The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix delivered one of Formula 1’s most contentious title deciders. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided at the chicane, Ayrton Senna recovered to finish first on the road, and his subsequent disqualification handed Alessandro Nannini his maiden victory. Alain Prost emerged as world champion, while the arguments over the incident and the officials’ decision continued long after Suzuka.
Race Guide
Season: 1989 F1 World Championship
Race date: 22 October 1989
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+09:00)
Circuit: Suzuka International Racing Course
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.860 km
1988 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:38.041 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:43.506 on lap 43 | |
| First | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
| Second | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Third | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 October 1989 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 20 October 1989 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 20 October 1989 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 21 October 1989 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 21 October 1989 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 22 October 1989 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 22 October 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 15 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.
Alain Prost arrived with 76 retained points to Ayrton Senna‘s 60. Ayrton Senna needed victories in both remaining races to overturn the deficit; under the best-eleven-results system, those wins would be sufficient regardless of Alain Prost‘s finishing positions. The championship therefore rested on a contest in which second place would not do for Ayrton Senna.
Race entries
Nigel Mansell returned after his suspension. Paolo Barilla deputised for the injured Pierluigi Martini at Minardi, while Bertrand Gachot replaced Gregor Foitek at Rial. Williams now used the FW13 for both drivers. Benetton had a development Ford engine available, adding another technical decision to a weekend already dominated by the title fight.
Pre-qualifying
Nicola Larini was fastest, followed by Philippe Alliot, Bernd Schneider and Michele Alboreto. Bernd Schneider‘s passage was Zakspeed‘s first since the season opener, a welcome result at Yamaha’s home event. Both Onyx cars were eliminated, and Aguri Suzuki again missed out. Bernd Schneider would go on to qualify twenty-first, giving the struggling team a rare race start.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:43.035 | — |
| 2 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:43.089 | +0.054 |
| 3 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:44.053 | +1.018 |
| 4 | 29 | Michele Alboreto | Lola | 1:44.075 | +1.040 |
| 5 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:44.313 | +1.278 |
| 6 | 31 | Roberto Moreno | Coloni | 1:44.498 | +1.463 |
| 7 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:44.582 | +1.547 |
| 8 | 35 | Aguri Suzuki | Zakspeed | 1:44.780 | +1.745 |
| 9 | 33 | Oscar Larrauri | EuroBrun | 1:45.446 | +2.411 |
| 10 | 37 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:45.787 | +2.752 |
| 11 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:46.705 | +3.670 |
| 12 | 41 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:48.306 | +5.271 |
| 13 | 32 | Enrico Bertaggia | Coloni | no time | — |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna headed Friday practice by a substantial margin from Alain Prost, with Alessandro Nannini third. Benetton was evaluating a development Ford engine that offered extra performance, while Williams continued working to balance the new FW13. Its improved front end was exposing weaknesses at the rear, leaving the drivers with oversteer and traction difficulties. McLaren‘s advantage was immediately apparent, but the teams behind were still choosing the combinations they would trust in the race.
Friday Practice Classification
1989 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, 20 October 1989
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna headed Friday qualifying in 1:39.493, with Nigel Mansell second and Alain Prost third. An oil leak prevented Alain Prost from completing his intended run on qualifying tyres. Ayrton Senna had already been exceptionally quick on race rubber, underlining how much performance he could draw from the McLaren at Suzuka.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1989 Japanese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 20 October 1989
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna again led Saturday practice, ahead of Alain Prost and Gerhard Berger. The McLaren drivers were approaching the weekend differently: Ayrton Senna pursued maximum qualifying speed while Alain Prost concentrated on a race setup that would still secure a front-row start. That distinction mattered more than simply comparing their morning times. Behind them, Williams continued to find its new car difficult, while several midfield teams faced a tight contest for the remaining grid positions.
