone". It's a pity because the path is demanding and so it requires a drive of precision".
The toughest in comments is Jacques Laffite:
"Too many turns, dangerous points, I really don't like it. I had the chance of building a wonderful track. Instead they did the work alone, without asking anything to the drivers. And here we go again: the mistakes then have to be paid".
A McLaren recovering from Brazil, an always competitive Williams, a Ferrari in full crisis: this - circuit problems aside - the balance of the two and a half hours of free practice. The car of the World Champion, Alain Prost, impresses with its grip, while those of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell confirm their competitiveness. The Maranello team, on the other hand, struggles amidst many problems. About 3.5 seconds of detachment are not few. And Johansson was stopped twice: immediately due to the breakage of an oil pipe and then due to the failure of a turbine. But these are not the only problems that trouble Ferrari, leaving Michele Alboreto unhappy, who hypothesized good progress.
The new F1-86 is not on the road and also in terms of brakes (bleed at least three times) it is not particularly effective. The shock absorbers have been changed, the hardness of the springs varied, but with inconsistent results. There is something wrong with the chassis or suspension. An inconvenience that has been repeated since 1983 in the cars designed by Postlethwaite. One wonders how it is possible, after so many tests, still groping in the dark. And it is understandable why Enzo Ferrari announced the creation of another completely new single-seater. This does not mean that Ferrari does not have the possibility of some improvement. But it will be advisable not to be under any illusions, just as it cannot be hoped that the Brabhams of Patrese and De Angelis, albeit with some small steps forward, will already live up to the expectations aroused by Murray's revolutionary car. In short, the themes proposed are still those of the first race: Williams to beat, with McLaren lurking and Senna as a possible protagonist especially in practice. The first free practice was also concluded, on the Jerez circuit, on Friday 11 April 1986 (the practice began an hour and thirty-five minutes late, given that earlier the stewards had rebelled because they had found around twenty intruders in their ranks supplied regular passes, then there was no radio equipment for communication with the race direction which had been locked up in a warehouse and nobody knew where they were) all the best riders battle it out for an hour, taking incredible risks. They fight on the edge of the thousandths, study trajectories, sophisticated adjustments of the cars, try tyres, modify the aerodynamics. Then he arrives, at the last minute, goes around and beats them all, with abysmal gaps. It is Ayrton Senna da Silva, undoubtedly the fastest driver of the moment in Formula 1, the king of pole position. The scene repeats itself, once again, in the first qualifying session of the Spanish Grand Prix. There are exactly sixty seconds to go until the end of the timed trials. The black and gold Lotus leaves the pits, completes a lap. As soon as the Brazilian crosses the finish line, the race director lowers the chequered flag. But Senna still has one lap available. And right at this moment he sets the first official record of the new circuit, lapping in 1'21"605, at an average of 186.077 km/h.
"I broke the engine, and the mechanics were amazing at changing it. I used a different type of soft tyres, but I can't say which ones. In each case it's still possible to improve, because my car was continuously touching the wavy tarmac".
Ayrton Senna, with his bossy ability, ruins the party to many drivers. To Mansell, who succeeded in staying ahead of his teammate Piquet, to Prost who had the control over the operations in the free practice, and to all the other rivals. The only team to not being disturbed is the one of Maranello, that has other troubles to think about, with Johansson tenth, behind of 4 seconds, and Alboreto thirteenth, at almost 5 seconds. These are the largest gaps that the Maranello team suffered in the last times. The sportive director, Marco Piccinini, explains the not that brilliant situation with a sort of parable:
"When a person doesn't feel that good and when complications arrive, there is the need to make some more in-depth exams to get to the causes. But it doesn't seem that the car is that bad".
The only thing that is certain is that the F1-86 lacks grip, i.e. it slides sideways in all corners. It cannot be said that the engine does not perform well in acceleration, given that it has the third fastest speed at the finish line (259.300 km/h) after Senna (260.486 km/h) and Mansell (259.736 km/h). All this also considering that he certainly exits the curve that leads to the pit straight less quickly. The top speed is not excellent either, with Johansson eighth at 280.241 km/h against the 287.789 km/h of Mansell's William. Aerodynamics, chassis, suspension, shock absorbers: something is not right. And the tragedy is that the Maranello team doesn't know which direction to work in, given that the changes are continuous. At Brabham, for example, the new BT55 is desperate, but Gordon Murray seems to know that the front frame needs to be stiffened and that the fuel pump needs to be overhauled, which causes problems in the tank. All this in the midst of a lot of other troubles: Johansson caused a scuffle in the garage as he returned with the reserve car ablaze, perhaps due to a fuel leak. On Alboreto's car the left axle shaft broke in the morning and the right one in the afternoon.
