Thierry Boutsen won a rain-lashed 1989 Australian Grand Prix, delivering a second wet-weather victory for Williams in a season finale dominated by concerns over visibility and standing water. Alessandro Nannini finished second and Riccardo Patrese third. Alain Prost withdrew after the first start, while Ayrton Senna‘s early charge ended in a collision while lapping traffic.
Race Guide
Season: 1989 F1 World Championship
Race date: 5 November 1989
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+10:30)
Circuit: Adelaide Street Circuit
Laps: 70 laps (81 laps scheduled)
Circuit length: 3.780 km
1988 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:16.665 | |
| Fastest lap | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:38.480 on lap 64 | |
| First | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
| Second | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
| Third | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 November 1989 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 3 November 1989 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 3 November 1989 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 November 1989 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 4 November 1989 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 5 November 1989 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 5 November 1989 | Wet-weather acclimatisation | 30-minute session; start time unconfirmed |
| 5 November 1989 | 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 16 leading the 1989 F1 World Championship on 76 points, with Ayrton Senna on 60. McLaren – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 141 points.
Race entries
Pierluigi Martini returned to Minardi after missing Japan. René Rene Arnoux and Piercarlo Ghinzani were approaching their final Grand Prix appearances, and several other drivers were making their last starts for their current teams. Alain Prost‘s final weekend with McLaren unfolded amid the continuing dispute over Ayrton Senna‘s Japanese disqualification.
Pre-qualifying
Pre-qualifying took place on Thursday in Adelaide. Nicola Larini was fastest for the third successive event, with Philippe Alliot, Piercarlo Ghinzani and JJ Lehto also progressing. Stefan Johansson narrowly missed out. Piercarlo Ghinzani earned a place in the main sessions for his farewell weekend, while Aguri Suzuki ended the season without having cleared pre-qualifying at any round.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:18.379 | — |
| 2 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:18.523 | +0.144 |
| 3 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:19.153 | +0.774 |
| 4 | 37 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:19.442 | +1.063 |
| 5 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:19.539 | +1.160 |
| 6 | 29 | Michele Alboreto | Lola | 1:20.129 | +1.750 |
| 7 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:20.179 | +1.800 |
| 8 | 31 | Roberto Moreno | Coloni | 1:20.183 | +1.804 |
| 9 | 33 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 1:20.750 | +2.371 |
| 10 | 35 | Aguri Suzuki | Zakspeed | 1:21.012 | +2.633 |
| 11 | 41 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:21.022 | +2.643 |
| 12 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:21.600 | +3.221 |
| 13 | 32 | Enrico Bertaggia | Coloni | 1:24.081 | +5.702 |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna headed Friday practice, with Pierluigi Martini second on his return and Nigel Mansell third. Warmer conditions than Thursday left the street circuit slippery and contributed to numerous spins during the day’s running. Ferrari struggled to find a satisfactory handling balance, while Minardi‘s pace again showed how effectively Pierluigi Martini could use the Pirelli tyres. The dry opening gave little indication of the very different conditions that would decide the race.
Friday Practice Classification
1989 Australian Grand Prix Practice, 3 November 1989
Friday Qualifying
Alain Prost took provisional pole on Friday, ahead of Ayrton Senna and Thierry Boutsen. Pierluigi Martini continued his excellent late-season qualifying form in fourth, while Ferrari was well down the order. The opening session gave Alain Prost the chance to leave McLaren with a strong final result, even as the off-track arguments continued.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1989 Australian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 3 November 1989
Saturday Free Practice
Alain Prost led Saturday practice, narrowly ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Alessandro Nannini. The teams continued to balance traction against stability over Adelaide’s bumps, with Ferrari still short of the grip its drivers wanted. Gerhard Berger‘s weekend was also complicated by engine and transmission problems. Jean Alesi was racing with bronchitis, adding a physical burden to the technical work. The final free session offered a useful dry-weather check, but that preparation would have limited relevance once Sunday’s rain arrived.
