1990 Japanese Grand Prix

15th round of the 1990 Formula One World Championship April 2021 F1 Japan 1947 Japanese XVI Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix 21 October 1990 Suzuka circuit map (1987-2002).svg 15 16 Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Mie, Japan Permanent racing facility 3.641https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1990-japanese-grand-prix/ live 1990 Japanese Grand Prix Motorsport Database 21 October 1990 https://web.archive.org/web/20230929175903/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/1990-japanese-grand-prix/ 29 September 2023 8 February 2024 5.860 53 192.985 310.580 Sunny 316,000https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2022_japanesegp_mediakit_english.pdf live Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022 – Media Kit Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile 5 October 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20231009205322/https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/2022_japanesegp_mediakit_english.pdf 9 October 2023 8 February 2024 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda 1:36.996 Brazil 1968 Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault 1:44.233 40 Italy Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford Brazil 1968 Roberto Moreno Benetton-Ford Brazil 1968 Aguri Suzuki Lola-Lamborghini Japan 1947 JPN The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 21 October 1990 at Suzuka Circuit, the fifteenth and penultimate race of the 1990 Formula One World Championship. 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 of Senna coming from behind shunting Prost off the Japanese track. This time, with Senna leading in the standings, the "absolutely predictable" (Murray Walker) 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 third 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. 2026, this was the last race where no European driver finished the race on the podium, with 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 and Asian 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 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.starrgarage 2 May 2009 Sankyūberimatchi nanbā 1! Nanbā 1! ja: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! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuO9F-OUzf8 live https://web.archive.org/web/20231009080659/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuO9F-OUzf8 9 October 2023 8 February 2024 YouTube Qualifying Qualifying report 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.Walker Murray 1990 Murray Walker's Grand Prix Year Hazleton Publishing 127–134 0-905138-82-1 Qualifying classification Pos No Driver Constructor Q1 Q2 Gap 1 27 Brazil 1968 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 UK 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 1968 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 1968 Roberto Moreno Benetton-Ford 1:41.719 1:40.579 +3.583 10 30 Japan 1947 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 UK 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 1947 Satoru Nakajima Tyrrell-Ford 1:41.208 1:41.078 +4.082 15 12 UK Johnny Herbert Lotus-Lamborghini 1:43.111 1:41.558 +4.562 16 15 Brazil 1968 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 Race report 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 a last minute injunction by FISA president Jean Marie Balestre 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.Galloway James 1 May 2014 'The world saw him as a McLaren man' – Maurice Hamilton on his new Senna book https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/22058/9291619/the-world-saw-him-as-a-mclaren-man-maurice-hamilton-on-his-new-senna-book live https://web.archive.org/web/20230815195628/https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/22058/9291619/the-world-saw-him-as-a-mclaren-man-maurice-hamilton-on-his-new-senna-book 15 August 2023 8 February 2024 Sky Sports 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. 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, achieving Benetton's first one-two finish. 