Ferrari F1/87

Ferrari F1/87
Ferrari F1/87/88C

Category	Formula One
Constructor	Ferrari
Designer(s)	Gustav Brunner
Predecessor	F1/86
Successor	640
Technical specifications
Chassis	Kevlar and Carbon fibre composite monocoque
Suspension (front)	Double wishbones, pull-rod actuated coil springs over telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Suspension (rear)	Double wishbones, pull-rod actuated coil springs over telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Axle track	Front: 1,791 mm (70.5 in) Rear: 1,673 mm (65.9 in)
Wheelbase	2,800 mm (110 in)
Engine	1987: mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, 1,496 cc (91.3 cu in), Ferrari Tipo 033, 90° V6, turbo 1988:mid-engine, longitudinally mounted, 1,496 cc (91.3 cu in), Ferrari Tipo 033A, 90° V6, turbo 1987: 4.0 Bar turbo limited 1988: 2.5 Bar turbo limited
Transmission	Ferrari 6-speed manual Torsen
Weight	542 kg (1,195 lb)
Fuel	Agip
Tyres	Goodyear
Competition history
Notable entrants	Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC
Notable drivers	27. Michele Alboreto 28. Gerhard Berger
Debut	1987 Brazilian Grand Prix
Races Wins Poles F/Laps 32 3 4 7
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0

The Ferrari F1/87 is a Formula One racing car used by the Ferrari team during the 1987 Formula One season. The car was driven by Michele Alboreto (number 27) and Gerhard Berger (number 28) and replaced the Ferrari F1/86 used in 1986. Gustav Brunner designed the car with assistance from John Barnard. The F1/87 featured a six speed gearbox and a turbocharged 1.5 litre V6 engine. Gerhard Berger scored two victories in the F1/87 at the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix and 1987 Australian Grand Prix and three pole positions. The car demonstrated flashes of its potential early in the season with Alboreto for a short time leading the San Marino Grand Prix. However, reliability issues were a major concern. From the Hungarian Grand Prix onwards, Ferrari looked to have a car as quick as any of their rivals. Berger challenged Mansell for the lead at the Hungarian Grand Prix before being forced to retire. The Austrian also nearly won the Portuguese Grand Prix before spinning and the Mexican Grand Prix which he was leading before reliability issues forced him out once again. The season finished on a high with dominating victories for Berger in the final two rounds and Alboreto made it a Ferrari 1-2 in Adelaide after Senna's disqualification. Ferrari went into 1988 as one of the favourites for the championship.

F1/87/88C

For 1988, the car was updated to conform to the new regulations and renamed the F1/87/88C. The car also featured new front and rear wings and a slightly lower engine cover due to the reduction in the fuel tank limit from 195 to 150 litres. The drivers Michele Alboreto and Gerhard Berger finished third and fifth in the driver's championship with Ferrari finishing second to McLaren in the Constructors Championship. The F1/87/88C scored one pole position at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone and one victory at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza.

Although it was one of the most powerful cars of the 1988 field at around 650 bhp (485 kW; 659 PS), the F1/87/88C's biggest problem was fuel consumption compared to the rival Honda engines used by McLaren. Ferrari, unlike Honda who had built a completely new V6 engine to cope with the lower turbo limit of 2.5 bar, had only updated 1987's Tipo 033 V6 engine (dubbed Tipo 033E in 1988) 620 bhp (race) and about 690 bhp (qualifying) and in the first half of the season suffered badly with fuel consumption.

This was clearly shown at the British GP. Pole sitter Berger led for the field together with McLaren's Ayrton Senna, building up a large cushion over the rest of the field before being forced to back off to conserve fuel (when Senna passed him on lap 14, Berger's fuel fuel readout already showed him he would run out at least 5 laps before race end). While Senna went on to a comfortable win in very wet conditions Berger was forced to drive slower and slower, as evidenced when easily passed by the Benetton Ford V8 of Alessandro Nannini on the Hanger Straight. On the straight during qualifying, Berger had been timed at 195 mph (314 km/h), almost 10 mph (16 km/h) faster than the Benetton. Despite dropping turbo boost to its lowest possible setting, cutting back on engine revs and short shifting, Berger still ran out of fuel coming out of the Woodcote Chicane on the last lap. As a result he fell from 5th to 9th, being passed by World Champion Nelson Piquet in his Lotus-Honda, the Arrows Megatron's of Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever and the Williams-Judd of Riccardo Patrese in the space of about 400 metres. Alboreto, who had not been running at Berger's pace, had already run out of fuel 3 laps from the finish.

