Ayrton Senna won the 1988 Belgian Grand Prix and helped McLaren seal the constructors’ championship with five races remaining. Alain Prost finished second at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, while Ivan Capelli ultimately inherited third after both Benettons were excluded from the results for a fuel infringement.
Race Guide
Season: 1988 F1 World Championship
Race date: 28 August 1988
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Laps: 43 laps
Circuit length: 6.940 km
1987 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:53.718 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 2:00.772 on lap 10 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Third | Ivan Capelli | March |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 26 August 1988 | Free practice and pre-qualifying | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 26 August 1988 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 August 1988 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 August 1988 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 28 August 1988 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 28 August 1988 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Ayrton Senna arrived at round 11 leading the 1988 F1 World Championship on 66 points, with Alain Prost on 66. McLaren – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 132 points.
Race entries
Martin Brundle replaced the unwell Nigel Mansell at Williams, joining Riccardo Patrese for a one-off return to Formula 1. The paddock was also mourning Enzo Ferrari, who had died between the Hungarian and Belgian races. Ferrari continued with Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto for its first Grand Prix without its founder.
Pre-qualifying
Oscar Larrauri was eliminated after damaging the EuroBrun’s nose in an off during opening practice. Stefano Modena continued in the sister car, together with Alex Caffi, Nicola Larini and Gabriele Tarquini. The subsequent weather would make Friday’s main qualifying session particularly important for those who survived.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 2:01.068 | — |
| 2 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 2:02.101 | +1.033 |
| 3 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 2:02.347 | +1.279 |
| 4 | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 2:02.933 | +1.865 |
| DNPQ | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 2:04.208 | +3.140 |
Friday Free Practice
Alain Prost led Friday morning in 1:55.389, just ahead of Ayrton Senna. McLaren was assessing a revised steering arrangement, while Martin Brundle reacquainted himself with a Formula 1 car in the Williams. Nelson Piquet lost valuable preparation to clutch and gearbox difficulties across his Lotus cars. At Spa, interruptions to setup work carried a particular cost because the car needed to cope with both fast sweeps and slower corners.
Friday Practice Classification
1988 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 26 August 1988
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna secured the decisive lap on Friday in 1:53.718, with Alain Prost 0.410 seconds behind. The Ferraris filled the second row, followed by Riccardo Patrese and home favourite Thierry Boutsen. Friday’s opportunities had to be used carefully, as showers and traffic complicated the session.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1988 Belgian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 26 August 1988
Saturday Free Practice
Heavy rain transformed Saturday morning. Ayrton Senna led in 2:14.444, a pace that reflected the wet surface rather than any opportunity to improve the dry grid times. Gerhard Berger followed, while the teams had to judge how much running was useful in conditions unlike those of the first day. For Martin Brundle, the wet laps nevertheless offered another chance to build familiarity with the Williams before the race.
