HONDA The Power of Dreams

In March 1986, the F1 world was shaken by a major incident. Frank Williams, Williams team principal, was involved in a car accident and suffered severe injuries that left him paralyzed from the waist down. However, the team, led by Chief Engineer Patrick Head and Frank’s friends, managed to prepare for the season opener without any delays. Frank returned to the F1 scene in a wheelchair six months later. This accident ended up strengthening the team’s unity. There were concerns within the team before the season began, and these became more apparent as the season progressed. The main issue was the rivalry between Nelson Piquet, a former world champion who joined the team that year, and Nigel Mansell, who had strong momentum. Piquet won the opening race, and Williams Honda started the season smoothly, but the tension between the two drivers continued to rise.

Round 2 in Spain, held for the first time in five years, took place at the newly constructed Jerez Circuit. It was the first time on the track for all drivers and teams, and for the tire manufacturers (Goodyear and Pirelli), it was a delicate and challenging situation regarding whether tire changes would be necessary during the race.

The race was contested over 72 laps. Ayrton Senna (Lotus Renault), who had secured pole position in every race so far, led until Lap 39. This was also Lotus’ 100th F1 pole position. Meanwhile, Mansell, who started from third on the grid, dropped to fifth early on but managed to overtake the McLaren cars and his teammate Piquet by Lap 33 to move up to second. By Lap 40, he had overtaken Senna for the lead. One lap prior, on Lap 39, Piquet had retired after his engine began emitting white smoke.

Mansell, who had been conserving fuel and lowering his pace in the first half of the race, took control in the latter stages. However, he was unable to extend his lead and, on Lap 63, slowed down drastically, allowing Senna and Alain Prost (McLaren TAG) to overtake. One of his rear tires had suffered a slow puncture. The team had noticed metal fragments (pieces of the rear diffuser panel) on the tires several laps earlier and urged Mansell to pit, but he refused. However, after dropping to third place, he finally gave in and pitted for a tire change. The pit stop took 9 seconds, leaving Mansell 19.186 seconds behind Senna in first place with 8 laps remaining. However, with fresh tires, he set the fastest lap on Lap 65 and closed the gap to Senna by 4 seconds per lap. On Lap 69, he overtook Prost, and by the start of Lap 70, the gap to Senna was 5.354 seconds.

Senna managed to hold on to the lead, but his tires were at their limit, and he was barely able to stay on the track. As the final lap began, the gap between the two cars was 1.589 seconds. As they exited the hairpin Turn 16 and entered the final straight, Senna took the outside line, and Mansell dived inside, both drivers frantically accelerating toward the checkered flag. The two cars crossed the finish line almost side by side, with Senna winning by a margin of just 0.014 seconds. It was a thrilling finish rivaling the famous 0.01-second margin at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix in Monza. Mansell, who thought he had won, got out of the cockpit with a look of disbelief. But perhaps satisfied that he had given his best drive, the atmosphere between Senna and Mansell on the podium was calm, and they exchanged words of praise for each other’s efforts. At the press conference, Mansell sent a heartfelt message to Frank Williams, who was hospitalized at the time: “I’m sure you’re watching on TV. I’m sorry I couldn’t give just a little more to win. The team and the Honda engine were amazing, so I’ll definitely win next time.”