And the Italian driver was left stranded twice. In short, the prospects are not good, even if hope is the last to die. There's always time to change everything during the season; car, drivers, technicians Last year Ferrari started very well and finished badly. Now it might be the other way around. Or at least it seems to be getting off to a bad start, so much so that it will only get better later on. For the rest, nothing important to report: the Benettons and Brabhams are growing slightly. Osella and Minardi, within the limits of their possibilities, are always oriented towards the last rows. On Saturday April 12, 1986, at the end of the second session of tests, the starting grid of the Spain Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix seem the same, at least for what concerns the first 3 places: Senna with pole position, Piquet alongside him and Mansell behind him. The news are behind, with a light improvement of McLaren (Prost fourth, Rosberg fifth) and with relegation of Ferrari. In Rio de Janeiro Alboreto was sixth, Johansson eight. In Jerez the Swedish starts with the eleventh time, the Italian with the thirteenth. Inside the box of Ferrari there are no dramas for the crisis of the beginning of the season. On Saturday morning, the drivers, the technicians and the sportive director, Marco Piccinini try explaining and calming down the controversy already flaring up.
“There are problems, that's obvious. The fine-tuning of the new car affects the results and also the reliability. There are shortcomings that need to be addressed. However, this is what Ferrari is able to express technically at the moment. It is a situation that has been going on for some years. Team management managers are aware of what is going on. New solutions are being developed, but this will not happen in the short term. It must not be forgotten that Ferrari also suffers from a cultural inferiority in terms of aerodynamics. The other teams have long had treadmill wind tunnels, which Ferrari is building at Fiorano. It will be the first in Italy, in short we are working. Of course, it is a bitter period".
And Michele Alboreto says:
“With this car we haven't yet been able to run quiet qualifying sessions. There is no doubt that we need to improve it. The commitment is there: our position on the starting grid is the best we could get. With a good set-up it will be possible to finish in the top six, but you can't think of beating Williams and McLaren. The technicians are studying modifications, but it is difficult to make them overnight. The engine is the detail that gives us the least problems. For the rest, adherence is lacking".
There has been talk in recent days (after the failure of three axle shafts on the Alboreto car, two on Friday and one on Saturday) of tests carried out with a new type of differential. But Piccinini denies this hypothesis, saying that it is probably a material defect. In the Spanish Grand Prix, the second round of the World Championship, a duel is still in sight between the Williams, with team mates, Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell, lined up against each other, and between the McLarens, with the Champion of the World, Alain Prost, and Keke Rosberg, closer to the summit and therefore very dangerous. And then, of course, there's Ayrton Senna. The Brazilian is the main outsider, also because the characteristics of the track, narrow and winding, could allow him a victorious obstructionist tactic, just like Gilles Villeneuve did at Jarama in 1981. It was thought that this Jerez circuit would not cause fuel problems of petrol. Instead, the calculations made by the technicians since last Thursday make it clear that the averages reached (over 186 km/h for the Lotus in qualifying) do not allow for peace of mind. One more unknown factor to add to the usual one regarding the tyres: how many changes will it take to complete the race, assuming that someone chooses risky solutions to go faster? In the second round of timed qualifying, fifteen drivers improve their performances. But no one can come close to Ayrton Senna's time. Thus the Brazilian conquers his ninth pole position, the third in a row if we consider the last one from last year in Australia. A beautiful phenomenon. Senna also leads the Lotus to cross the finish line of 100 first places on the starting grid. A sequence that had been started by Stirling Moss in 1960 in Monte-Carlo with the 18 model, powered by a 4-cylinder Coventry-Climax. However, the absolute record belongs to Ferrari with 103 pole positions: a record that risks being surpassed during the course of the season. During the tests, Senna remained in a corner to time his opponents.
