1987 Brazilian Grand Prix

Entrants

March Engineering returns to Formula One for the first time since the 1982 Caesar’s Palace Grand Prix, entering F1 rookie Ivan Capelli in a modified Formula 3000 chassis while their new car is completed. Twenty-three cars are entered but the March team blows their last Cosworth DFZ in Sunday morning warm-up, reducing the field to 22 starters.

Satoru Nakajima makes his Formula One debut for Lotus alongside Ayrton Senna. The Lotus 99T appears in new yellow and blue Camel livery and carries computer-controlled active suspension — designed to hold the car at its optimum ride height — being used in a race for the first time.

Ligier is absent, missing their first race since the 1985 South African Grand Prix. Their engine plans for 1987 collapsed when Alfa Romeo withdrew after René Arnoux’s comments during pre-season testing; the team expects to join the grid with Megatron engines at San Marino.

Regulation

The new pop-off valves — mandatory devices designed to limit turbo boost to 4.0 bar — appear in Formula One for the first time. Some drivers report the valves cutting in inconsistently during practice; Derek Warwick says his fired at just 2.6 bar, costing approximately 280 bhp. McLaren have sidestepped the issue by capping their TAG-Porsche engines at 3.6 bar, keeping them below the trigger point throughout.

Goodyear supply tyres to the entire field following Pirelli’s withdrawal at the end of 1986 — the first time Formula One has had a single tyre supplier since 1963.

A threatened drivers’ boycott over FIA Super Licence fee increases — with some point-scorers facing bills up to $12,000 against the previous flat rate of $825 — was resolved before the first practice session.