1990 Japanese Grand Prix

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1990 Japanese Grand Prix
Race 15 of 16 in the 1990 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date 21 October 1990
Official name XVI Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Location Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie, Japan
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 5.860 km (3.641[1] miles)
Distance 53 laps, 310.580 km (192.985 miles)
Weather Sunny
Attendance 316,000[2]
Pole position
Driver McLaren-Honda
Time 1:36.996
Fastest lap
Driver Italy Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault
Time 1:44.233 on lap 40
Podium
First Benetton-Ford
Second Benetton-Ford
Third Lola-Lamborghini
Lap leaders

The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 October 1990 at Suzuka. It was the fifteenth and penultimate race of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 16th Japanese Grand Prix and the 6th held at Suzuka. The race saw a first-corner collision between World Championship rivals Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna and French driver Alain Prost, the second consecutive year that the World Championship had been decided by a collision between the two at the same track. The collision immediately put both cars out of the race and secured Senna his second World Championship, a reversal of fortunes from the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix, where the collision had secured the championship for Prost.

The race saw a best result to that point for the Benetton Formula team, with their drivers Brazilian veteran Nelson Piquet and his protégé Roberto Moreno finishing first and second in their Benetton B190s. It was back to back wins for Benetton in Japan after the team's win the previous year. Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki scored a career-best result for himself, the Larrousse team and the Lamborghini engine, finishing third in his Lola LC90. With Ferrari scoring no points after Nigel Mansell's retirement, the McLaren team secured their sixth and third consecutive Constructors' Championship.

As of September 2023, this was the last race where no European driver finished the race on the podium, and two South American drivers and an Asian driver filled the top three positions. It was also the only race where the Larrousse team scored a podium finish during their eight seasons of competing in Formula One, and the first and only podium finish for the Lamborghini V12 engine in Formula One. Suzuki's podium finish was the first for a Japanese driver (later matched by Takuma Sato and Kamui Kobayashi) and the last for a Japanese driver at his home race until Kamui Kobayashi did so at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix. Moreover, it was the last of Brazil's eleven one-twos in Formula One, the only one featuring Piquet and Moreno; of the other ten, eight featured Piquet and Senna and the other two had Emerson Fittipaldi and José Carlos Pace.

Pre-race[edit]

Before the race, Brabham announced that they would use Yamaha engines for 1991, while Footwork announced a Porsche engine deal for 1991 and retained both their 1990 drivers, Alex Caffi and Michele Alboreto. Prior to the race, the Life Racing Engines and EuroBrun teams withdrew from the sport. EuroBrun's Roberto Moreno joined the Benetton team replacing the previous year's race winner Alessandro Nannini, who was unable to attend the race following a helicopter crash that also ended his Formula One career, one week after the Spanish Grand Prix. Jean Alesi did not start after suffering a neck injury during Friday's practice. As his grid position was left empty, this was the third consecutive race to have only 25 starters instead of the usual 26. Nigel Mansell also announced a U-turn on his decision to retire by making public his agreement to join Williams-Renault for two years from 1991 after being given assurances from Frank Williams, Patrick Head, and Renault that they could deliver him a car in which he could win a World Championship and that he would be the team's undisputed No. 1 driver. On Saturday, Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, met Ayrton Senna in the McLaren pit.[3]

Qualifying[edit]

Qualifying report[edit]

After the withdrawal of the EuroBrun and Life teams, there was no need for a pre-qualifying session as only 30 cars remained in the event. The four drivers relieved of the necessity to pre-qualify, Yannick Dalmas, Gabriele Tarquini (both AGS), Olivier Grouillard (Osella) and Bertrand Gachot (Coloni) were ultimately the four drivers that failed to qualify for the race. Gachot crashed heavily in the Friday session. Roberto Moreno, who had left EuroBrun and joined Benetton, qualified easily in ninth position.[4]

Qualifying classification[edit]

