| 1986 Detroit Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 16 in the1986 Formula One World Championship | |||
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| Race details | |||
| Date | June 22, 1986 | ||
| Official name | 5th Detroit Grand Prix | ||
| Location | Detroit street circuit Detroit,Michigan | ||
| Course | Temporary street course | ||
| Course length | 4.120 km (2.56 miles) | ||
| Distance | 63 laps, 259.56 km (161.28 miles) | ||
| Weather | Cloudy and hot with temperatures reaching up to 91 °F (33 °C); wind speeds up to 23 miles per hour (37 km/h)[1] | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Lotus-Renault | ||
| Time | 1:38.301 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |  Nelson Piquet | Williams-Honda | |
| Time | 1:41.233 on lap 41 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Lotus-Renault | ||
| Second | Ligier-Renault | ||
| Third | McLaren-TAG | ||
Lap leaders | |||
The1986 Detroit Grand Prix was aFormula One motor race held on June 22, 1986, inDetroit,Michigan.
Lotus-Renault starAyrton Senna started on the pole and came away with a hard-earned win, the fourth of his career. The young Brazilian charged through the field after dropping to eighth with a deflating tire for his first USGP victory. The race saw six lead changes among five drivers, and the victory for Senna began a streak that would see him take five United States Grand Prix wins in six years.
AmericanEddie Cheever, in his only F1 race of the season, was takingPatrick Tambay's seat in theCarl HaasLola, as Tambay had not fully recovered from hisMontreal injuries. Haas had attempted to get the legendaryMario Andretti, but, apparently because of aFISA-CART feud, Andretti's application for anFIA Super Licence was denied (allegedly Haas then tried forMichael Andretti on Mario's suggestion but his bid for the license was also denied). Cheever, who was racing in the1986 World Sportscar Championship for theTWRJaguar team, already had the required licence and had no such issues qualified tenth, out-qualifying temporary teammateAlan Jones by almost 3 seconds. His race ended at just over half-distance with a broken wheel peg.
As expected, the drivers had difficulty finding grip in Friday's sessions, as the temporary street circuit needed time to get some rubber down.Williams-Honda driverNigel Mansell was the only one under 1:40, putting in two outstanding laps on race tires. On a gorgeous Saturday, Mansell and Senna bided their time, waiting until halfway through the one-hour session to take the track. Senna came out on qualifiers, managed to get a clear track, and clocked a course record 1:38.301. Mansell was balked on his run on the fragile qualifying tires whenAlain Prost crashed in the chicane, and Senna had the pole by more than half a second.
Sunday was hot and humid with a chance of rain. At the start, Senna led Mansell into the first corner, andRené Arnoux'sLigier-Renault jumped ahead ofNelson Piquet in the second Williams.
Beginning lap 3, Senna missed a gear entering Turn One, and Mansell's Williams shot by into the lead.
By the end of lap 5, Mansell's lead was 4.3 seconds, but that was as big as it got. His rear brake pads were too cool and had become glazed, and Senna was able to draw back up to him. By lap seven, he was right on his gearbox, and on lap 8, he retook the lead.
Senna immediately began to draw away, while Mansell slipped back through the field. On lap 14, with a 6.5 second lead, Senna suddenly ducked into the pits with a slowly deflating right rear tire. Despite a quick change, he re-entered in eighth place, twenty seconds behind the new leader, René Arnoux.
Arnoux held the lead for just three laps before having to pit for new rubber. His Ligier teammateJacques Laffite, running with harder compoundPirelli rear tires, moved to the top of the score sheet. At age 42, it was Laffite's first time to lead a race in more than three years,and the last time in his career.
After his stop on lap 14, Senna had begun to carve his way back to the front, overtaking, not back markers, but the best drivers of the era. He passed the strugglingFerraris ofMichele Alboreto on lap 15, andStefan Johansson on lap 17. He then passed Arnoux when he made his tire stop on lap 18, Prost'sMcLaren-TAG on lap 28, and Mansell on lap 31. Piquet passed Laffite to become the race's fifth different leader. Senna reached second just 1.7 seconds behind Piquet by passing Laffite, who then pitted for tires.
With the two of them in front on their own, and Piquet leading by up to 3.5 seconds, Senna was content for the time being to follow his countryman. After eight laps in the lead, Piquet pitted for tires. Senna regained first place and then also pitted. Piquet's 18.4 second stop was even slower than teammate Mansell's had been, but when he returned to the track, the two-time champion got the bit between his teeth. Running second behind Senna, Piquet set the fastest lap of the race on lap 41, but with a pit stop ten seconds quicker than Piquet's, Senna was able to retain the lead.