Saturday Practice Classification
1989 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, 21 October 1989
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:38.041 on Saturday, a full 1.730 seconds ahead of Alain Prost. Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell occupied the second row, followed by Riccardo Patrese and Alessandro Nannini. Alain Prost had secured the front-row position central to his race plan, even if the size of Ayrton Senna‘s advantage over a single lap was extraordinary.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1989 Japanese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 21 October 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 | 1:39.493 | 1:38.041 | 1:38.041 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:40.875 | 1:39.771 | 1:39.771 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:41.253 | 1:40.187 | 1:40.187 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:40.608 | 1:40.406 | 1:40.406 | — |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:42.397 | 1:40.936 | 1:40.936 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:41.601 | 1:41.103 | 1:41.103 | — |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:42.943 | 1:41.324 | 1:41.324 | — |
| 8 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:42.534 | 1:41.336 | 1:43.089 | — |
| 9 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:42.909 | 1:41.458 | 1:41.458 | — |
| 10 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:42.483 | 1:41.519 | 1:43.035 | — |
| 11 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:43.386 | 1:41.802 | 1:41.802 | — |
| 12 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:43.370 | 1:41.988 | 1:41.988 | — |
| 13 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:44.236 | 1:42.182 | 1:42.182 | — |
| 14 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:43.107 | 1:42.283 | 1:42.283 | — |
| 15 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:43.171 | 1:42.488 | 1:42.488 | — |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:43.904 | 1:42.581 | 1:42.581 | — |
| 17 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:43.851 | 1:42.672 | 1:42.672 | — |
| 18 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:43.306 | 1:42.709 | 1:42.709 | — |
| 19 | 23 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:46.096 | 1:42.780 | 1:42.780 | — |
| 20 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:44.805 | 1:42.880 | 1:42.880 | — |
| 21 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:44.323 | 1:42.892 | 1:44.053 | — |
| 22 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | 1:43.217 | 1:43.063 | 1:43.063 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 1:45.801 | 1:43.379 | 1:43.379 | — |
| 24 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:44.501 | 1:43.511 | 1:43.511 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:44.288 | 1:43.599 | 1:43.599 | — |
| 26 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:43.955 | 1:43.757 | 1:43.757 | — |
| 27 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:44.221 | 1:44.030 | 1:44.030 | — |
| 28 | 29 | Michele Alboreto | Lola | 1:44.063 | 1:44.101 | 1:44.075 | — |
| 29 | 38 | Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Rial | 2:11.328 | 1:47.160 | 1:47.160 | — |
| 30 | 39 | Bertrand Gachot | Rial | 1:50.883 | 1:47.295 | 1:47.295 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost was fastest in the warm-up, ahead of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. His lower-downforce approach gave him greater straight-line speed, offering a different set of strengths from Ayrton Senna‘s car. Ferrari‘s preparation was less reassuring, with Gerhard Berger suffering over-revs and the cars struggling for traction from slow corners. Benetton also weighed performance against reliability: Alessandro Nannini would race the established Ford engine rather than the development version used in qualifying.
Warm-up Classification
1989 Japanese Grand Prix Warm-up, 22 October 1989
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:44.079 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.390s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.722s | — |
| 4 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +0.818s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +1.532s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.567s | — |
| 7 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +1.708s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | +1.950s | — |
| 9 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +2.008s | — |
| 10 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +2.311s | — |
| 11 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.504s | — |
| 12 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | +2.623s | — |
| 13 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +2.759s | — |
| 14 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.919s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +3.083s | — |
| 16 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +3.541s | — |
| 17 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.770s | — |
| 18 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +3.975s | — |
| 19 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +4.029s | — |
| 20 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +4.082s | — |
| 21 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +4.221s | — |
| 22 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +4.244s | — |
| 23 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +4.492s | — |
| 24 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +5.111s | — |
| 25 | 23 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +5.200s | — |
| 26 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | +7.520s | — |
What happened in the 1989 Japanese Grand Prix?
Alain Prost beat Ayrton Senna away from the start and built a lead. Ayrton Senna closed after the tyre stops, eventually putting the championship rivals together on the road. On lap 47 he attempted to pass at the chicane; the cars collided and stopped together. Alain Prost got out, while Ayrton Senna restarted with assistance from the marshals and rejoined through the escape road.
Ayrton Senna stopped for a new nose, caught Alessandro Nannini and passed him to finish first on the road. The stewards then disqualified Ayrton Senna for failing to complete the prescribed course at the chicane. McLaren challenged the decision, but it stood. Alessandro Nannini became the official winner, and Alain Prost secured his third drivers’ championship.
Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen completed the podium, followed by Nelson Piquet, Martin Brundle and Derek Warwick. Both Ferraris retired. Alessandro Nannini‘s first victory was overshadowed by the title controversy, but the final classification remains distinct from the order in which the cars crossed the line: Ayrton Senna‘s disqualification is retained in the results below.
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 64.
1989 Japanese Grand Prix race results
The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was held on 22 October 1989.
Ayrton Senna originally finished 1st, but was disqualified for rejoining the track illegally following his collision with Alain Prost.
1989 Japanese Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 43 | 1:43.506 |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 26 | 1:44.189 |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 28 | 1:44.919 |
| 4 | 20 | Emanuele Pirro | Benetton | 25 | 1:45.049 |
| 5 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 32 | 1:45.077 |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 37 | 1:45.115 |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 26 | 1:45.335 |
| 8 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 25 | 1:45.353 |
| 9 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 46 | 1:46.194 |
| 10 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 35 | 1:46.225 |
| 11 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 33 | 1:46.420 |
| 12 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 34 | 1:46.674 |
| 13 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 32 | 1:47.069 |
| 14 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 30 | 1:47.338 |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 25 | 1:47.465 |
| 16 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 27 | 1:47.920 |
| 17 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 43 | 1:47.976 |
| 18 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 22 | 1:48.145 |
| 19 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 31 | 1:48.609 |
| 20 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 29 | 1:49.322 |
| 21 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 19 | 1:49.479 |
| 22 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 4 | 1:49.910 |
| 23 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1 | 2:11.970 |
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 Japanese 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 | 64 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 59 |
| 4 | Benetton – Ford | 31 |
| 5 | Tyrrell – Ford | 16 |
| 6 | Arrows – Ford | 13 |
| 7 | Lotus – Judd | 12 |
| 8 | Dallara – Ford | 8 |
| 9 | Brabham – Judd | 8 |
| 10 | Onyx – Ford | 6 |
| 11 | Minardi – Ford | 5 |
| 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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