Pos No Driver Constructor Q1 Q2 Gap
1 27 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda 1:38.828 1:36.996
2 1 France Alain Prost Ferrari 1:38.684 1:37.228 +0.232
3 2 United Kingdom Nigel Mansell Ferrari 1:38.969 1:37.719 +0.723
4 28 Austria Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda 1:38.374 1:38.118 +1.122
5 5 Belgium Thierry Boutsen Williams-Renault 1:39.577 1:39.324 +2.328
6 20 Brazil Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford 1:41.041 1:40.049 +3.053
7 4 France Jean Alesi Tyrrell-Ford 1:40.052 no time +3.056
8 6 Italy Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault 1:40.355 1:40.664 +3.359
9 19 Brazil Roberto Moreno Benetton-Ford 1:41.719 1:40.579 +3.583
10 30 Japan Aguri Suzuki Lola-Lamborghini 1:41.442 1:40.888 +3.892
11 23 Italy Pierluigi Martini Minardi-Ford 1:40.899 1:41.964 +3.903
12 11 United Kingdom Derek Warwick Lotus-Lamborghini 1:41.482 1:41.024 +4.028
13 16 Italy Ivan Capelli Leyton House-Judd 1:41.657 1:41.033 +4.037
14 3 Japan Satoru Nakajima Tyrrell-Ford 1:41.208 1:41.078 +4.082
15 12 United Kingdom Johnny Herbert Lotus-Lamborghini 1:43.111 1:41.558 +4.562
16 15 Brazil Maurício Gugelmin Leyton House-Judd 1:42.049 1:41.698 +4.702
17 29 France Éric Bernard Lola-Lamborghini 1:42.141 1:41.709 +4.713
18 25 Italy Nicola Larini Ligier-Ford 1:43.396 1:42.339 +5.343
19 21 Italy Emanuele Pirro Dallara-Ford 1:40.230 1:42.361 +5.365
20 24 Italy Gianni Morbidelli Minardi-Ford 1:42.858 1:42.364 +5.368
21 26 France Philippe Alliot Ligier-Ford 1:44.106 1:42.593 +5.597
22 8 Italy Stefano Modena Brabham-Judd 1:42.617 no time +5.621
23 7 Australia David Brabham Brabham-Judd 1:43.156 no time +6.160
24 10 Italy Alex Caffi Arrows-Ford 1:43.270 1:43.887 +6.274
25 9 Italy Michele Alboreto Arrows-Ford 1:43.304 1:43.610 +6.308
26 22 Italy Andrea de Cesaris Dallara-Ford 1:43.601 1:43.647 +6.605
27 14 France Olivier Grouillard Osella-Ford 1:43.993 1:43.782 +6.786
28 17 Italy Gabriele Tarquini AGS-Ford 1:44.281 29:56.038 +7.285
29 18 France Yannick Dalmas AGS-Ford 1:44.410 1:46.326 +7.414
30 31 Belgium Bertrand Gachot Coloni-Ford 20:22.535 1:45.393 +8.397

Race[edit]

Race report[edit]

Ayrton Senna qualified on pole but was unhappy with the dirty side of the track it was situated on, arguing that pole should always be on the racing line. He and Gerhard Berger then went to the Japanese stewards to request a change of position of pole to the cleaner left side of the track. The stewards initially agreed but an injunction by FISA president Jean Marie Balestre later that night rejected the decision and the original pole position remained on the dirtier right side of the track. In addition, the FIA had warned that crossing the yellow line of the pit exit on the right to better position oneself at the first corner would not be permitted, further infuriating Senna.[5] At the start, Prost took the lead but Senna attempted to take the inside line into the first corner. The two drivers made contact, sending both off the track and into instant retirement. The crash meant that Senna had clinched the Drivers' Championship for a second time, as with one race left in the season, Prost could not overtake his points tally. Benetton-Ford's dominance of the podium prevented Ferrari from scoring enough points to stop McLaren clinching its sixth constructors' title. The two discussed the event afterwards,[6] with Senna claiming it was not how he wanted it but how it had to be. Prost was infuriated by this, and described the move as "disgusting" and Senna as "a man without value".[7] He later said that he almost retired from the sport instantly after the incident.[8] After winning his third and final World Championship in 1991, Senna admitted that his move was deliberate,[9] and that it was a payback for 1989.[10][11][12] The pair went on to win one more championship each (Senna in 1991 and Prost in 1993) and eventually reconciled their differences on the podium in their final race together at the 1993 Australian Grand Prix.[13]

After the collision, the race proceeded with Gerhard Berger's McLaren MP4/5B leading and Nigel Mansell's Ferrari 641 second. On lap 2, Berger spun off at the first corner on sand thrown onto the track by the Senna/Prost collision, leaving Mansell to lead the race from the two Benettons of Nelson Piquet and Roberto Moreno. Anticipating that Benetton would follow their usual strategy of not making a pit stop, Mansell built up a gap until he pitted for tyres at the end of lap 26. After a quick stop, he left his box with heavy wheelspin, and a driveshaft failed. The Ferrari pulled over at the end of the pit lane and retired. Piquet inherited the lead and retained it until the chequered flag, with his teammate Moreno following closely. Aguri Suzuki also drove a non-stop race, finishing third, the first Japanese driver to do so. The two Williams FW13B-Renaults of Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen finished fourth and fifth, while Satoru Nakajima finished sixth in a Tyrrell 019, the second Japanese driver in the points.[8]

Race classification[edit]