Saturday Practice Classification
1989 Australian Grand Prix Practice, 4 November 1989
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna answered with a 1:16.665 on Saturday to take pole. Alain Prost retained second on his Friday time, while Pierluigi Martini claimed a superb third for Minardi. Alessandro Nannini was fourth. Eddie Cheever crashed heavily near the end of the session, bringing it to an early conclusion. Jonathan Palmer, Luis Pérez-Sala and both Rial drivers failed to qualify.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1989 Australian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 4 November 1989
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 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:17.712 | 1:16.665 | 1:16.665 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:17.403 | 1:17.624 | 1:17.403 | — |
| 3 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:18.043 | 1:17.623 | 1:17.623 | — |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:18.271 | 1:17.762 | 1:17.762 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:17.791 | 1:18.586 | 1:17.791 | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:18.636 | 1:17.827 | 1:17.827 | — |
| 7 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:19.525 | 1:18.313 | 1:18.313 | — |
| 8 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:18.750 | 1:20.076 | 1:18.750 | — |
| 9 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:18.828 | 1:19.487 | 1:18.828 | — |
| 10 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:18.857 | 1:18.899 | 1:18.857 | — |
| 11 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:19.305 | 1:19.110 | 1:18.379 | — |
| 12 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:19.136 | 1:19.428 | 1:19.136 | — |
| 13 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | 1:19.710 | 1:19.217 | 1:19.217 | — |
| 14 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:19.238 | 1:20.615 | 1:19.238 | — |
| 15 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:19.363 | 1:19.259 | 1:19.259 | — |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:19.269 | 1:19.294 | 1:19.269 | — |
| 17 | 37 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:20.767 | 1:19.309 | 1:19.442 | — |
| 18 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:19.392 | 1:20.622 | 1:19.392 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:19.568 | 1:19.579 | 1:18.523 | — |
| 20 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:19.599 | 1:19.622 | 1:19.599 | — |
| 21 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:19.691 | 1:20.718 | 1:19.153 | — |
| 22 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:19.922 | 1:21.206 | 1:19.922 | — |
| 23 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:20.066 | 1:20.333 | 1:20.066 | — |
| 24 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 1:21.882 | 1:20.073 | 1:20.073 | — |
| 25 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:20.191 | 1:20.260 | 1:20.191 | — |
| 26 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:20.872 | 1:20.391 | 1:20.391 | — |
| 27 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:20.428 | 1:20.451 | 1:20.428 | — |
| 28 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:20.633 | 1:20.866 | 1:20.633 | — |
| 29 | 39 | Bertrand Gachot | Rial | 1:22.267 | 1:24.913 | 1:22.267 | — |
| 30 | 38 | Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Rial | 1:22.305 | 1:22.391 | 1:22.305 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ayrton Senna topped the scheduled Sunday warm-up ahead of Gerhard Berger and Riccardo Patrese. Thierry Boutsen over-revved his Renault and needed an engine change, an unwelcome interruption before the finale. The weather had become cooler and overcast, and the session was followed by heavy rain. Teams that had spent the weekend refining dry setups would shortly need an additional opportunity to assess the circuit on wet tyres.
Warm-up Classification
1989 Australian Grand Prix Warm-up, 5 November 1989
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:21.306 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +0.350s | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.383s | — |
| 4 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +0.492s | — |
| 5 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +0.689s | — |
| 6 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +0.756s | — |
| 7 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +0.873s | — |
| 8 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +1.034s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.293s | — |
| 10 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +1.364s | — |
| 11 | 37 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +1.452s | — |
| 12 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +1.489s | — |
| 13 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +1.570s | — |
| 14 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +1.632s | — |
| 15 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +1.716s | — |
| 16 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | +1.751s | — |
| 17 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | +1.769s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +1.780s | — |
| 19 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.856s | — |
| 20 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +2.020s | — |
| 21 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | +2.607s | — |
| 22 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +2.622s | — |
| 23 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +2.996s | — |
| 24 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | +3.528s | — |
| 25 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +5.340s | — |
| 26 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +5.376s | — |
Wet-weather acclimatisation
Heavy rain prompted an additional thirty-minute wet-weather session before the race. Several drivers aquaplaned or spun, and the combination of standing water and spray trapped between the concrete walls raised serious concerns about racing. Ayrton Senna was fastest, but speed offered little reassurance about visibility in traffic.