It was only when Piquet, Mansell and Prost closed the gaps that it was decided to take to the track. And he clocked a time of 1'21"924, the best of the day. Immediately afterwards the other drivers agreed in chorus that their efforts were useless: they didn't think they could do better than Ayrton Senna. Nelson Piquet is satisfied anyway. At least he is again ahead of Nigel Mansell. Nobody makes sure predictions, bombastic proclamations. The race will be very tough, difficult for everyone. A winner to be sought among the top five at the start, possibility of placing for the rediscovered René Arnoux (well ahead of the Ferraris.. .), for Gerhard Berger, Jacques Laffite and Teo Fabi. Speaking of the Ligier: each team equipped with Renault engines has only one propeller of the new model with pneumatic valves. René Arnoux has decided to leave it to Jacques Laffite for seniority reasons. Ferrari tried to defend itself but in vain. Alboreto was blocked with the race car due to an oil leak from the engine cover. Then in the reserve car he broke the left axle shaft, going from 1'26"554 to 1'26"094 in total. And to think that in the morning in free practice he had reached 1'25"997. A sign that the Italian driver really didn't have a chance. Stefan Johansson laps uselessly with his F1-86 which slips to the side with terrible understeer. The crisis is also full for Brabham Riccardo Patrese with the engine hiccupping. Elio De Angelis forced to drive a car which, apart from the other problems, does not feel the adjustments and changes that are made. Sunday 13 April 1986, at the start of the Spanish Grand Prix, it was immediately clear that there would have been a good battle, given the characteristics of the narrow and winding track. In the first corner, Laffite hits Fabi's Benetton, taking off his front wing. The Italian driver was forced to stop in the garage to change it, thus starting a long chase. Immediately after Jones's Lola and Palmer's Zakspeed collide and both drivers are forced to retire. The Minardis were also out, not completing even one lap due to transmission failure. Senna immediately took the lead of the race, followed by Piquet, Mansell, Rosberg and Prost. A quintet that practically dominates the race, providing the greatest emotions. We are also witnessing an excellent start for the Ferraris, both gaining three positions on the grid. In this first phase the Brazilian's Lotus #12 slows down the pace of the leaders, so much so that Arnoux, Laffite, Alboreto and Johansson give the impression of being able to reunite.
But the illusion didn't last long: first the Swede crashed against a row of protective tyres, then the Italian rider, slowed down by a problem with a wheel, perhaps caused by the brake, lost ground, up to the final stop and retirement with the left front tire practically blocked. Once Arnoux's Ligier collapsed, Laffite was also in crisis, victory became a matter of the first five drivers, a kind of little train with Senna in the role of locomotive. Mansell overtook Piquet in difficulty (the Brazilian's car was never perfect, then the engine would fail during lap 39), Prost passed Rosberg struggling with already deteriorated tires and with the on-board computer signalling excessive fuel consumption. On lap 40, with Brundie's Tyrrell in the way for a lap, Mansell took the lead. The Englishman pushes the accelerator pedal hard on the straight, passing the Brazilian's Lotus on the inside. But Senna and Prost leave no room for their rival and meter by meter they bring themselves close to the English Williams driver. Mansell also takes a big risk in lapping Rosberg, now seriously late. Starting from lap 59, Senna launches a series of attacks: first on the inside, then on the outside: incredible manoeuvres, with braking that leads to blocking of the tyres. High stunt numbers. During lap 63 Senna slips into a point, in the most difficult part of the track, where in theory you cannot pass. Mansell has some problems, and in fact immediately afterwards he stops in the pits to change the tyres, which are now completely worn out. The English rider rejoined the track with a 19 second disadvantage. But he recovers three seconds per lap, passes Prost, who manages to keep him behind for a couple of kilometres, and recovers on Senna. Mansell arrived behind the Brazilian driver's Lotus right at the entrance to the last straight and began overtaking, while Senna looked for the trajectory and tried to remove his rival from the slipstream. The two cars arrive side by side at the finish line, but the black nose of the Lotus passes first. Ayrton Senna wins the Spanish Grand Prix, followed by Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Keke Rosberg, one lap late, then Teo Fabi and Gerhard Berger. The Formula 1 circus put on a show in the Spanish Grand Prix, the second round of the World Championship. A beautiful race, drawn up to the last metre, like we haven't seen for a long time. Ayrton Senna won, the new leader of the World Championship standings. The Lotus driver took immediate revenge on his compatriot and rival Nelson Piquet, by whom he had been beaten in Brazil.
