The 1987 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 17 May 1987 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Wallonia. Contested over 43 laps, the race was the 45th Belgian Grand Prix, the 33rd to be held at Spa and the fourth since the circuit was redeveloped in 1979, and the third race of the 1987 Formula One season.
The race was won by France's Alain Prost driving a McLaren-TAG. This was Prost's second victory of the 1987 season and his second in the Belgian Grand Prix (after 1983), as well as his 27th Grand Prix victory overall, equalling Jackie Stewart's all-time record. Prost's Swedish team-mate Stefan Johansson finished second, the only other driver on the same lap, giving McLaren their first 1-2 finish since the previous year's Monaco Grand Prix. Italy's Andrea de Cesaris, driving a Brabham-BMW, finished third despite having to push his car over the line as he had run out of fuel.
The win gave Prost a five-point lead over Johansson in the Drivers' Championship. Williams driver Nigel Mansell was three points further back; a first-lap collision with Ayrton Senna's Lotus had ultimately led to his retirement from the race, after which he angrily confronted the Brazilian driver in the Lotus garage.
Background
The event, officially called the Grand Prix de Belgique, was held at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps outside the Belgian village of Francorchamps.
Classification
Qualifying
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Q1 !! Q2 !! Gap !!Grid
|-
! 1
| 5
| Nigel Mansell
| Williams-Honda
| 2:06.965
| 1:52.026
| align="center"| —
| 1
|-
! 2
| 6
| Nelson Piquet
| Williams-Honda
| 2:08.143
| 1:53.416
| +1.390
| 2
|-
! 3
| 12
| Ayrton Senna
| Lotus-Honda
| 2:08.450
| 1:53.426
| +1.400
| 3
|-
! 4
| 28
| Gerhard Berger
| Ferrari
| 2:06.216
| 1:53.451
| +1.425
| 4
|-
! 5
| 27
| Michele Alboreto
| Ferrari
| 2:07.459
| 1:53.511
| +1.485
| 5
|-
! 6
| 1
| Alain Prost
| McLaren-TAG
| 2:11.203
| 1:54.186
| +2.160
| 6
|-
! 7
| 20
| Thierry Boutsen
| Benetton-Ford
| 2:08.752
| 1:54.300
| +2.274
| 7
|-
! 8
| 7
| Riccardo Patrese
| Brabham-BMW
| 2:12.914
| 1:55.064
| +3.038
| 8
|-
! 9
| 19
| Teo Fabi
| Benetton-Ford
| 2:12.358
| 1:55.339
| +3.313
| 9
|-
! 10
| 2
| Stefan Johansson
| McLaren-TAG
| 2:12.063
| 1:55.781
| +3.755
| 10
|-
! 11
| 18
| Eddie Cheever
| Arrows-Megatron
| 2:15.321
| 1:55.899
| +3.873
| 11
|-
! 12
| 17
| Derek Warwick
| Arrows-Megatron
| 2:10.946
| 1:56.359
| +4.333
| 12
|-
! 13
| 8
| Andrea de Cesaris
| Brabham-BMW
| 2:13.871
| 1:57.101
| +5.075
| 13
|-
! 14
| 24
| Alessandro Nannini
| Minardi-Motori Moderni
| 2:09.650
| 1:58.132
| +6.106
| 14
|-
! 15
| 11
| Satoru Nakajima
| Lotus-Honda
| 2:11.441
| 1:58.649
| +6.623
| 15
|-
! 16
| 25
| René Arnoux
| Ligier-Megatron
| 2:15.012
| 1:59.117
| +7.091
| 16
|-
! 17
| 26
| Piercarlo Ghinzani
| Ligier-Megatron
| 2:15.339
| 1:59.291
| +7.265
| 17
|-
! 18
| 9
| Martin Brundle
| Zakspeed
| 2:14.432
| 2:00.433
| +8.407
| 18
|-
! 19
| 23
| Adrián Campos
| Minardi-Motori Moderni
| 2:14.945
| 2:00.763
| +8.737
| 19
|-
! 20
| 10
| Christian Danner
| Zakspeed
| 2:20.610
| 2:01.072
| +9.046
| 20
|-
! 21
| 16
| Ivan Capelli
| March-Ford
| 2:13.355
| 2:02.036
| +10.010
| 21
|-
! 22
| 30
| Philippe Alliot
| Lola-Ford
| 2:13.082
| 2:02.347
| +10.321
| 22
|-
! 23
| 4
| Philippe Streiff
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 2:18.900
| 2:03.098
| +11.072
| 23
|-
! 24
| 3
| Jonathan Palmer
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 2:14.931
| 2:04.677
| +12.651
| 24
|-
! 25
| 14
| Pascal Fabre
| AGS-Ford
| 2:26.498
| 2:07.361
| +15.335
| 25
|-
! 26
| 21
| Alex Caffi
| Osella-Alfa Romeo
| 2:16.268
| 2:12.086
| +20.060
| 26
|-
!colspan="8"|Source:
|}
Race
Numbers in brackets refer to positions of normally aspirated entrants competing for the Jim Clark Trophy.
