Mc Laren MP4/3 - Success

Success

There were three wins in 1987 with the MP4/3 by Alain Prost at Grand Prix of Brazil, Belgium, and Portugal. Stefan Johansson managed a few podium places, but he would be replaced in 1988 by Ayrton Senna. McLaren still managed to finish 2nd overall, with 76 points, in the Constructor's Championship. The MP4/3 is the pinnacle of the development of the McLaren TAG-Porsche partnership. The Porsche-TAG engine featured an updated Motronic 1.7 engine management system, and now produced 960 bhp (720 kW) in race trim and over 1,100 bhp (820 kW) in qualifying. These horsepower figures put it not far off Porsche's all-time most powerful racing engine, the 5.4 litre 12-cylinder in the 917/30 which produced over 1,500 horsepower (1,100 kW) in qualifying. Even today the MP4/3 is still considered to be one of the most powerful F1 cars ever made, since turbo boost pressure would be reduced to 2.5 bar in 1988, which reduced horsepower. Turbocharged engines were then banned completely in 1989, so the turbo era in Formula One may remain possibly the high-water mark for horsepower levels in Formula 1.

The MP4/3 was also the car with which Prost won the 1987 Portuguese Grand Prix to become the driver with the most wins in Formula One history beating Jackie Stewart's record of 27 wins which had stood since Stewart retired at the end of 1973.