Ayrton Senna rejected, right on the finish line, the attack of another great protagonist of the race, Nigel Mansell. The Brazilian overtook the Englishman from Williams by 0.014 seconds, a space which at about 250 km/h can be calculated in about fifty centimetres, less than a tyre. Only in 1971 did two drivers come closer: Peterson and Gethin, classified by 0.01 seconds in the Italian Grand Prix, held at Monza. But perhaps chronometers were less sophisticated and less precise then. When the technicians dealt with the layout of the systems of the new circuit which hosted a splendid Spanish Grand Prix, they traced the finish line about three quarters of the way down the pit straight. Then they realized that the strip was too far forward of the timing booth and they moved it back about twenty meters. On the asphalt there are still traces of the first measurement. Perhaps it was precisely these 20 meters that allowed Ayrton Senna to take the third victory of his career, after those obtained last year in Portugal, under a pouring rain, and in Belgium, again on a wet track. The Brazilian resisted in an incredible sprint to the return of a formidable opponent like Nigel Mansell, who was driving a Williams much faster than his Lotus. Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, two different drivers, but two champions sharing the pleasure of thrilling driving, made the few spectators present at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit relive that epic duel between Gilles Villeneuve and René Arnoux. Wheel to wheel, braking to the limit, unbelievable risks. Everything went fine. Very good. The two proved to have perfect control of single-seaters launched at 280 km/h. If one of the two was wrong, someone could have launched criticisms, arguing that it always ends like this when one is too reckless. But when the fight on equal terms is at these levels, there are no controversies that hold. So much so that Senna and Mansell, after accusing each other of previous and current misconduct, both speak of a beautiful race. A kind of bullfight, which had bullfighters of great class in Brazilian and English, and luxury picadors like Prost and Rosberg. For some time now, someone has defined him as the new Jim Clark, but he refuses all labels and comparisons. He just wants to be himself. He is hated by some rivals, feared, envied and also, by now, greatly admired by the fans. Ayrton Senna, 26 years old, two seasons in Formula 1, 32 races entered, 9 pole positions and three victories. This is how the winner of the Spanish Grand Prix presents himself. The Brazilian fought with a car that was slightly inferior to those of his opponents and managed to win, partly through skill, partly by luck, a lot thanks to that type of genius-recklessness that distinguishes the champions.
"Of the 3 conquered victories, this is the only one in which I had to fight. It was difficult to find the right pace in the race, I get nervous. The on-board computer was telling me that I would have had problems with fuel. Then Mansell was very fast. The power difference between the engine and the one of my Lotus was evident".
Why didn't you change tyres?
"Luckily Rosberg had problems before me. So he went to the box. In the end I did the same, I was left without tyres and I was skidding from a side to the other. Everything went fine, I have to thank the good luck but also the effort from myself and the team".
Nigel Mansell accepts defeat with his usual way of behaving, at ease, without creating controversy. It will be for another time. He is also on the crest of the way, one of the bigger main characters in Formula 1".
"I was back in the box to change tyres when they told me by radio. Maybe if we did that earlier it would have been better, I would have the chance of attacking Senna before the last lap. It went bad. But Williams did an amazing work allowing me to get back on track only losing 19" between pit stop and slowdown. Being defeated like this is incredible. I had problems of consuming in the first 30 laps and then with the loss of weight everything went fine. Did you see Williams? A perfect car. We will still have our satisfactions".
On the podium, next to Senna and Mansell, there is the World Championship, Alain Prost.
"The fuel problem was a disaster. I think I have finished with little more than a liter. I thought I could have won. Instead then I realised that with that tyres, now done and without fuel, there was nothing else to do. In each case the result of the Spain Grand Prix is ok with me. It means that McLaren is in progress. We have new technicians who are busy with the engine, we were able to cancel the problems that didn't allow us to conquer points in the first race of the season. In short, in the next tests, you will hear about us again. We are not defeated for sure. Instead, imagining a very uncertain championship, a fight that won't last until last race. At least I hope".
Instead, the part of the bull was played by Ferrari, mercilessly mated with no possibility of escape. Again a double withdrawal, again a disappointment. Even that famous reliability which was the strong point of the Maranello team, that characteristic which allowed to save what could be saved in the inevitable periods of depression, has failed. Stefan Johansson out after eleven laps, while he was in eighth position. Alboreto stopped in the pits on lap 22. Both cars blocked by brake failure, with a serious risk for the Swede. Johansson, who went off the track, hit the protective tires receiving a strong whiplash in the back. He got out of the car, fell to the ground, breathless, but then promptly recovered, with no damage, if not a contusion. But if the Ferrari driver overcame the mishap well, it is hard to see how the Maranello team will be able to leave this negative period in the short term. The F1-86 daughter-in-law highlighted drawbacks that had already made Michele Alboreto practically lose the World Championship at the end of the season last year: lack of grip, failures and overlapping problems, which make everything more difficult. Ferrari has already overcome difficult moments, it remained from 1965 to 1974 without winning a title. But then it has always known how to recover and it is not for nothing that it remains the team that boasts the highest number of victories, pole positions and fastest laps. Now it's really a question of rearranging ideas, of rediscovering that competitiveness that has been lost but not lost definitively. We have to start over, step by step, methodically, humbly. As mentioned, at Ferrari there is no resignation but only bitterness. Not surprisingly, Michele Alboreto does not seem to be very dejected at the end of the race:
"One is not good for us. I also stopped to change tires but in reality my front left wheel was semi-locked. We don't know exactly what it is yet, but a brake has certainly done something wrong".