Both Berger and Alboreto being forced to back off because of fuel consumption problems were a feature of the teams 1988 season, although the problem seemed to have been righted to some extent before the team's surprise 1-2 at Monza.

Early in the season, the team's Technical Director John Barnard had recommended to the team's engineers that to improve fuel consumption they reduce the Tipo 033A's rpm's by 1,000 and re-map the engine to compensate for the loss in power. Unfortunately, Barnard's relationship with the team was strained as he didn't work out of the factory in Maranello, but instead worked at the Ferrari Technical Office he had set up in Guildford in England. Barnard did this so as to be able to work away from the distractions of the factory (and reportedly to be away from the Ferrari loving Italian press). He had also banned wine from the teams lunch table at both testing and races, a move which proved unpopular with Ferrari's mostly Italian mechanics. Consequently his advice was ignored and the team continued to struggle on fuel consumption. It was not until before the Grand Prix at Monza that changes were made to the engines which happened to match Barnard's original suggestions. Predictably the result of the changes was better fuel economy without power loss, though the Ferrari's were still thirstier than the Honda's.

During the 1988 season, Berger's #28 Ferrari reportedly speed trapped the highest of all 1988 cars when he was clocked at 328 km/h (204 mph) in practice for the German Grand Prix at the old Hockenheim circuit. This compared to the McLaren-Honda's recorded top speed of 320 km/h (199 mph) at the same meeting, though this is disputed as the BBC's Murray Walker stated during the race telecast that the McLarens actually trapped at 333 km/h (207 mph). The fastest recorded 'atmo' car was the Judd engined March 881 of Maurício Gugelmin which recorded 312 km/h (194 mph).

After taking pole at Silverstone, Berger put his achievement into perspective, stating that the ultra-fast circuit suited the Ferrari with its emphasis on outright top speed and not so much on acceleration. He correctly predicted that at Hockenheim the McLarens would be back on top, which proved correct despite the Ferrari's top speed on the straights (in Germany, the circuit's Stadium section and the three chicanes breaking up the straights was where the Ferrari's lost some 1.5 seconds per lap to the McLarens). The Tipo 033A engine, while having good top end power, suffered from poor throttle response and a lack of low end power compared to the Honda's.

While using the F1/87 and 88C for the races during the 1987 and 1988 seasons, behind the scenes Ferrari were developing the revolutionary 3.5 litre normally aspirated V12 semi-automatic Ferrari 639 and Ferrari 640 which would make its debut in the 1989 season when turbo powered engines were banned from F1. Initially it was hoped that the V12 car would make its race debut in 1988, but continual problems with the semi-automatic gearbox that would haunt the team during the first half of 1989 (or more specifically, problems with the electrical system that controlled the unique 7 speed box) meant the team was forced to use the F1/87/88C for all of 1988. A modified version of the F1/87/88C was initially used as a test mule for the new V12 engine and semi-automatic gearbox until the 639, and later the 640, first appeared for testing late in 1988.

• 
  Gerhard Berger driving the F1/87/88C at the 1988 Canadian Grand Prix.
• 
  Michele Alboreto driving the F1/87/88C at the 1988 Canadian GP.

Complete Formula One results

(key) (results shown in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team/Chassis	Engine	Tyres	Driver	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Pts.	WCC
1987	Ferrari F1/87	Ferrari Tipo 033 V6 tc	G		BRA	SMR	BEL	MON	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	AUT	ITA	POR	ESP	MEX	JPN	AUS	53	4th
				Michele Alboreto	8	3	Ret	3	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	15	Ret	4	2
				Gerhard Berger	4	Ret	Ret	4	4	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	4	2	Ret	Ret	1	1
1988	Ferrari F1/87/88C	Ferrari Tipo 033A V6 tc	G		BRA	SMR	MON	MEX	CAN	DET	FRA	GBR	GER	HUN	BEL	ITA	POR	ESP	JPN	AUS	65	2nd
				Michele Alboreto	5	18	3	4	Ret	Ret	3	17	4	Ret	Ret	2	5	Ret	11	Ret
				Gerhard Berger	2	5	2	3	Ret	Ret	4	9	3	4	Ret	1	Ret	6	4	Ret