Ayrton Senna opened his 1989 winning account at the San Marino Grand Prix, but the afternoon at Imola was remembered for much more than McLaren‘s one-two. Gerhard Berger escaped a terrifying crash and fire, while Ayrton Senna‘s move on Alain Prost after the restart ignited a dispute between the championship’s leading rivals. Alessandro Nannini completed the podium for Benetton.
Race Guide
Season: 1989 F1 World Championship
Race date: 23 April 1989
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Laps: 58 laps (61 laps scheduled)
Circuit length: 5.040 km
1988 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:26.010 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.795 on lap 45 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Third | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 21 April 1989 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 21 April 1989 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 21 April 1989 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 22 April 1989 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 22 April 1989 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 23 April 1989 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 23 April 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
Nigel Mansell arrived at round 2 leading the 1989 F1 World Championship on 9 points, with Alain Prost on 6. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 9 points.
Race entries
Gabriele Tarquini joined AGS in place of the injured Philippe Streiff, restoring the team’s two-car line-up alongside Joachim Winkelhock. Michele Alboreto received Tyrrell‘s new 018, while Jonathan Palmer initially retained the older car. Larrousse also introduced its new Lola–Lamborghini, giving the European opener several important developments beyond the battle at the front.
Pre-qualifying
Stefano Modena and Martin Brundle again put Brabham safely through pre-qualifying, joined by Alex Caffi and Nicola Larini. Mechanical problems took a heavy toll among the other contenders, making reliable running as valuable as outright speed. With four places available this time, nine drivers were eliminated before main practice, including both Onyx entries and both Zakspeeds.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:27.350 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:28.197 | +0.747 |
| 3 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:29.346 | +1.996 |
| 4 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:29.787 | +2.437 |
| 5 | 37 | Bertrand Gachot | Onyx | 1:30.384 | +3.034 |
| 6 | 33 | Gregor Foitek | EuroBrun | 1:30.620 | +3.270 |
| 7 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:30.631 | +3.281 |
| 8 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:30.647 | +3.297 |
| 9 | 41 | Joachim Winkelhock | AGS | 1:32.071 | +4.721 |
| 10 | 32 | Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Coloni | 1:32.267 | +4.917 |
| 11 | 35 | Aguri Suzuki | Zakspeed | 1:32.287 | +4.937 |
| 12 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:32.855 | +5.485 |
| 13 | 39 | Volker Weidler | Rial | 1:36.480 | +9.130 |
Friday Free Practice
Alain Prost headed Friday practice ahead of Ayrton Senna, giving McLaren an encouraging opening after its disappointing result in Brazil. Johnny Herbert‘s session included a spin that damaged his Benetton, and the team struggled to find a comfortable balance. Brabham, by contrast, showed considerably more promise in the morning than it would later in qualifying: Stefano Modena‘s Friday practice lap remained his fastest of the entire weekend. The changing conditions would soon make that early dry running especially useful.
Friday Practice Classification
1989 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 21 April 1989
Friday Qualifying
Rain changed the complexion of Friday qualifying. Gerhard Berger delighted Ferrari‘s supporters by taking provisional pole, just ahead of Ayrton Senna, as the drivers explored the available wet-weather grip. Alain Prost was third. The times would matter only if Saturday stayed wet, but Gerhard Berger had at least given the home team an evening at the top.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1989 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 21 April 1989
Saturday Free Practice
Dry weather returned for Saturday and Alain Prost again led the free session, narrowly ahead of Ayrton Senna. Riccardo Patrese was the closest challenger in the Williams, while René Rene Arnoux suffered a heavy accident that added to a difficult weekend for Ligier. At Tyrrell, the new 018 was proving far from an instant cure: Michele Alboreto struggled with its understeer as the team tried to turn a fresh design into a competitive race car.