Does F1-86 have any chance of progressing, of improving, of bringing positive results to the team?
"I think this car is capable of improving if certain things are done. You have to work hard and above all know how to suffer in silence. Problems cannot be solved with words. Already on Friday and Saturday we will be in Imola for some tests. Then we will continue in this way, trying to find the main defects of the car. We have already identified some of them, fortunately. And this, perhaps, is the first step forward. Then I believe that in the next races we will also be able to obtain some satisfactory results. However, I do not want to make predictions or set terms. Times are quite long. I believe that before the Italian Grand Prix in September, we can't delude ourselves that we will reach the top".
Next to the Italian, Stefan Johansson is smiling, despite the bad accident in which he was the protagonist. The Swede ended up against the guards, received a strong push against his back and was transported to the emergency room for a few minutes. The Swede, with his usual good humour, tells his story:
"I was picked up by an ambulance which practically went around the circuit on dirt roads, like a motocross car. We were jumping all over the place and I was banging on the back. It was pain every time. We reached the climax when they had to unload me to go to the infirmary. They leaned me towards the stretcher and missed the shot, sending me slamming my back against the ground again. Luckily it was nothing serious. I think it's just a bruise, a couple days off, a few massages, and I'll be good to go. It's not a lucky time for us".
Even the sporting director, Marco Piccinini, reiterates the concept:
"A difficult moment, there is no denying it. But, after all, it can't always go well. We have drawbacks, and unfortunately with all these problems and the loss of reliability, you can't work as you would like. We can't test enough to fix the issues. The only glimmer we had in these days was during the race: in the first laps, the very first, we were faster than everyone else. This means that the car with a full tank of petrol, maximum load and good tires is quite competitive".
The Maranello team is evidently going through a period of tarnishing, in all probability due to the rapid evolution with which Formula 1 has moved from an artisanal sport to an industrial challenge. Behind McLaren is Porsche, now behind Lotus is Renault, behind Williams is Honda. Some will say that Fiat is behind Maranello. It is true. But the relationship is different. Ferrari acts with full autonomy and - above all - it is a team that does almost everything by itself, even in the smallest details. This means a constant commitment on all fronts and the aid arriving from Turin is not enough. It is one thing to buy a gearbox, an engine and brakes from the best suppliers on the market, it is quite another to do it yourself. Let's just hit the brakes. Since the beginning of the year, Scuderia Ferrari has decided to build them itself. Let's leave aside the reasons (industrial secrets, the possibility of carrying out more advanced studies...). The fact remains that it is an extra commitment, more material to be tested, to be developed. So it happens that out of four participations in 1986, there are three withdrawals due to braking system failures. It is clear that Ferrari is working to put a stop to the descent. But don't expect a quick recovery. Too many commitments, including the Indianapolis program and the new car, truly revolutionizing it, which should be ready by August or September. At Imola, Sunday 27 April 1986, the fans of the Maranello team will still have to be patient. The only satisfaction for the Italian colours comes for the second time from the Benetton team: Teo Fabi, the man from Indianapolis, in fifth position, Gerard Berger immediately after, still in the points. Some satisfaction also for Pirelli, betrayed for the moment by a Brabham still in full crisis and by a Ligier which had to retire due to the drive shafts which gave way when Arnoux and Laffite could collect results of a certain importance. After the Spanish Grand Prix, when the organizers empty the coffers on Sunday evening, they almost fainted. Fewer than 15.000 paying spectators attended the Grand Prix. A resounding economic loss. But there are responsibilities: new circuit, without traditions, difficult to reach places, wrong period, too high prices. Sin. The effort had been considerable, he deserved more. It will serve as a lesson for the future. Nonetheless, the race was very good. And Senna deserved to win. Because in addition to his recognized qualities (excellent tuning of the car, driving sensitivity and courage) he has also acquired tactical intelligence. He slowed down the group for 39 laps, he attacked trusting his acrobatics when the others were in trouble, he defended himself to the limit in the final stages.