Classic racecars: How Scuderia Ferrari beat its 80s slump

[NOISE] Ferrari has been passed as formula one since its inaugural season in 1950. And it's had some of the sports most famous drivers on it's roster. Names like Ascari, Loudre, and Schumacher. There have been highs and lows for the promising horse over the years but Scuderia Ferrari is the oldest remaining team in Formula One. The year is 1987, the 38th season of F1 Ferrari didn't win a single race the previous year, and now it had to build a car that could not only win, but would comply with the comprehensive rule changes that the '87 season brought. This is the Ferrari F1/87. It was designed from scratch to comply with the new regs. Its engine was a new, narrow, 1.5 liter V6. Kicking out 880 brake horsepower. [SOUND] Its predecessor was already considered to be one of the most powerful cars on the grid. And it had 30 fewer horses. The car was the brainchild of designer Gustav Brunner and technical director John Barnard. Barnard had been recruited from McLaren off the back of six successful seasons to get Ferrari back on the podium Something that had barely seen in previous years. Barnard started to implement some big changes. One of which was banning wine at lunch on test days. Something that did not go down well with the mostly Italian mechanics. Ferrari had been slow to respond to technical revolutions in the past, but that was about to change. Reliability issues did plague the team early in the season, but up and coming driver Gail [UNKNOWN] drove this car to three pull positions and two wins that season. The win at the Japanese [UNKNOWN] that win was not only [UNKNOWN] first, but for Rory's first in two years. The winner at the very next race in Australia, was Ferrari's first back to back win Since 1981. There he is with the checkered flag. Watch his technique of Gerhard Berger who in spite of having a terrible practice with illness has won for the second time in two Grand Prix for Ferrari. Two in a row win for you but we thought you were in trouble. What were the sparks coming out from the back of the car? I'm not sure, maybe out of the bottom is the exhaust because the last [UNKNOWN] heard some funny noises in the engine. This specific car, with chassis number 100, was first driven by Al [UNKNOWN] in 1987 during the Grand Prix of Hungary, Austria, Italy, and Portugal. Afterwards it was set aside and carried [UNKNOWN] number and functioned as a reserve car. The car underwent some modifications for the 88 season, and was renamed the F1 87-88 Seats. This will be the last year that regulations would permit turbo charged engines. So the car was nicknamed Optimal Turbo. Very little was changed on the car, save redesigned front and rear wings, and a lowered engine cover due to new fuel tank limitations. It was one of the most powerful cars that year, but its poor fuel consumption compared to its rivals Proved a little to much, Ferrari was no match for the Honda powered [UNKNOWN] who run all but one of the grand pre that year. The one they missed? [UNKNOWN]. [UNKNOWN] and [UNKNOWN] the two [UNKNOWN] drivers who had dominated this season both retired leaving the path clear for Ferrari one two, the [UNKNOWN] and Michelle [UNKNOWN] The win came just a month after the passing of [UNKNOWN] Ferrari the man who made the company the legend it was then and still is today. [UNKNOWN] came third in the drivers ranking in that year, his highest ever finished which he achieved again in 1994 after returning to Ferrari. The night [UNKNOWN] they saw the Italian grand prix Ferrari team boss Marco Petchini had joked to Berger that if he won the race he could keep the car. The first thing Berger said when he exited the car at Park Ferme is you can bring this car to Austria. Berger and this car ended a rough streak for Ferrari. That driver and that car are part of Ferrari's massive F1 story, a story that's had its highs and its lows. But it's rarely been dull. [MUSIC]