Pos No Driver Constructor Tyre Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 20 Brazil Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford G 53 1:34:36.824 6 9
2 19 Brazil Roberto Moreno Benetton-Ford G 53 +7.223 8 6
3 30 Japan Aguri Suzuki Lola-Lamborghini G 53 +22.469 9 4
4 6 Italy Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault G 53 +36.258 7 3
5 5 Belgium Thierry Boutsen Williams-Renault G 53 +46.884 5 2
6 3 Japan Satoru Nakajima Tyrrell-Ford P 53 +1:12.350 13 1
7 25 Italy Nicola Larini Ligier-Ford G 52 +1 lap 17
8 23 Italy Pierluigi Martini Minardi-Ford P 52 +1 lap 10
9 10 Italy Alex Caffi Arrows-Ford G 52 +1 lap 23
10 26 France Philippe Alliot Ligier-Ford G 52 +1 lap 20
Ret 11 United Kingdom Derek Warwick Lotus-Lamborghini G 38 Gearbox 11
Ret 12 United Kingdom Johnny Herbert Lotus-Lamborghini G 31 Engine 14
Ret 9 Italy Michele Alboreto Arrows-Ford G 28 Engine 24
Ret 2 United Kingdom Nigel Mansell Ferrari G 26 Halfshaft 3
Ret 21 Italy Emanuele Pirro Dallara-Ford P 24 Alternator 18
Ret 29 France Éric Bernard Lola-Lamborghini G 24 Engine 16
Ret 24 Italy Gianni Morbidelli Minardi-Ford P 18 Spun off 19
Ret 16 Italy Ivan Capelli Leyton House-Judd G 16 Ignition 12
Ret 22 Italy Andrea de Cesaris Dallara-Ford P 13 Spun off 25
Ret 15 Brazil Maurício Gugelmin Leyton House-Judd G 5 Engine 15
Ret 7 Australia David Brabham Brabham-Judd P 5 Clutch 22
Ret 28 Austria Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda G 1 Spun off 4
Ret 27 Brazil Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda G 0 Collision 1
Ret 1 France Alain Prost Ferrari G 0 Collision 2
Ret 8 Italy Stefano Modena Brabham-Judd P 0 Collision 21
DNS 4 France Jean Alesi Tyrrell-Ford P Driver injured
DNQ 14 France Olivier Grouillard Osella-Ford P
DNQ 17 Italy Gabriele Tarquini AGS-Ford G
DNQ 18 France Yannick Dalmas AGS-Ford G
DNQ 31 Belgium Bertrand Gachot Coloni-Ford G
Source:[14][15]

Championship standings after the race[edit]

  • Bold Text indicates World Champions.
  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "1990 Japanese Grand Prix". Motorsport Database. 21 October 1990. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022 – Media Kit" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 5 October 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  3. ^ starrgarage (2 May 2009). Sankyūberimatchi nanbā 1! Nanbā 1! サンキューベリマッチ ナンバー1! ナンバー1! [Thank you very much number 1! Number 1!]. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024 – via YouTube. Video: Soichiro Honda meet Ayrton Senna{{cite AV media}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. ^ Walker, Murray (1990). Murray Walker's Grand Prix Year. Hazleton Publishing. pp. 127–134. ISBN 0-905138-82-1.
  5. ^ Galloway, James (1 May 2014). "'The world saw him as a McLaren man' – Maurice Hamilton on his new Senna book". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 15 August 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  6. ^ Oskar, Oskar (September 2004). "Alain Prost Grand Prix Homepage – Suzuka Special Part 3". Prostfan.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024. Prost-biased review and discussion of the incident.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  7. ^ Tremayne, David (7 July 2014). "The other side of Senna — his rage at Prost and Suzuka 1990". Motor Sport Magazine. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b Collantine, Keith (21 October 2010). "Senna clinches second world championship by taking Prost out – RaceFans". RaceFans. Archived from the original on 25 September 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  9. ^ Tremayne, David (7 July 2014). "Storms over Suzuka". Motor Sport Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Senna blows his top at Suzuka". Autosport. 2 June 1991. Archived from the original on 7 February 2024. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  11. ^ Collantine, Keith (20 November 2015). "'If you no longer go for a gap which exists you are no longer a racing driver'". RaceFans. Archived from the original on 8 August 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  12. ^ Graham, Brett (21 October 2020). "Why F1 legend fronted Aussie after 'disgusting' accident". Nine Wide World of Sports. Archived from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  13. ^ Guest, Spencer (2002). "Adelaide 1993". Farzad F1 Gallery. Archived from the original on 25 October 2006. Retrieved 8 February 2024. Adelaide Grand Prix review featuring images of Senna and Prost on the podium.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  14. ^ "1990 Japanese Grand Prix". Formula 1. 21 October 1990. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  15. ^ "1990 Japanese Grand Prix – Race Results & History". GP Archive. 21 October 1990. Retrieved 8 February 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Japan 1990". Stats F1. 21 October 1990. Archived from the original on 30 December 2023. Retrieved 8 February 2024.

Further reading[edit]


Previous race:
1990 Spanish Grand Prix
FIA Formula One World Championship
1990 season
Next race:
1990 Australian Grand Prix
Previous race:
1989 Japanese Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix Next race:
1991 Japanese Grand Prix