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. Both Suzuki and Moreno achieved their only career podiums in Formula One. Reaction Prost and Senna discussed the event afterwards, with Senna claiming it was not how he wanted it but how it had to be.Schuler Oskar September 2004 Alain Prost Grand Prix Homepage – Suzuka Special Part 3 https://www.prostfan.com/hk/specials/suzuka3-4.htm live https://web.archive.org/web/20240208023105/https://www.prostfan.com/hk/specials/suzuka3-4.htm 8 February 2024 8 February 2024 Prostfan.com Prost was infuriated by this, and described the move as "disgusting" and Senna as "a man without value".Tremayne David 7 July 2014 The other side of Senna – his rage at Prost and Suzuka 1990 https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1991/6/the-other-side-of-senna/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240207210511/https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1991/6/the-other-side-of-senna/ 7 February 2024 8 February 2024 Motor Sport Magazine He later said that he almost retired from the sport instantly after the incident.Collantine Keith 21 October 2010 Senna clinches second world championship by taking Prost out – RaceFans https://www.racefans.net/2010/10/21/20-years-since-senna-took-out-prost-at-suzuka-1990-japanese-gp-flashback/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230925092059/https://www.racefans.net/2010/10/21/20-years-since-senna-took-out-prost-at-suzuka-1990-japanese-gp-flashback/ 25 September 2023 8 February 2024 RaceFans After winning his third and final World Championship in 1991, Senna admitted that his move was deliberate,Tremayne David 2014-07-07 Storms over Suzuka https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/december-1993/10/storms-over-suzuka/ 2024-02-10 Motor Sport Magazine and that it was a payback for 1989.2 June 1991 Senna blows his top at Suzuka https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/senna-blows-his-top-at-suzuka-5053036/5053036/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240207195327/https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/senna-blows-his-top-at-suzuka-5053036/5053036/ 7 February 2024 8 February 2024 AutosportCollantine Keith 20 November 2015 'If you no longer go for a gap which exists you are no longer a racing driver' https://www.racefans.net/2015/11/20/if-you-no-longer-go-for-a-gap-which-exists-you-are-no-longer-a-racing-driver/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20230808175625/https://www.racefans.net/2015/11/20/if-you-no-longer-go-for-a-gap-which-exists-you-are-no-longer-a-racing-driver/ 8 August 2023 8 February 2024 RaceFansGraham Brett 21 October 2020 Why F1 legend fronted Aussie after 'disgusting' accident https://wwos.nine.com.au/motorsport/ayrton-senna-collision-alain-prost-1990-japanese-grand-prix-david-brabham-reflects-exclusive/d004509e-e45e-494f-b2ce-e484548fbd55 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230324094858/https://wwos.nine.com.au/motorsport/ayrton-senna-collision-alain-prost-1990-japanese-grand-prix-david-brabham-reflects-exclusive/d004509e-e45e-494f-b2ce-e484548fbd55 24 March 2023 8 February 2024 Nine Wide World of Sports 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.Guest Spencer 2002 Adelaide 1993 http://www.farzadsf1gallery.com/features/adel93.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20061025173536/http://www.farzadsf1gallery.com/features/adel93.html 25 October 2006 8 February 2024 Farzad F1 Gallery In a discussion with his fellow Grand Prix commentator Murray Walker at the BBC in 1991, 1976 World Champion James Hunt defended Senna, stating that Senna had been improprerly blamed for not only last year's collision, but also this collision, and that Prost was at fault for not letting Senna have any room in both incidents: "Oh no, I think he Senna took an awful lot of vilification from Balestre over a period of a couple of years. He feels with great justification in my opinion that Balestre single handedly robbed him of the world championship which Senna is the be all and end or and when he finally won this year with Balestre out of the way, he snapped at a moment of adrenaline and I think to my opinion that humanised him. No he didn't, he did not. He neither said that he pushed Prost off, nor did he push him off and that is what a lot of the idiot press picked up, they all said that. He said that he had decided before the race that he would not gonna give way right, in fact he never stuck to that if you look at the replay, he did give way on the kerb on the inside trying to avoid Prost who was driving into him right and once more the year before Prost drove into him without any doubt at all at the hairpin in Japan. Absolute if you look at the replays of both Prost turned into the corner on both occasions way before the turning