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos
! No
! Driver
! Constructor
! Laps
! Time/Retired
! Grid
! Points
|-
! 1
| 1
| Alain Prost
| McLaren-TAG
| 43
| 1:27:03.217
| 6
| 9
|-
! 2
| 2
| Stefan Johansson
| McLaren-TAG
| 43
| +24.764
| 10
| 6
|-
! 3
| 8
| Andrea de Cesaris
| Brabham-BMW
| 42
| Out of fuel
| 13
| 4
|-
! 4
| 18
| Eddie Cheever
| Arrows-Megatron
| 42
| +1 lap
| 11
| 3
|-
! 5
| 11
| Satoru Nakajima
| Lotus-Honda
| 42
| +1 lap
| 15
| 2
|-
! 6
| 25
| René Arnoux
| Ligier-Megatron
| 41
| +2 laps
| 16
| 1
|-
! 7
| 26
| Piercarlo Ghinzani
| Ligier-Megatron
| 40
| Out of fuel
| 17
|
|-
! 8 (1)
| 30
| Philippe Alliot
| Lola-Ford
| 40
| +3 laps
| 22
|
|-
! 9 (2)
| 4
| Philippe Streiff
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 39
| +4 laps
| 23
|
|-
! 10 (3)
| 14
| Pascal Fabre
| AGS-Ford
| 38
| Ignition
| 25
|
|-
!
| 19
| Teo Fabi
| Benetton-Ford
| 34
| Engine
| 9
|
|-
!
| 9
| Martin Brundle
| Zakspeed
| 19
| Overheating
| 18
|
|-
!
| 20
| Thierry Boutsen
| Benetton-Ford
| 18
| Wheel bearing
| 7
|
|-
!
| 5
| Nigel Mansell
| Williams-Honda
| 17
| Accident
| 1
|
|-
!
| 16
| Ivan Capelli
| March-Ford
| 14
| Engine
| 21
|
|-
!
| 6
| Nelson Piquet
| Williams-Honda
| 11
| Exhaust
| 2
|
|-
!
| 21
| Alex Caffi
| Osella-Alfa Romeo
| 11
| Fuel leak
| 26
|
|-
!
| 27
| Michele Alboreto
| Ferrari
| 9
| Transmission
| 5
|
|-
!
| 10
| Christian Danner
| Zakspeed
| 9
| Brakes
| 20
|
|-
!
| 17
| Derek Warwick
| Arrows-Megatron
| 8
| Radiator
| 12
|
|-
!
| 7
| Riccardo Patrese
| Brabham-BMW
| 5
| Clutch
| 8
|
|-
!
| 28
| Gerhard Berger
| Ferrari
| 2
| Engine
| 4
|
|-
!
| 24
| Alessandro Nannini
| Minardi-Motori Moderni
| 1
| Turbo
| 14
|
|-
!
| 12
| Ayrton Senna
| Lotus-Honda
| 0
| Collision
| 3
|
|-
!
| 23
| Adrián Campos
| Minardi-Motori Moderni
| 0
| Gearbox
| 19
|
|-
!
| 3
| Jonathan Palmer
| Tyrrell-Ford
| 0
| Collision
| 24
|
|-
!colspan="8"|
|}
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!Pos
!Driver
!Points
|-
| 1
| Alain Prost
| align="right"| 18
|-
| 2
| Stefan Johansson
| align="right"| 13
|-
| 3
| Nigel Mansell
| align="right"| 10
|-
| 4
| Nelson Piquet
| align="right"| 6
|-
| 5
| Ayrton Senna
| align="right"| 6
|-
!colspan=4|Source:
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos
! Constructor
! Points
|-
| 1
| McLaren-TAG
| align="right"|31
|-
| 2
| Williams-Honda
| align="right"|16
|-
| 3
| Lotus-Honda
| align="right"|9
|-
| 4
| Ferrari
| align="right"|7
|-
| 5
| Brabham-BMW
| align="right"|4
|-
!colspan=4|Source: