The Michele Alboreto Challenge - a 1987 mod

Ferde,
Thanks again for the driver's height idea.
I read an interview with Piquet, and he said that he set his seat lower and the head protection as minimum
So Mansell could not use Piquet's car and feel his setup.
I found Monza 87 GP picture from both drivers and Piquet is really buried inside the cockpit.
The head loop is ridiculously low!!!
I will include that tasty detail in the cars.
Im letting it public as a big overdue Thank You for your idea.
I dont want you to feel your ideas are unapreciated
It wasnt my priority but I kept your idea in mind.
Your suggestion will be credited
Thanks !!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 02/21/2026 11:33PM by ricomaster.

Just uploaded a raw video
I was trying to make 87 engine sounds and got beaten by the task, it is TOO hard and a science in itself
Out of options, I thought about studying the real modder's (I mean you guys, I am a noob modder) way of doing it, hoping I could start something.
Luckly I took'a'look into the older nonCSM87 by Ayman - and decided to hear how it sounded like.
Now, I dont know if the sound was made by Ayman or updated by Jose ( there are no readmes in the file ); what I must say is that's BRILLIANT FREAKING BRILLIANT
I put on my headphones, cranked the volume up, and I could FEEL the engine POWER, not that sissy bzzz bzzz of the vanilla GP sound I was using.

I would like to know the author of the engine sound, to express my gratitude and admiration for such a work
Now the mod is getting closer to what I was pursuing - recreate that atmosphere of danger, power, adrenaline that Berger told us about!!!!

Today , work on FW11B continues - it's time for some magic texturing, will post the comparison tests (against vanilla GP4 reflections)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2026 11:10AM by ricomaster.

Hi Rico,

If you use the update I made the sound is from another old 1988 turbo sound.
I made one just for honda you can use both just choose witch one you like more.

Here is the 1988 new Honda sound

[www.youtube.com]

This one is more realistic to the turbo engine that I build with real records of 1988 McLaren.
If I have more time maybe I can do one with 1987 real world recordings.


Best

Jose

Thanks Jose you are the man !

Uploaded a special pic of FW11B (05.jpg)
97% finished



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2026 12:08PM by ricomaster.

Thank you, Rico. I had once my own little AI championship and yead, drivers head position can be changed as you know it. So I used it to add more character to drivers and also make them a bit easier to recognize. Glad you like that little idea of mine, cheers brother <3

Previous acc (Soutsen) has been banned from use cos of some annoying spammer used the same @mail domain.

↑↑↑ Link to my YouTube channel with some of my STUPID music.

Absolutely stunning work! I'm following the progress of this awesome project. It has all the ingredients to become a great, high-quality mod. Keep up this fantastic work!!!

If you allow me a little, very small contribution... I'm looking closely to the Williams and I think it's livery, actually corresponds to the FW11 of 1986 season. The shape is absolutely accurate to the FW11B. However, the livery in 1987 for the FW11B was very similar, but had few differences respect the 86 version. As fas as I know, they are the following ones:

- Side of the rear wing --> For 1987 it featured the Cannon 50th anniversary. In 1986 it was just blank.
- Side of the car (below Mobil 1 sponsor in the cockpit). For 1986 there was a little sponsor below the number, called Austin Rover. For 1987 the sponsor was Barclay.
- The top of the "nose" --> In 1987 the painting was slightly different, being blue until the end, with no white below the number and Williams logo.


I think my explanation could be clearer if I attach some images of these 3 points. You can see them here more clearly:
[global.honda]
[global.honda]

Comparison (look the livery at the nose):
1986: [www.gtplanet.net]
1987: [www.diariomotor.com]


I hope my comment could contribute in a positive and a constructive way. Anyway, absolutely fantastic work! Thank you so much Rico!
- Sudden



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2026 05:06PM by Sudden.

Sarà un Capolavoro

Suddenly I posted my answer in form of an edited screenshot, hope you like it!
Thanks!!!

[drive.google.com]

Fantastic work Rico, absolutely beautiful!! I'm glad that my feedback has been helpful, in order to improve what it was already fantastic. Now yes, this FW11B is perfect . Lovely render, I really liked it! Thank you so much for your work, and your kind answer.

Just a final point: In fact, the ICI logo no matter if it's in yellow, or black. Actually, both versions are correct :P Williams ran with yellow ICI (same as 86) the most part of the 87 season, and they updated it into black logo by the Portuguese GP (in other words, black ICI entered for the last 5 races of the season).

Top work, and lovely project. Keep it up! Thank you again Rico

Thank you so much for your interest
I know there are those hair-thin red lines, but I am making a compromise: I decided to build the cars in a way that some livery aspects do not depend on texture resolution.
They are the McLaren marlboro red/white, the Brabham blue/white and the Williams yellow/blue/white colors
How did I do it?
I separated the geometry by color, cutting the surfaces into discrete colored parts :the limit / edge of the colors is not the texture per se, but the 3D faces'edge.
This way, even a low res texture will not affect the main visual aspect of the car.