in point right and the other thing is in the second incident at the first corner right, it was a testimony that Prost previously excellent brain had collapsed totally right because the only person that did not need to be pushed off without a doubt that race was Prost and he pushed himself off. The evidence is there to see, this one is not a question of views, this one is a question of looking at the evidence."BBC Sport 1991 James Hunt blames Alain Prost for 1990 Suzuka crash with Ayrton Senna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L61MSxDCwY 8 February 2024 YouTube Race classification Pos No Driver Constructor Tyre Laps Time/Retired Grid Points 1 20 Brazil 1968 Nelson Piquet Benetton-Ford Goodyear 53 1:34:36.824 6 9 2 19 Brazil 1968 Roberto Moreno Benetton-Ford Goodyear 53 +7.223 8 6 3 30 Japan 1947 Aguri Suzuki Lola-Lamborghini Goodyear 53 +22.469 9 4 4 6 Italy Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault Goodyear 53 +36.258 7 3 5 5 Belgium Thierry Boutsen Williams-Renault Goodyear 53 +46.884 5 2 6 3 Japan 1947 Satoru Nakajima Tyrrell-Ford Pirelli 53 +1:12.350 13 1 7 25 Italy Nicola Larini Ligier-Ford Goodyear 52 +1 lap 17 8 23 Italy Pierluigi Martini Minardi-Ford Pirelli 52 +1 lap 10 9 10 Italy Alex Caffi Arrows-Ford Goodyear 52 +1 lap 23 10 26 France Philippe Alliot Ligier-Ford Goodyear 52 +1 lap 20 Ret Retired 11 UK Derek Warwick Lotus-Lamborghini Goodyear 38 Gearbox 11 Ret Retired 12 UK Johnny Herbert Lotus-Lamborghini Goodyear 31 Engine 14 Ret Retired 9 Italy Michele Alboreto Arrows-Ford Goodyear 28 Engine 24 Ret Retired 2 UK Nigel Mansell Ferrari Goodyear 26 Halfshaft 3 Ret Retired 21 Italy Emanuele Pirro Dallara-Ford Pirelli 24 Alternator 18 Ret Retired 29 France Éric Bernard Lola-Lamborghini Goodyear 24 Engine 16 Ret Retired 24 Italy Gianni Morbidelli Minardi-Ford Pirelli 18 Spun off 19 Ret Retired 16 Italy Ivan Capelli Leyton House-Judd Goodyear 16 Ignition 12 Ret Retired 22 Italy Andrea de Cesaris Dallara-Ford Pirelli 13 Spun off 25 Ret Retired 15 Brazil 1968 Maurício Gugelmin Leyton House-Judd Goodyear 5 Engine 15 Ret Retired 7 Australia David Brabham Brabham-Judd Pirelli 5 Clutch 22 Ret Retired 28 Austria Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda Goodyear 1 Spun off 4 Ret Retired 27 Brazil 1968 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda Goodyear 0 Collision 1 Ret Retired 1 France Alain Prost Ferrari Goodyear 0 Collision 2 Ret Retired 8 Italy Stefano Modena Brabham-Judd Pirelli 0 Collision 21 DNS Did not start 4 France Jean Alesi Tyrrell-Ford Pirelli Driver injured DNQ Did not qualify 14 France Olivier Grouillard Osella-Ford Pirelli DNQ Did not qualify 17 Italy Gabriele Tarquini AGS-Ford Goodyear DNQ Did not qualify 18 France Yannick Dalmas AGS-Ford Goodyear DNQ Did not qualify 31 Belgium Bertrand Gachot Coloni-Ford GoodyearSource:http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1990/229/ 1990 Japanese Grand Prix Formula 1 21 October 1990 8 February 2024 https://web.archive.org/web/20141222000201/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1990/229/ 22 December 2014https://gparchive.com/formula-1/1990-japanese-grand-prix/ 1990 Japanese Grand Prix – Race Results & History GP Archive 21 October 1990 8 February 2024 Championship standings after the race Bold text indicates World Champions. Drivers' Championship standings PosDriverPoints 1 BRA 1968 Ayrton Senna 78 2 FRA Alain Prost 69 3 AUT Gerhard Berger 40 4 BRA 1968 Nelson Piquet 35 5 Belgium Thierry Boutsen 32Source:https://www.statsf1.com/en/1990/japon/championnat.aspx live Japan 1990 Stats F1 21 October 1990 https://web.archive.org/web/20231230204602/https://www.statsf1.com/en/1990/japon/championnat.aspx 30 December 2023 8 February 2024 Constructors' Championship standings Pos Constructor Points 1 GBR McLaren-Honda118 2 ITA Ferrari100 3 GBR Benetton-Ford62 4 GBR Williams-Renault54 5 GBR Tyrrell-Ford16Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. References Further reading Schot Marcel 1998 http://www.atlasf1.com/98/jpn/preview/schot.html live Japanese GP: The Playground of Champs Atlas F1 https://web.archive.org/web/20050213160855/http://www.atlasf1.com/98/jpn/preview/schot.html 13 February 2005 8 February 2024 Japanese Grand Prix 1990 1990 Spanish Grand Prix 1990 Australian Grand Prix 1989 Japanese Grand Prix 1991 Japanese Grand Prix Japanese Grand Prix Category:Japanese Grand Prix Grand Prix Category:Formula One controversies Category:October 1990 sports events in Japan