1986 Season

The 1986 FIA Formula One World Championship is the 40th season of Formula One motor racing, featuring sixteen races from 23 March in Brazil to 26 October in Australia.

Driver changes

Nelson Piquet leaves Brabham after seven seasons, moving to Williams alongside Nigel Mansell. His departure creates space for Elio de Angelis, who spent several seasons at Lotus but has grown frustrated that the team’s focus centres on Ayrton Senna. Keke Rosberg leaves Williams to join McLaren, filling the seat vacated by triple world champion Niki Lauda’s retirement.

At Lotus, Senna’s influence shapes the driver selection process directly. Derek Warwick was originally signed to partner Senna, but Senna made his preference known and Warwick was dropped. In his place, Johnny Dumfries — British F3 champion and European F3 runner-up in 1984 — joins the team.

Team changes

Renault and Alfa Romeo have both withdrawn as constructors following the 1985 season. Renault remain as an engine supplier for now, but Alfa Romeo’s exit is complete. Two further teams — RAM and Spirit — folded during 1985.

The Toleman team has been purchased by the Benetton Group and renamed Benetton Formula. The chassis carries over with a BMW turbo engine.

Frank Williams, the Williams team principal, was involved in a serious road accident in France during the pre-season. He is left paralysed and uses a wheelchair. Technical director and co-owner Patrick Head takes on the full running of the team across all departments, in addition to his design and engineering responsibilities.

Haas Lola return in 1986 with Alan Jones. Their first F1 car was designed around a Hart turbo four-cylinder, as their intended Ford-Cosworth V6 — a new turbocharged engine built by Keith Duckworth — was not ready in time. The Ford unit is expected to arrive for the team’s second car during the early races.

Calendar

Sixteen races are on the calendar, with several significant changes from 1985.

The Spanish Grand Prix returns for the first time since 1981 and is held at the newly built Circuito de Jerez. The Belgian Grand Prix is moved up to May, after the asphalt broke up in practice at Spa-Francorchamps in 1985 under the power of the turbo cars — organisers want to avoid the heat that contributed to the problem. The British Grand Prix moves from Silverstone to Brands Hatch, in line with an event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits. The German Grand Prix returns to the Hockenheimring after one year at the Nürburgring.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is held for the first time, at the newly constructed Hungaroring outside Budapest. It will be the first Formula One race behind the Iron Curtain. The Portuguese Grand Prix is moved back to September. The Mexican Grand Prix returns for the first time since 1970, held at the refurbished Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, which was upgraded to improve safety.

Several races that appeared on provisional calendars have been removed: the Argentine Grand Prix failed to secure sponsorship and has no Argentinian driver competing; the Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled as rebuilding work at Suzuka proved too time-consuming; the Dutch Grand Prix was dropped after circuit operator CENAV went out of business; the South African Grand Prix was banned by FISA due to apartheid.

Regulation changes

The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine is now compulsory for all competitors, with no restriction on cylinder count, RPM, or power output. After mandating turbos for 1986, the FIA plans to re-allow naturally aspirated engines from 1987 and will progressively restrict turbo power before banning them altogether for 1989.

The fuel allowance for each race is cut from 220 litres to 195 litres, a reduction that is expected to make fuel management a significant strategic factor throughout the season. In qualifying trim, the 1986 cars are understood to be the most powerful Formula One cars ever built, with manufacturers citing figures above 1,400 bhp — though these outputs are sustainable for only two to four laps before destroying the engine.

Catch-fencing at circuits is banned.