Saturday Practice Classification
1988 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 27 August 1988
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 2:14.444 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +1.123s | — |
| 3 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +1.213s | — |
| 4 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +1.329s | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +1.445s | — |
| 6 | 5 | Martin Brundle | Williams | +1.728s | — |
| 7 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +1.970s | — |
| 8 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +2.117s | — |
| 9 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.323s | — |
| 10 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.359s | — |
| 11 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +3.280s | — |
| 12 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | +3.626s | — |
| 13 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.948s | — |
| 14 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +3.987s | — |
| 15 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | +4.028s | — |
| 16 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +4.501s | — |
| 17 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +4.546s | — |
| 18 | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | +4.899s | — |
| 19 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +5.034s | — |
| 20 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +5.179s | — |
| 21 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | +5.716s | — |
| 22 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +6.620s | — |
| 23 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | +7.338s | — |
| 24 | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | +7.651s | — |
| 25 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +8.018s | — |
| 26 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +8.285s | — |
| 27 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +8.785s | — |
| 28 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | +12.030s | — |
| 29 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | +13.453s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Saturday’s rain prevented anyone from improving the grid order. Martin Brundle headed the wet session ahead of Satoru Nakajima, a fine performance on his return even though it could not lift him from twelfth overall. Alain Prost did not set a time. Both Minardis, Stefano Modena and Julian Bailey missed the cut.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1988 Belgian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 27 August 1988
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Martin Brundle | Williams | 2:14.517 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 2:14.739 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 2:15.027 | — |
| 4 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 2:15.196 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 2:15.236 | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 2:15.358 | — |
| 7 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 2:15.677 | — |
| 8 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 2:16.770 | — |
| 9 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 2:17.028 | — |
| 10 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 2:17.077 | — |
| 11 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 2:17.115 | — |
| 12 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 2:17.127 | — |
| 13 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 2:18.052 | — |
| 14 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 2:19.260 | — |
| 15 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 2:19.825 | — |
| 16 | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 2:19.880 | — |
| 17 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 2:19.908 | — |
| 18 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 2:19.909 | — |
| 19 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 2:19.939 | — |
| 20 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 2:20.594 | — |
| 21 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 2:21.219 | — |
| 22 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 2:22.064 | — |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 2:22.821 | — |
| 24 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 2:23.953 | — |
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Friday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:53.718 | 2:15.196 | 1:53.718 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:54.128 | no time | 1:54.128 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:54.581 | 2:17.115 | 1:54.581 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:55.665 | 2:15.677 | 1:55.665 | — |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:57.138 | 2:15.358 | 1:57.138 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:57.455 | 2:15.236 | 1:57.455 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:57.535 | 2:17.077 | 1:57.535 | — |
| 8 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:57.616 | 2:14.739 | 1:57.616 | — |
| 9 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:57.821 | 2:15.027 | 1:57.821 | — |
| 10 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:57.925 | 2:16.770 | 1:57.925 | — |
| 11 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:57.980 | 2:19.908 | 1:57.980 | — |
| 12 | 5 | Martin Brundle | Williams | 1:58.206 | 2:14.517 | 1:58.206 | — |
| 13 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:58.361 | no time | 1:58.361 | — |
| 14 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:59.439 | 2:22.821 | 1:59.439 | — |
| 15 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:59.776 | 2:18.052 | 1:59.776 | — |
| 16 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:59.906 | 2:21.219 | 1:59.906 | — |
| 17 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 2:00.037 | 2:19.260 | 2:00.037 | — |
| 18 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 2:00.410 | 2:23.953 | 2:00.410 | — |
| 19 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 2:00.521 | 2:17.028 | 2:00.521 | — |
| 20 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | 2:00.857 | no time | 2:00.857 | — |
| 21 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 2:01.078 | 2:20.594 | 2:01.078 | — |
| 22 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 2:01.359 | 2:19.939 | 2:01.359 | — |
| 23 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 2:01.467 | 2:19.909 | 2:01.467 | — |
| 24 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 2:01.899 | 2:22.064 | 2:01.899 | — |
| 25 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 2:01.938 | 2:19.825 | 2:01.938 | — |
| 26 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 2:02.029 | 2:17.127 | 2:02.029 | — |
| DNQ | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 2:02.129 | no time | 2:02.129 | — |
| DNQ | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 2:02.314 | no time | 2:02.314 | — |
| DNQ | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 2:02.322 | 2:19.880 | 2:02.322 | — |
| DNQ | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | 2:02.519 | no time | 2:02.519 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Sunday’s clearer weather made the warm-up an important return to more representative conditions. Ayrton Senna again headed Alain Prost, this time by 0.471 seconds. Alain Prost altered his aerodynamic setup before the start, but the change did not produce the race balance he wanted. After Saturday’s washout, the final dry-running decisions mattered more than the wet qualifying order.
