Ferrari delivered an emotional one-two at the 1988 Italian Grand Prix, less than a month after Enzo Ferrari’s death. Gerhard Berger won ahead of Michele Alboreto after Ayrton Senna collided with Jean-Louis Jean Louis Schlesser while lapping the Williams, ending McLaren’s hopes of winning every race of the season.
Race Guide
Season: 1988 F1 World Championship
Race date: 11 September 1988
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 51 laps
Circuit length: 5.80 km
1987 winner: Nelson Piquet
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:25.974 | |
| Fastest lap | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:29.070 on lap 44 | |
| First | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
| Second | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari |
| Third | Eddie Cheever | Arrows |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 September 1988 | Free practice and pre-qualifying | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 9 September 1988 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 10 September 1988 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 10 September 1988 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 11 September 1988 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 11 September 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 12 leading the 1988 F1 World Championship on 75 points, with Alain Prost on 72. McLaren – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 147 points.
Race entries
Nigel Mansell remained unwell, and Martin Brundle’s sports-car commitments prevented another Williams appearance. Jean-Louis Jean Louis Schlesser stepped in alongside Riccardo Patrese and made his first World Championship race start. Ferrari’s drivers carried the expectations of a grieving home crowd, while Arrows arrived with useful improvements to its Megatron engine installation.
Pre-qualifying
Oscar Larrauri was eliminated during opening practice for the second race running. Stefano Modena, Alex Caffi, Gabriele Tarquini and Nicola Larini continued to main qualifying. At Monza, even clearing that first hurdle left the naturally aspirated cars with a difficult fight against their turbo-powered rivals.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:30.877 | — |
| 2 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 1:32.860 | +1.983 |
| 3 | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 1:33.292 | +2.415 |
| 4 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:33.738 | +2.861 |
| DNPQ | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 1:34.044 | +3.167 |
Friday Free Practice
Ferrari was given the honour of sending the first cars onto the track on Friday morning in tribute to Enzo Ferrari. Once the timed running developed, Ayrton Senna led in 1:27.100, with Alain Prost second. Arrows’s revised turbo installation was another important story: resolving its boost-control difficulties offered Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick a much stronger prospect on Monza’s long straights.
Friday Practice Classification
1988 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 9 September 1988
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna headed Friday qualifying in 1:26.160, only 0.117 seconds ahead of Alain Prost. Ferrari occupied the second row, while Arrows’s improved engine performance translated into an unusually strong challenge behind the leading two teams. Monza was rewarding the turbo cars’ advantage on the straights.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1988 Italian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 9 September 1988
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna lowered his practice time to 1:25.733 on Saturday morning, a lap quicker than the pole time he would eventually record that afternoon. Alain Prost remained his closest rival. Further down the order, Ligier’s revised spare-car bodywork brought cooling difficulties for Stefan Johansson, while Jean Louis Schlesser concentrated on securing a Williams race start. The straightforward dry conditions rewarded sustained setup work but gave little shelter to cars lacking speed.
Saturday Practice Classification
1988 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 10 September 1988
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:25.974 on Saturday, becoming the only driver below 1 minute 26 seconds. Alain Prost retained second with his Friday time, followed by Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto. Eddie Cheever and Derek Warwick shared the third row. Jean Louis Schlesser qualified twenty-second; Jonathan Palmer, Stefan Johansson, Gabriele Tarquini and Stefano Modena missed the grid.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1988 Italian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 10 September 1988
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 | 1:26.160 | 1:25.974 | 1:25.974 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:26.277 | 1:26.428 | 1:26.277 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:28.082 | 1:26.654 | 1:26.654 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:27.618 | 1:26.988 | 1:26.988 | — |
| 5 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:28.101 | 1:27.660 | 1:27.660 | — |
| 6 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:28.258 | 1:27.815 | 1:27.815 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:28.440 | 1:28.044 | 1:28.044 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:29.607 | 1:28.870 | 1:28.870 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:28.969 | 1:28.958 | 1:28.958 | — |
| 10 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:30.124 | 1:29.435 | 1:29.435 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:29.513 | 1:29.696 | 1:29.513 | — |
| 12 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:29.541 | 1:30.570 | 1:29.541 | — |
| 13 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:30.145 | 1:30.035 | 1:30.035 | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:30.734 | 1:30.125 | 1:30.125 | — |
| 15 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:30.773 | 1:30.161 | 1:30.161 | — |
| 16 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 1:31.182 | 1:30.476 | 1:30.476 | — |
| 17 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:31.721 | 1:30.481 | 1:30.481 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 1:31.263 | 1:30.560 | 1:30.560 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:30.944 | 1:30.698 | 1:30.698 | — |
| 20 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:31.168 | 1:30.962 | 1:30.962 | — |
| 21 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:30.989 | 1:31.009 | 1:30.989 | — |
| 22 | 5 | Jean-Louis Schlesser | Williams | 1:31.548 | 1:31.620 | 1:31.548 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 1:31.676 | 1:31.687 | 1:31.676 | — |
| 24 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:32.049 | 1:32.316 | 1:32.049 | — |
| 25 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 1:32.164 | 1:32.686 | 1:32.164 | — |
| 26 | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | 1:32.573 | 1:32.290 | 1:32.290 | — |
| DNQ | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:32.405 | 1:33.067 | 1:32.405 | — |
| DNQ | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | 1:33.272 | 1:32.438 | 1:32.438 | — |
| DNQ | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 1:32.829 | 1:35.805 | 1:32.829 | — |
| DNQ | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 1:34.727 | 1:33.226 | 1:33.226 | — |
Sunday warm-up
The McLarens were separated by only eight thousandths of a second in the warm-up. Ayrton Senna was just ahead, but Alain Prost was concerned by electronic trouble and vibration in his car. Those warning signs mattered more than the tiny gap on the stopwatch. Gerhard Berger also needed last-minute attention before the start, while Alessandro Nannini’s subsequent throttle problem would force the Benetton driver to begin from the pits.
Warm-up Classification
1988 Italian Grand Prix Warm-up, 11 September 1988
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:29.820 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.008s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +0.964s | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +1.047s | — |
| 5 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +1.438s | — |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.462s | — |
| 7 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +2.083s | — |
| 8 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.127s | — |
| 9 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | +2.462s | — |
| 10 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +2.554s | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +2.869s | — |
| 12 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | +3.252s | — |
| 13 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.309s | — |
| 14 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +3.381s | — |
| 15 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +3.484s | — |
| 16 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +3.499s | — |
| 17 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | +3.692s | — |
| 18 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +3.941s | — |
| 19 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +4.119s | — |
| 20 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +4.514s | — |
| 21 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +4.583s | — |
| 22 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | +4.672s | — |
| 23 | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | +4.790s | — |
| 24 | 5 | Jean Louis Schlesser | Williams | +5.592s | — |
| 25 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | +7.516s | — |
| 26 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +10.310s | — |
What happened in the 1988 Italian Grand Prix?
Alain Prost briefly got ahead at the start, but his engine misfired and Ayrton Senna led through the first chicane. The McLarens initially pulled away, yet Alain Prost’s problem worsened until he retired. Ferrari then occupied second and third, with Gerhard Berger ahead of Michele Alboreto, and began reducing the gap to Ayrton Senna.
With only two laps remaining, Ayrton Senna caught Jean Louis Schlesser at the first chicane. The Williams locked up and ran wide; as it recovered, the cars touched and the McLaren was stranded. Gerhard Berger swept into the lead, with Michele Alboreto close behind. The crowd’s hopes of a Ferrari victory had suddenly become the prospect of a one-two.
Gerhard Berger won by 0.502 seconds from Michele Alboreto, with Eddie Cheever third and Derek Warwick fourth for Arrows. Ivan Capelli and Thierry Boutsen completed the points. This would be the only race McLaren failed to win that season, and Ferrari could scarcely have chosen a more poignant place to break the run.
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 59.
1988 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1988 Italian Grand Prix was held on 11 September 1988.
1988 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 44 | 1:29.070 |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 47 | 1:29.113 |
| 3 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 29 | 1:29.569 |
| 4 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 27 | 1:29.642 |
| 5 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 33 | 1:30.248 |
| 6 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 42 | 1:30.452 |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 43 | 1:30.504 |
| 8 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 37 | 1:30.971 |
| 9 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 34 | 1:31.543 |
| 10 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 26 | 1:31.704 |
| 11 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 11 | 1:31.803 |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 27 | 1:31.832 |
| 13 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 24 | 1:32.054 |
| 14 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 19 | 1:32.735 |
| 15 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 11 | 1:32.804 |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 20 | 1:33.007 |
| 17 | 5 | Jean Louis Schlesser | Williams | 39 | 1:33.179 |
| 18 | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | 40 | 1:33.203 |
| 19 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 10 | 1:33.476 |
| 20 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 42 | 1:33.486 |
| 21 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 28 | 1:33.581 |
| 22 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 31 | 1:33.898 |
| 23 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 8 | 1:34.420 |
| 24 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 15 | 1:34.723 |
| 25 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | 11 | 1:35.020 |
| 26 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 2 | 1:38.570 |
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 Italian 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 | 59 |
| 3 | Benetton – Ford | 23 |
| 4 | Arrows – Megatron | 20 |
| 5 | Lotus – Honda | 19 |
| 6 | March – Judd | 15 |
| 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
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