Drivers discussed delaying or abandoning the race, with Alain Prost among those strongly opposed to starting in the conditions. The start was delayed, but the race went ahead. This extra session was separate from the scheduled morning warm-up; a complete independently verified classification has not been located for it.
What happened in the 1989 Australian Grand Prix?
The first start was stopped after an accident involving JJ Lehto. Alain Prost had already decided to withdraw because of the conditions and did not take the restart. Ayrton Senna then built a large early lead, benefiting from a clear view ahead, but collided with Martin Brundle while lapping traffic and retired with heavy damage.
Thierry Boutsen took control and drove consistently as others spun or crashed. Alessandro Nannini finished second, with Riccardo Patrese third. The two-hour limit ended the race after 70 of the scheduled 81 laps. Thierry Boutsen‘s composed drive secured his second victory of the season and helped Williams finish runner-up in the constructors’ championship.
Satoru Nakajima recovered from an early spin to take fourth and set the fastest lap, one of his strongest Formula 1 performances. Emanuele Pirro and Pierluigi Martini completed the points. Riccardo Patrese‘s podium moved him ahead of Nigel Mansell for third in the drivers’ championship, while the season closed with Alain Prost confirmed as champion following the upheld Japanese result.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 76 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 60. McLaren – Honda led the constructors’ table on 141, with Williams – Renault on 77.
1989 Australian Grand Prix race results
The 1989 Australian Grand Prix was held on 5 November 1989.
1989 Australian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 64 | 1:38.480 |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 59 | 1:38.685 |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 59 | 1:40.336 |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 54 | 1:40.380 |
| 5 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 6 | 1:41.159 |
| 6 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 16 | 1:42.406 |
| 7 | 37 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 26 | 1:42.509 |
| 8 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | 49 | 1:43.144 |
| 9 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 19 | 1:44.277 |
| 10 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 22 | 1:44.305 |
| 11 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 62 | 1:44.734 |
| 12 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 5 | 1:44.900 |
| 13 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 6 | 1:45.700 |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 57 | 1:46.189 |
| 15 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 6 | 1:46.911 |
| 16 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 19 | 1:46.973 |
| 17 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 11 | 1:47.255 |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 10 | 1:47.525 |
| 19 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 56 | 1:48.171 |
| 20 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 9 | 1:48.366 |
| 21 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 9 | 1:48.521 |
| 22 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 6 | 1:49.251 |
| 23 | 25 | Rene Arnoux | Ligier | 3 | 1:50.375 |
| 24 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 16 | 1:51.975 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1989 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1989 Australian Grand Prix.
1989 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1989 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – Honda | 141 |
| 2 | Williams – Renault | 77 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 59 |
| 4 | Benetton – Ford | 39 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 16 |
| 6 | Lotus – Judd | 15 |
| 7 | Arrows – Ford | 13 |
| 8 | Dallara – Ford | 8 |
| 9 | Brabham – Judd | 8 |
| 10 | Onyx – Ford | 6 |
| 11 | Minardi – Ford | 6 |
| 12 | March – Judd | 4 |
| 13 | Rial – Ford | 3 |
| 14 | Ligier – Ford | 3 |
| 15 | AGS – Ford | 1 |
| 16 | Lola – Lamborghini | 1 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed – Yamaha | 0 |
| — | EuroBrun – Judd | 0 |
| — | Coloni – Ford | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.
1989 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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