---
title: "How themes of the 1986 Spanish GP could be emulated in 2018"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2018/05/10/how-themes-of-the-1986-spanish-gp-could-be-emulated-in-2018/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Kyran Gibbons"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2018-05-10T14:38:56Z"
modified: "2018-05-10T14:40:03Z"
---

# How themes of the 1986 Spanish GP could be emulated in 2018

The Spanish Grand Prix has become a perpetual feature of the Formula 1 calendar, with this weekend’s 2018 edition continuing an unbroken streak of 31 years on the schedule. The venue, cars and stars may have changed significantly in that time, but the epic 1986 round could well share some similarities with this year’s race.

The first of five events to be held in Jerez, the 1986 Spanish Grand Prix provided the third closest finish in F1 history, with Ayrton Senna narrowly beating a determined Nigel Mansell by 0.014s in a drag race to the line.

In reality, the battle involved three drivers from three different teams. In a similar manner to how 2018 is developing as a battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull, 1986’s top honours were set to be contested by Williams, McLaren and a Senna-propelled Lotus squad.

Senna had dominated qualifying on Saturday, beating compatriot Nelson Piquet by 0.8s. Piquet’s Williams team-mate Nigel Mansell was third with the McLaren duo of Alain Prost and Keke Rosberg in close attendance in fourth and fifth respectively.

Qualifying was key in Jerez, with track position critical. Overtaking was hugely challenging due to the lack of heavy braking zones on account of the circuit’s short straights and abundance of medium speed corners. Daring lunges were required, at times even when passing lapped traffic – Senna required the use of the grass on the inside at Turn 2 to clear Elio de Angelis’s Brabham while leading the race.

The venue may now be different and drivers now more receptive to blue flag intervention, but 2018 will be a similar story as far as overtaking is concerned. The Circuit de Barcelona’s high speed Turns 3, 9 and 16 are not conducive to allowing cars to follow. Turbulence through Turns 9 and 16 in particular effectively negates the effect of DRS as both immediately proceed the circuit’s two zones.

![Peter Fox/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2018/05/682957376.jpg)

We have been treated to showcase racing in China and Azerbaijan but Spain could well deliver a famine as far as on-track passing is concerned.

As a result, strategy will likely be a race defining weapon this weekend and a reactive strategic joker played by Williams very nearly defined the event in 1986.

Senna had lost the lead to Mansell at half distance, but as the Williams began to struggle for grip on old rubber in the closing stages, both Senna and an opportunistic Prost demoted Mansell to third in the space of two corners. Williams decided to bring its driver into the pits for fresh rear tyres on lap 64. Mansell stayed third but had just eight laps to reel in the leading pair.

Circulating two seconds per lap faster than his rivals, the win seemed possible. However, Mansell lost a lap while bottled up behind Prost and this delay before passing the McLaren eventually cost him victory.

Mansell caught a struggling Senna at the last corner of the last lap. Senna had used nearly all of the grip available from his rear tyres, but his Goodyear rubber delivered just enough traction out of the final hairpin to stay ahead of Mansell on the run to the line. Mansell said after the race that he initially thought that he had won, indicative of the narrow margin between the two.

A race defined by a similarly slender gap would make for another outstanding spectacle in a 2018 season that has already delivered so much. Overtaking will be difficult this weekend, but that was also the case in 1986 and Senna, Mansell and Prost still managed to deliver enthralling entertainment. The overtakes that did happen were hard-fought and valuable. The power of track position made for strategic diversity which brought the final stint of the race alive.

Watch out for a similar narrative this weekend.

![Getty Images/Getty Images Sport](https://media.readmotorsport.com/readmotorsport/2018/05/3198211.jpg)