Perhaps I implement the red lines after all, I think I got an idea

Ric-o



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/2026 02:50AM by ricomaster.

Hi Rico, your cars are magnificent and I can't wait to drive them. Just a small detail for the Brabhams: the numbers on the front of the car should be slightly slanted, and Patrese's number 7 should be white with a blue border. I don't recall there being a sponsor on the rear wing, but I could be mistaken. Congratulations on your work. Best regards. Lpx

Lpx, thanks!
Indeed in 1987 there were none. Good call - Ill get rid of it, thanks.
Oh, now I see the pattern - Patrese #7 had "empty" numbers and deCrasheris #8 had them filled in white.
I hadnt noticed that the difference is per driver I thought the sidepod's unfilled number was to contrast with the bold white Olivetti logo, while keeping it filled in the nose, contrasting with the white.
At first I remember thinking "Ugh!" and left the slanting to be done later, and forgot about it.
I find it a bad design idea anyway but Ill do it, no problem-o.

WIP update
Smoothed FW11B sidepod port edges
FW11B new 3D dash/stwheel
Completed > loading track images

Hi everyone ! Incredible work on 1987 cars ! So happy to see this project alive !

The Williams looks beautiful !!

On the subject of the textures, I have noticed also, as Sudden mentionned for the Williams, that on the Brabham there is in reality no sponsors on the rear wing, it is totally blue ! (I see Iceberg on the screens) :

Brabham 1987 - Andrea De Cesaris Belgique 1987

Little detail, but I'm sharing it with you to make this even more accurate

Very good job and looking forward ! thanks to the entire team !

Thanks !!

Posted Ligier JS29 WIP:
To do
(missing car numbers and driver's names)
Cockpit front side (Bosch) texture fix
Visor fix
Mirrors fix
Rear opening fix
Nose cone fix
Front suspension fix
Prep for magic texture



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2026 04:55PM by ricomaster.

Posted scrshots of chatGPT analysis of the ric-o-mputer physics and dyn-a-mate engine map created for The Michele Alboreto Challenge 1987 mod

[drive.google.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/14/2026 04:57AM by ricomaster.

ricomaster wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Posted scrshots of chatGPT analysis of the ric-o-m
> puter physics and dyn-a-mate engine map created fo
> r The Michele Alboreto Challenge 1987 mod

According to chatgpt you match the features of a F1 car from the late 80's.

Good job!

Discarding the whistles and bells, the relevance of the comments is the favorable comparison with data regardless it cam from chatGPT.
Calculated, untweaked numbers, thats the beauty of it. Btw will release ric-o-mputer v36 with BMW M12/13 engine map, found dyno data of it.
The mod will offer (maybe as an add-on) engine options for RA167E and BMW M12. Searching for Porsche TAG TTO1 data. I care about correct figures for example the RA168E. Thats all



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2026 01:47PM by ricomaster.

ChatGPT appreciation toward your mod is qute amusing and uplifting too. Good sign of the things to come and your progress is indeed very impressive.

Btw am Im understanding it right that you somehow was able to replicate DIFFERENT engines specifications somehow maybe? Was it the part of some recent gp4 addon i've somehow missed? Or maybe Im wrong assuming you had done that?

Previous acc (Soutsen) has been banned from use cos of some annoying spammer used the same @mail domain.

↑↑↑ Link to my YouTube channel with some of my STUPID music.

I got true dyno data already of the Honda, Ferrari and BMW.
But answering your question, yes!
My plans are:
. Include different engine targets for MemoryAccess
. If you decide to drive the Brabham instead, you choose the corresponding engine map in Memory Access, choose a Brabham driver, and you will be inside a Brabham cockpit with its unique engine map - in this case the fearsome BMW M12/13 which (edited)... hahaha you will find out

Therefore, each car will have its own characteristics - the tamer Honda, the rough Ferrari, the explosive BMW...
It WILL be more difficult to achieve pole with the Ferrari than with the Honda, unless the track favours it: each torque curve will make a difference depending on the track characteristics, as it was back then.
Also, each car will have its own dimensions, weight distribution and aero included as MemoryAccess aero targets
I am searching like mad for the Porsche TAG engine by now.

So the MemoryAccess is indeed the game changer tool. Still has been unable to check out your tool that you was promoting... So sad that right now i have absolutely no time to play this favourite game of mine... Were you guys able to control individual ai pit stop strategies with your recent tools though? Thank you very much for clearing up that there are new levels of possibilities avaliable for gp4. I was busy when the tool came up and hadn't carefully read thf readme or tutor. Hope i will be able to do that and create finally the ai championship of my dreams, insee now those dreams can come true! :3

Previous acc (Soutsen) has been banned from use cos of some annoying spammer used the same @mail domain.

↑↑↑ Link to my YouTube channel with some of my STUPID music.