Warm-up Classification
1988 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 28 August 1988
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:59.988 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.471s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +1.141s | — |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.213s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +1.388s | — |
| 6 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +2.160s | — |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +2.861s | — |
| 8 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.926s | — |
| 9 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +3.154s | — |
| 10 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.170s | — |
| 11 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +3.486s | — |
| 12 | 5 | Martin Brundle | Williams | +3.781s | — |
| 13 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +4.018s | — |
| 14 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +4.288s | — |
| 15 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | +4.500s | — |
| 16 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +4.694s | — |
| 17 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | +4.949s | — |
| 18 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | +5.022s | — |
| 19 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | +5.142s | — |
| 20 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +6.148s | — |
| 21 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | +6.243s | — |
| 22 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +6.418s | — |
| 23 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | +6.422s | — |
| 24 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | +6.664s | — |
| 25 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +6.697s | — |
| 26 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +520.043s | — |
What happened in the 1988 Belgian Grand Prix?
Alain Prost took the initial lead, but Ayrton Senna regained it on the opening lap on the run to Les Combes. The Brazilian then pulled clear as Alain Prost struggled to find the balance he needed. Gerhard Berger’s Ferrari ran into electrical trouble, while Michele Alboreto later retired from third with an engine failure.
Thierry Boutsen and Alessandro Nannini finished third and fourth on the road, ahead of Ivan Capelli and Nelson Piquet. Their celebrations did not survive the later ruling that Benetton’s fuel was irregular. Both cars were disqualified, promoting Ivan Capelli to third, Nelson Piquet to fourth and the Arrows pair of Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever into the points. The tables below use that final result.
Ayrton Senna’s winning margin over Alain Prost was 30.470 seconds. Their one-two put the constructors’ title beyond McLaren’s rivals and gave Ayrton Senna a fourth consecutive victory. Ivan Capelli’s eventual podium also rewarded March’s progress, though the delayed decision means contemporary accounts and the final championship record tell different stories about the lower points places.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 75 points, followed by Alain Prost on 72. McLaren – Honda led the constructors’ table on 147, with Ferrari on 44.
1988 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1988 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 28 August 1988.
1988 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 10 | 2:00.772 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 18 | 2:01.061 |
| 3 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 18 | 2:01.702 |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 34 | 2:01.924 |
| 5 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 14 | 2:02.255 |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 39 | 2:02.298 |
| 7 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 14 | 2:02.302 |
| 8 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 23 | 2:02.598 |
| 9 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 21 | 2:02.849 |
| 10 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 24 | 2:03.002 |
| 11 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 19 | 2:03.220 |
| 12 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 20 | 2:03.448 |
| 13 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 24 | 2:03.653 |
| 14 | 5 | Martin Brundle | Williams | 9 | 2:04.088 |
| 15 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 24 | 2:04.475 |
| 16 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 36 | 2:04.589 |
| 17 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 23 | 2:05.028 |
| 18 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 37 | 2:05.083 |
| 19 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 21 | 2:05.525 |
| 20 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | 39 | 2:05.681 |
| 21 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 12 | 2:06.514 |
| 22 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 14 | 2:06.653 |
| 23 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 19 | 2:06.810 |
| 24 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 7 | 2:07.497 |
| 25 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 2 | 2:07.978 |
| 26 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 2 | 2:08.821 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1988 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1988 Belgian Grand Prix.
1988 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1988 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – Honda | 147 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 44 |
| 3 | Benetton – Ford | 22 |
| 4 | Lotus – Honda | 19 |
| 5 | March – Judd | 13 |
| 6 | Arrows – Megatron | 13 |
| 7 | Williams – Judd | 8 |
| 8 | Tyrrell – Ford | 5 |
| 9 | Rial – Ford | 3 |
| 10 | Minardi – Ford | 1 |
| — | Lola – Ford | 0 |
| — | Dallara – Ford | 0 |
| — | Coloni – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ligier – Judd | 0 |
| — | Osella | 0 |
| — | AGS – Ford | 0 |
| — | EuroBrun – Ford | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race. These totals incorporate the later exclusion of both Benettons from the Belgian Grand Prix; contemporary tables published before that decision differ.
1988 Formula 1 Race Calendar
Seen in:
