Alain Prost made the decisive move at the start of the 1988 Mexican Grand Prix and kept Ayrton Senna behind him to secure another McLaren one-two. Gerhard Berger completed the podium as the altitude and bumps of the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez helped make this an especially demanding weekend for the naturally aspirated runners.
Race Guide
Season: 1988 F1 World Championship
Race date: 29 May 1988
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-06:00)
Circuit: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Laps: 67 laps
Circuit length: 4.421 km
1987 winner: Nigel Mansell
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:17.468 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:18.608 on lap 52 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Third | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 27 May 1988 | Free practice and pre-qualifying | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 27 May 1988 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 28 May 1988 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 28 May 1988 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 29 May 1988 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 29 May 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
Alain Prost arrived at round 4 leading the 1988 F1 World Championship on 24 points, with Gerhard Berger on 14. McLaren – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 33 points.
Race entries
The regular drivers returned for Mexico, where Ferrari brought further engine revisions and Lotus continued developing its suspension. The new teams again faced the opening-practice pre-qualifying hurdle. The high-altitude circuit gave the turbo cars a particular advantage, adding to the challenge facing Williams, Benetton and the other naturally aspirated entrants.
Pre-qualifying
Gabriele Tarquini initially looked set to miss out after electrical trouble in the Coloni. Stefano Modena’s EuroBrun was then excluded for a rear-wing infringement, allowing Gabriele Tarquini to continue. For Stefano Modena it was a second successive weekend ended by a rules infringement rather than by the eventual qualifying cut.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 1:24.720 | — |
| 2 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:27.331 | +2.611 |
| 3 | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 1:27.523 | +2.803 |
| 4 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 1:28.498 | +3.778 |
| EX | 33 | Stefano Modena | EuroBrun | 1:31.473 | +6.753 |
Friday Free Practice
Friday morning suggested Ferrari had made progress. Its revised turbo installation helped Gerhard Berger get within little more than half a second of Ayrton Senna, while Lotus tried further suspension and damping changes. Ayrton Senna led in 1:19.475, but neither McLaren driver was entirely satisfied with the car’s setup over the circuit’s bumps. The opening session therefore gave the leaders both an encouraging result and plenty of work still to do.
Friday Practice Classification
1988 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 27 May 1988
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna’s Friday lap of 1:17.468 proved the quickest of the weekend. Alain Prost followed in 1:18.097, with Gerhard Berger third but still some distance behind. The strong conditions made Friday’s times particularly valuable, and the turbo cars occupied the leading positions as the naturally aspirated runners struggled with the thinner air.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1988 Mexican Grand Prix first qualifying session, 27 May 1988
Saturday Free Practice
An overnight storm washed rubber from the track before Saturday’s running. Alain Prost headed free practice in 1:19.055, with both Ferraris following him and Gerhard Berger again close enough to suggest a genuine improvement. The changed surface complicated comparisons with Friday, and the teams still had to balance speed with stability over the bumps. Williams was having a particularly difficult weekend with its reactive suspension and reduced power at altitude.
Saturday Practice Classification
1988 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 28 May 1988
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna was fastest again on Saturday without improving his Friday time. Gerhard Berger closed the gap considerably but remained third overall behind the two McLarens. The session was overshadowed by Philippe Alliot’s violent crash at the final corner; he escaped serious injury. Both Tyrrell drivers failed to qualify, along with Adrián Adrian Campos and Nicola Larini, while Bernd Schneider earned his first race start.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1988 Mexican Grand Prix second qualifying session, 28 May 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 | 1:17.468 | 1:17.666 | 1:17.468 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:18.097 | 1:18.301 | 1:18.097 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:19.725 | 1:18.120 | 1:18.120 | — |
| 4 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:20.380 | 1:18.946 | 1:18.946 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:20.328 | 1:19.626 | 1:19.626 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:21.694 | 1:20.275 | 1:20.275 | — |
| 7 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:21.691 | 1:20.451 | 1:20.451 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:20.740 | 1:21.005 | 1:20.740 | — |
| 9 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:20.775 | 1:21.403 | 1:20.775 | — |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:22.335 | 1:21.952 | 1:21.952 | — |
| 11 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 1:22.164 | 1:22.029 | 1:22.029 | — |
| 12 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 1:22.864 | 1:22.245 | 1:22.245 | — |
| 13 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:22.348 | 1:22.559 | 1:22.348 | — |
| 14 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:23.246 | 1:22.363 | 1:22.363 | — |
| 15 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:24.335 | 1:22.642 | 1:22.642 | — |
| 16 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:22.801 | 5:30.133 | 1:22.801 | — |
| 17 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:24.142 | 1:22.972 | 1:22.972 | — |
| 18 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 1:25.375 | 1:23.078 | 1:23.078 | — |
| 19 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 1:23.191 | 1:23.750 | 1:23.191 | — |
| 20 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:24.315 | 1:23.287 | 1:23.287 | — |
| 21 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 1:24.662 | 1:23.603 | 1:23.603 | — |
| 22 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 1:24.279 | 1:23.606 | 1:23.606 | — |
| 23 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:25.564 | 1:23.716 | 1:23.716 | — |
| 24 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | 1:25.277 | 1:23.721 | 1:23.721 | — |
| 25 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:23.911 | 1:23.857 | 1:23.857 | — |
| 26 | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 1:24.364 | 1:24.032 | 1:24.032 | — |
| DNQ | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:24.390 | 1:24.489 | 1:24.390 | — |
| DNQ | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:24.405 | 1:25.408 | 1:24.405 | — |
| DNQ | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell | 1:25.525 | 1:25.231 | 1:25.231 | — |
| DNQ | 23 | Adrián Campos | Minardi | 1:26.696 | 1:26.058 | 1:26.058 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost restored a clear McLaren advantage in the warm-up, finishing less than three tenths apart with Gerhard Berger more than a second behind the leader. Larrousse’s priorities were very different after Philippe Alliot’s enormous qualifying accident: the mechanics had worked to make a car available for him to start. Ferrari also split its aerodynamic approach between its drivers, seeking a compromise between speed and tyre life for the race.
Warm-up Classification
1988 Mexican Grand Prix Warm-up, 29 May 1988
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:20.121 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.295s | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +1.248s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.107s | — |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | +2.564s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | +2.966s | — |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +3.201s | — |
| 8 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.207s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +3.428s | — |
| 10 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +3.840s | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +3.921s | — |
| 12 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +4.360s | — |
| 13 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | +4.522s | — |
| 14 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | +4.831s | — |
| 15 | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | +6.330s | — |
| 16 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +6.334s | — |
| 17 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +6.475s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | +6.676s | — |
| 19 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +6.788s | — |
| 20 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +6.845s | — |
| 21 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | +6.898s | — |
| 22 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | +7.029s | — |
| 23 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | +7.052s | — |
| 24 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | +10.742s | — |
| 25 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +63.205s | — |
| 26 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +335.928s | — |
What happened in the 1988 Mexican Grand Prix?
An aborted start reduced the race to 67 laps. When the field finally got away, Alain Prost took the lead while Ayrton Senna lost momentum and briefly fell behind Nelson Piquet. Ayrton Senna quickly recovered second, but Alain Prost had gained the opening he needed and set about building a cushion.
Gerhard Berger moved past the Lotus cars and took up the pursuit in third. Ferrari was more competitive than it had been in the opening rounds, but the McLarens remained beyond reach. Philippe Alliot retired his repaired Lola almost immediately, while the naturally aspirated cars had to fight for scraps behind the leading turbo runners.
Alain Prost finished 7.104 seconds ahead of Ayrton Senna, with Gerhard Berger third and Michele Alboreto fourth. Derek Warwick and Eddie Cheever completed the points for Arrows, leaving both Lotus drivers outside the top six. The result rewarded Alain Prost’s clean start and consistent pace, and strengthened his position against the team-mate who had once again beaten him to pole.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 33 points, followed by Gerhard Berger on 18. McLaren – Honda led the constructors’ table on 48, with Ferrari on 27.
1988 Mexican Grand Prix race results
The 1988 Mexican Grand Prix was held on 29 May 1988.
1988 Mexican Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 52 | 1:18.608 |
| 2 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 53 | 1:18.776 |
| 3 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 52 | 1:20.124 |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 37 | 1:20.160 |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 57 | 1:20.186 |
| 6 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 52 | 1:21.056 |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 51 | 1:21.068 |
| 8 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 45 | 1:22.375 |
| 9 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 27 | 1:22.477 |
| 10 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 57 | 1:22.483 |
| 11 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS | 58 | 1:22.703 |
| 12 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton | 50 | 1:22.822 |
| 13 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial | 50 | 1:23.118 |
| 14 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 58 | 1:23.409 |
| 15 | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier | 49 | 1:23.553 |
| 16 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | 50 | 1:24.369 |
| 17 | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 45 | 1:24.660 |
| 18 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 16 | 1:24.704 |
| 19 | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 34 | 1:25.057 |
| 20 | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni | 60 | 1:25.072 |
| 21 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 8 | 1:25.246 |
| 22 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 16 | 1:25.697 |
| 23 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 18 | 1:26.061 |
| 24 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 13 | 1:27.076 |
| 25 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 8 | 1:27.524 |
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 Mexican Grand Prix.
1988 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 33 |
| 2 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Ferrari | 18 |
| 3 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 15 |
| 4 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Ferrari | 9 |
| 5 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Lotus | 8 |
| 6 | Derek Warwick | British | Arrows | 8 |
| 7 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Benetton | 3 |
| 8 | Jonathan Palmer | British | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 9 | Eddie Cheever | American | Arrows | 1 |
| 10 | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Benetton | 1 |
| 11 | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Lotus | 1 |
| 12 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 1 |
| – | Yannick Dalmas | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Stefan Johansson | Swedish | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Philippe Streiff | French | AGS | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | March | 0 |
| – | Luis Pérez-Sala | Spanish | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Oscar Larrauri | Argentine | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | Coloni | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | March | 0 |
| – | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Italian | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Adrián Campos | Spanish | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Rial | 0 |
| – | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 0 |
| – | René Arnoux | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Stefano Modena | Italian | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Julian Bailey | British | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Bernd Schneider | German | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Alex Caffi | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
1988 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – Honda | 48 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 27 |
| 3 | Lotus – Honda | 9 |
| 4 | Arrows – Megatron | 9 |
| 5 | Benetton – Ford | 4 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 2 |
| 7 | Williams – Judd | 1 |
| — | Lola – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ligier – Judd | 0 |
| — | Osella | 0 |
| — | AGS – Ford | 0 |
| — | March – Judd | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Ford | 0 |
| — | EuroBrun – Ford | 0 |
| — | Coloni – Ford | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed | 0 |
| — | Rial – Ford | 0 |
| — | Dallara – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.
1988 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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