The technical regulations of Formula 1 were revised for the 1987 World Championship, allowing teams to use 1500cc turbocharged engines, limited by a maximum fuel capacity of 195 liters per race and a boost pressure capped by a pop-off valve that released excess pressure once 4 bar was reached. Alternatively, teams could opt for naturally aspirated 3500cc engines with no restrictions. Most teams, including Ferrari, chose to continue using turbocharged engines due to the substantial investments made in developing this technology, and especially because they still offered clearly superior performance compared to naturally aspirated ones. Moreover, the Maranello team had only started developing a new turbo engine, the Tipo 033/D, in 1986. This engine featured a 90° angle between the cylinder banks, compared to the 120° angle of the previous version. Along with the new engine, Ferrari also prepared a brand-new car for the 1987 season, entrusting the design of the new Ferrari F1/87 to Austrian engineer Gustav Brunner, who replaced Postlethwaite and redesigned the chassis using Kevlar and carbon fiber.
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| FERRARI F1/87, Gerhard Berger Estoril, Portuguese GP 1987 |
Brunner also completely revised the suspension layout, adopting the widely used pull-rod design with double wishbones. The wheelbase was increased to 2800 mm, while the weight was right at the 540 kg limit allowed by the regulations. As for the aerodynamics, John Barnard was hired from McLaren as the new technical director. However, the British engineer refused to work in Maranello and chose instead to manage his operations from his own workshop in England, forming his own team and generating considerable discontent within the traditionally self-contained Ferrari environment.
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| FERRARI F1/87, Gerhard Berger Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1987 |
Additionally, Barnard was brought on board when the car's design by Brunner was already underway, so his contribution was limited to improvements to the F1/87 project. He even stated that if the car had been his own design, it would have looked completely different. Nonetheless, the new Maranello car appeared much sleeker than the previous F1/86, with a narrower front section to reduce drag. The sidepods were now lower and shorter, and the radiator air intakes were smaller, thanks to an engine with lower operating temperatures. The new Ferrari 638 six-speed gearbox underwent a complete overhaul, better managing the torque and power of the new turbo engine, which produced 880 hp in race trim and over 950 hp in qualifying mode.
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| FERRARI F1/87, Michele Alboreto Hermanos Rodriguez, Mexican GP 1987 |
All things considered, the new car turned out to be a good one, showing strong performance at the start of the season. Italian driver Michele Alboreto managed to secure two podiums in the first four races. His new teammate, young Austrian Gerhard Berger, struggled more to find competitiveness, partly because the F1/87 proved to be quite fragile and unreliable. Despite being able to compete with the top cars, it was forced to retire 19 times during the season. Only toward the end of the championship did the Maranello technicians manage to make the car reliable and develop a system to gain a power advantage using overboost. According to the regulations, the pop-off valve was calibrated to release excess pressure as soon as the boost pressure exceeded 4 bar. However, since it was a mechanical device, its response time was not immediate. Therefore, by supplying air at pressures significantly above the 4-bar limit, a temporary overpressure of about 0.3 bar could be achieved before the valve opened, providing a power boost of around 20 hp during acceleration.
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| Ferrari F1/87, Gerhard Berger Adelaide, Australian GP 1987 |
After a disappointing season, this trick allowed Ferrari to have the most powerful car in the last two Grands Prix of 1987, achieving two pole positions, two victories, and a second-place finish. Thanks to these late successes, Ferrari scored 53 points, finishing the championship in fourth place but positioning itself as a strong contender for the 1988 season.
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