On the very next lap, the 42nd, Piquet pushed a bit too much, and crashed hard at the left-hand corner before the last chicane. He ended up in the tire barrier, unhurt, but with his car in a very precarious position. The crane, present for just that reason, was unable to move the car. Arnoux, now 16.6 seconds behind in second, took a second a lap off Senna's lead for five laps while a yellow was displayed in the corner where Piquet had crashed. As soon as the yellow flag was gone, Arnoux went wide and hit Piquet's abandoned Williams! The Frenchman decided that his car was not damaged, and attempted to rejoin the field, but did so right in front ofThierry Boutsen'sArrows-BMW, sidelining both cars.
Very uncharacteristic of a street race, these three – Piquet, Arnoux and Boutsen – were the only drivers all afternoon to retire due to accidents.
With 17 laps to go, Senna led Prost by 27 seconds, but the McLaren's TAG engine was cutting out under braking. Laffite was able to close as Prost struggled, and quickly the Ligier moved by into second place. Senna came home 30 seconds in front for his first victory in the United States, and the only American win for the Renault.
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | 1:40.301 | 1:38.301 | — |
| 2 | 5 |  Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | 1:39.490 | 1:38.839 | +0.538 |
| 3 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams-Honda | 1:41.510 | 1:39.076 | +0.775 |
| 4 | 25 |  René Arnoux | Ligier-Renault | 1:43.166 | 1:39.689 | +1.388 |
| 5 | 28 |  Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:42.989 | 1:40.312 | +2.011 |
| 6 | 26 | Jacques Laffite | Ligier-Renault | 1:45.236 | 1:40.676 | +2.375 |
| 7 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:43.368 | 1:40.715 | +2.414 |
| 8 | 7 |  Riccardo Patrese | Brabham-BMW | 1:43.664 | 1:40.819 | +2.518 |
| 9 | 2 |  Keke Rosberg | McLaren-TAG | 1:43.732 | 1:40.848 | +2.547 |
| 10 | 16 |  Eddie Cheever | Lola-Ford | 1:46.499 | 1:41.540 | +3.239 |
| 11 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:44.296 | 1:41.606 | +3.305 |
| 12 | 20 |  Gerhard Berger | Benetton-BMW | 1:43.759 | 1:41.836 | +3.535 |
| 13 | 18 |  Thierry Boutsen | Arrows-BMW | 1:45.711 | 1:42.279 | +3.978 |
| 14 | 11 | Johnny Dumfries | Lotus-Renault | 1:45.846 | 1:42.511 | +4.210 |
| 15 | 8 | Derek Warwick | Brabham-BMW | 1:44.890 | 1:42.558 | +4.257 |
| 16 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell-Renault | 1:45.250 | 1:42.815 | +4.514 |
| 17 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton-BMW | 1:48.912 | 1:43.658 | +5.357 |
| 18 | 4 | Philippe Streiff | Tyrrell-Renault | 1:47.478 | 1:43.796 | +5.495 |
| 19 | 17 |  Christian Danner | Arrows-BMW | 1:48.855 | 1:44.259 | +5.958 |
| 20 | 14 | Jonathan Palmer | Zakspeed | 1:49.812 | 1:44.401 | +6.100 |
| 21 | 15 |  Alan Jones | Lola-Ford | 1:45.521 | 1:44.450 | +6.149 |
| 22 | 21 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella-Alfa Romeo | 1:49.067 | 1:45.059 | +6.758 |
| 23 | 23 | Andrea de Cesaris | Minardi-Motori Moderni | 1:47.359 | 1:46.705 | +8.404 |
| 24 | 24 | Alessandro Nannini | Minardi-Motori Moderni | 1:47.230 | 11:12.906 | +8.929 |
| 25 | 22 |  Allen Berg | Osella-Alfa Romeo | 1:56.741 | 1:48.682 | +10.381 |
| 26 | 29 |  Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 1:49.680 | 29:44.015 | +11.379 |
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| Previous race: 1986 Canadian Grand Prix | FIA Formula One World Championship 1986 season | Next race: 1986 French Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 1985 Detroit Grand Prix | Detroit Grand Prix | Next race: 1987 Detroit Grand Prix |
