Fastest qualifier

Ayrton Senna started the 1986 season well, finishing second in the Brazilian Grand Prix behind the Williams-Honda of Nelson Piquet.

He then won the Spanish Grand Prix from Mansell by just 0.014 sec, in one of the closest finishes in Formula One history.

Poor reliability, particularly in the second half of the season, saw him drift behind the Williams aces Piquet and Mansell and behind eventual champion Alain Prost in his McLaren-TAG.

Senna was once more the top qualifier of the season with eight poles, with a further six podium finishes including another win at the Detroit Grand Prix.

He finished the season in fourth position with a total of 55 points. The Brazilian is seen below with engineer Gérard Ducarouge and team-principal Peter Warr, at Detroit.