1987 Formula One season Facts for Kids

The 1987 Formula One season was a super exciting year for the world's fastest racing cars! It was the 38th time this championship was held. The big winner was Nelson Piquet, who became the champion after a really close fight on the track.

What is Formula One?
- How a Formula One Season Works
  - Scoring Points in F1
The 1987 Formula One Season
- Top Drivers and Teams
  - The Williams-Honda Team
The Championship Battle
- Piquet's Strategy
- Mansell's Speed
  - The Deciding Races
Legacy of the 1987 Season
Images for kids
See also

What is Formula One?

Formula One, often called F1, is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars. It's like the Olympics of car racing! Teams build amazing cars, and skilled drivers race them on special tracks around the world. Every year, drivers compete to win the Drivers' Championship, and teams compete for the Constructors' Championship.

How a Formula One Season Works

A Formula One season is made up of many races, called Grands Prix (pronounced "Grahn Pree"). Each Grand Prix takes place over a weekend:

Friday: Drivers practice to get used to the track.
Saturday: Drivers compete in qualifying sessions to decide their starting positions for the race. The fastest driver starts at the front, which is called pole position.
Sunday: The main race happens! Drivers try to finish as high as possible to earn points.

Scoring Points in F1

In 1987, points were given to the top six drivers in each race:

1st place: 9 points
2nd place: 6 points
3rd place: 4 points
4th place: 3 points
5th place: 2 points
6th place: 1 point

At the end of the season, the driver with the most points wins the championship!

The 1987 Formula One Season

The 1987 season had 16 exciting races, starting in Brazil and ending in Australia. Many famous drivers and teams competed for the top spot. It was a time when cars were becoming incredibly powerful, with huge engines and advanced technology.

Top Drivers and Teams

The main battle for the championship was between two teammates at the Williams-Honda team:

Nelson Piquet: A very experienced driver from Brazil. He was known for being smart and consistent.
Nigel Mansell: A super-fast driver from the United Kingdom. He was famous for his aggressive driving style and never giving up.

Other important drivers included:

Ayrton Senna: Another amazing Brazilian driver, racing for the Lotus-Honda team. He was known for his incredible skill, especially in wet conditions.
Alain Prost: A French driver for McLaren-TAG Porsche. He was a four-time world champion and known for his smooth, strategic driving.

The Williams-Honda Team

The Williams-Honda team had a very fast car in 1987. Their car, the FW11B, was powered by a powerful Honda engine. This car was so good that it helped Piquet and Mansell win many races. However, having two top drivers in the same team often led to intense competition between them!

The Championship Battle

The 1987 season was a thrilling fight between Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell. Even though they were teammates, they were also rivals for the championship.

Piquet's Strategy

Nelson Piquet won three races during the season. He was very good at finishing races and scoring points consistently. He focused on getting good results even if he wasn't always winning. This steady approach helped him collect points race after race.

Mansell's Speed

Nigel Mansell won six races, which was more than anyone else that year! He was incredibly fast and exciting to watch. However, he also had some bad luck and a few crashes, which meant he didn't finish some races and lost valuable points.

The Deciding Races

The championship came down to the final few races. Mansell had a big crash during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, which meant he couldn't race. This accident sadly ended his chances of winning the championship. With Mansell out, Nelson Piquet secured enough points to become the 1987 Formula One World Champion!

Legacy of the 1987 Season

The 1987 season is remembered for the exciting rivalry between Piquet and Mansell. It showed how important consistency and reliability are in Formula One, not just raw speed. Nelson Piquet earned his third and final world championship title, cementing his place as one of the sport's legends.

Images for kids

Nelson Piquet (pictured in 1983) won his third and final Drivers' Championship, driving for Williams.
Piquet's teammate Nigel Mansell finished runner-up, despite winning more races.
Ayrton Senna, driving for Lotus, finished third.