1986 Formula One season

The 1986 Formula One season was the 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1986 Formula One World Championship which commenced on 23 March and ended on 26 October after sixteen races. The Formula One World Championship for Drivers was won by Alain Prost and the Formula One World Championship for Manufacturers was awarded to Williams. Prost became the first driver since Jack Brabham 26 years before to defend his championship title.

The championship culminated in a points battle between the Williams duo of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell versus McLaren's Alain Prost at the final race, the 1986 Australian Grand Prix. Mansell's tyre blew in spectacular fashion and Piquet, in the lead at the time of the incident, was brought in for an unscheduled pit stop soon afterward by Williams to prevent the same happening to his tyres. This enabled Prost to take the lead and the race victory (his fourth of the season) and to secure his second consecutive Drivers' Championship. Mansell, Piquet, Prost, along with Lotus' rising star Ayrton Senna, dominated throughout the season and formed what was popularly dubbed as the "Gang of Four".

For the first time, turbocharged engines were compulsory due to a ban on naturally aspirated (atmospheric) engines. The law banning atmospheric engines was rescinded in 1987, in preparation for a ban on all forced induction engines for 1989. For 2014 turbocharged engines are now the norm effectively ending naturally aspirated (atmospheric) engines.

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