Overview
- At Jerez on April 13, 1986, Ayrton Senna won the Spanish Grand Prix by 0.014 seconds over Nigel Mansell in a side-by-side sprint to the flag.
- Mansell pitted late for fresh tyres, rejoined roughly 20 seconds down with about nine laps to run, then caught Senna at the finish after carving past Alain Prost.
- The margin remains Formula 1’s third-closest finish, behind 1971 Monza and the 2002 United States Grand Prix, which were recorded at 0.01s and 0.011s.
- The race showcased a brand-new Jerez and Spain’s return after five years away, with only eight finishers reflecting the turbo era’s fragile reliability.
- Senna started from pole in the Lotus 98T, a 1:21.605 lap that delivered Lotus its 100th pole on the team’s 350th Grand Prix weekend.