Last Time Three Drivers Fought For The F1 Title In The Last Race

October 18th, 2007

Last Time Three Drivers Fought For The F1 Title In The Last Race

Year 1986. After round 15 in Mexico City there were still 3 drivers left to fight out for the title in the last race of the season, in Australian GP in Adelaide. Nigel Mansell stood at 70 pts, Alain Prost at 64 pts and Nelson Piquet at 63 pts. The points system was a bit more complicated that time, but basically any of these 3 drivers could win the title with favourable result in the last race.

Each of drivers was a “champion” at certain stages of the race. Nigel Mansell had the title pretty much in the bag when his left rear tyre exploded spectacularly. He displayed some amazing car control and safely “parked” his car by the wall. He was fine but out of the title race. That meant Piquet took the lead not only of the race, but also of the championship… But for a short while only… He had to go for a precautionary pit stop following some vibrations from the rear of his car. He changed tyres, Prost took the lead. No further mishaps for Prost (he had to pit and to change punctured tyre early on in the race) and so he won the race and the title. It was his second Championship trophy in the row, Mansell had to wait six more years till 1992 for his first and only one …