1986 Australian Grand Prix
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Results from the 1986 Formula One Australian Grand Prix held at Adelaide on October 26, 1986
Contents |
[edit] Classification
[edit] Race summary
Perhaps the most dramatic and exciting finish to a Formula One season played out at the 1986 Australian Grand Prix. Coming into the race, three drivers were in a battle for the World Championship: Nigel Mansell (on 70 points), Alain Prost (64) and Nelson Piquet (63).
The Williams cars of Mansell and Piquet were far superior in speed to Prost's McLaren - they had lapped the Frenchman at several races that year - although Prost's consistency had seen him accumulate points all year while the Williams pair battled with one another.
Mansell started from pole position but yielded the lead to Ayrton Senna's Lotus at the second corner on lap 1 and fell behind both Piquet and Keke Rosberg on the same lap. Piquet also overtook Senna on lap 1 to take the lead but it would last only six laps as on lap 7, Rosberg took the lead from Piquet and began to build a sizeable gap between himself and the rest of the field.
On lap 23 Piquet spun, although no damage was sustained to the car, and he continued the race despite dropping back several places. Prost suffered a tyre puncture a few laps later and he dropped back to fourth after having to pit. Piquet charged back through the field, passing Mansell for second place on lap 44 but Prost closed on the two Williams cars and, with 25 laps to go, all three championship contenders were running together in positions 2, 3 and 4.
The battle became one for the lead on lap 63 when Rosberg suffered a right rear tyre failure and retired from the race.
Needing only a third place finish to secure the championship, Mansell was running second when, on lap 65, his left rear tyre exploded at 180 miles per hour on the high-speed Brabham Straight. The Williams coasted to a stop in the run-off area at the end of the straight, Mansell having managed to avoid hitting anything, but his championship hopes were over. Fearing the same happening to the second car, Williams called Piquet to the pits and Prost took the lead. Piquet would make a late charge to close the gap but ran out of laps with which to challenge for the lead and Prost claimed both the race and the World Championship.
[edit] Notes
- Fastest Lap: Nelson Piquet 1'20.787
[edit] External links
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