Saturday Practice Classification
1989 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 22 April 1989
Saturday Qualifying
On a dry Saturday, Ayrton Senna took pole in 1:26.010, with Alain Prost 0.225 seconds behind. Nigel Mansell was third, followed by Riccardo Patrese, Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. McLaren had a substantial margin over the rest. Olivier Grouillard impressed in tenth for Ligier, whereas Michele Alboreto failed to qualify the new Tyrrell and René Rene Arnoux also missed the cut.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1989 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 22 April 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 | 1:42.939 | 1:26.010 | 1:26.010 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:44.558 | 1:26.235 | 1:26.235 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:49.665 | 1:27.652 | 1:27.652 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:47.486 | 1:27.920 | 1:27.920 | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:42.781 | 1:28.089 | 1:28.089 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:49.451 | 1:28.308 | 1:28.308 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:45.536 | 1:28.854 | 1:28.854 | — |
| 8 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:48.124 | 1:29.057 | 1:29.057 | — |
| 9 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:48.868 | 1:29.069 | 1:29.346 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 1:47.371 | 1:29.104 | 1:29.104 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:47.321 | 1:29.152 | 1:29.152 | — |
| 12 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:47.859 | 1:29.281 | 1:29.281 | — |
| 13 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:48.178 | 1:29.385 | 1:29.385 | — |
| 14 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:47.577 | 1:29.488 | 1:29.787 | — |
| 15 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:46.800 | 1:29.503 | 1:29.503 | — |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:53.681 | 1:29.669 | 1:29.669 | — |
| 17 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:48.415 | 1:29.761 | 1:27.350 | — |
| 18 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:48.795 | 1:29.913 | 1:29.913 | — |
| 19 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:52.119 | 1:30.163 | 1:30.163 | — |
| 20 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 2:00.293 | 1:30.168 | 1:30.168 | — |
| 21 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:45.375 | 1:30.233 | 1:30.233 | — |
| 22 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:46.279 | 1:30.271 | 1:28.197 | — |
| 23 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | 2:05.126 | 1:30.347 | 1:30.347 | — |
| 24 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:46.483 | 1:30.697 | 1:30.697 | — |
| 25 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:51.229 | 1:30.928 | 1:30.928 | — |
| 26 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 1:58.083 | 1:31.137 | 1:31.137 | — |
| 27 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:51.329 | 1:31.206 | 1:31.206 | — |
| 28 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:48.091 | 1:31.268 | 1:31.268 | — |
| 29 | 38 | Christian Danner | Rial | 1:47.967 | 1:31.342 | 1:31.342 | — |
| 30 | 31 | Roberto Moreno | Coloni | 1:50.947 | 1:31.775 | 1:31.775 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Jonathan Palmer supplied the warm-up’s most encouraging turnaround. After qualifying in the older Tyrrell, he tried the extensively adjusted 018 and went eighth fastest, suggesting that the overnight work had unlocked something useful. At the front, Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were separated by only five thousandths of a second, with Nigel Mansell third. McLaren looked exceptionally strong over a lap, but Jonathan Palmer‘s improvement offered a reminder that there was still performance to find elsewhere on the grid.
Warm-up Classification
1989 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 23 April 1989
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:28.566 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.005s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +1.581s | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.965s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +2.030s | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.156s | — |
| 7 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.706s | — |
| 8 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +2.942s | — |
| 9 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.071s | — |
| 10 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.127s | — |
| 11 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | +3.212s | — |
| 12 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +3.232s | — |
| 13 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +3.502s | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.658s | — |
| 15 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +3.680s | — |
| 16 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +3.726s | — |
| 17 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +3.923s | — |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +3.938s | — |
| 19 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +3.971s | — |
| 20 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +3.987s | — |
| 21 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | +4.183s | — |
| 22 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | +4.308s | — |
| 23 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +5.064s | — |
| 24 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +5.451s | — |
| 25 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | +6.041s | — |
| 26 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +7.083s | — |
What happened in the 1989 San Marino Grand Prix?
The race was stopped after Gerhard Berger crashed heavily at Tamburello on the fourth lap. His Ferrari caught fire, but the marshals reached him quickly and extinguished the flames. Gerhard Berger survived with injuries that would keep him out of the following race. The restart was run over 55 laps, with the first three completed laps retained in the aggregate result.
Alain Prost led away at the restart, only for Ayrton Senna to pass him at Tosa. Their disagreement over how a pre-race no-attacking understanding applied to the restarted race became a major rupture in their relationship. Ayrton Senna went on to win convincingly, while Alain Prost finished second after a spin cost further time.
Alessandro Nannini took third after Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese retired. Thierry Boutsen, Derek Warwick and Jonathan Palmer completed the points. Thierry Boutsen‘s and Alex Caffi‘s results were ultimately restored following an appeal over their tyre changes during the stoppage; Olivier Grouillard remained disqualified for work on his car. The final classification therefore needs to be distinguished from the initial post-race decisions.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 12 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 9. McLaren – Honda led the constructors’ table on 21, with Ferrari on 9.
1989 San Marino Grand Prix race results
The 1989 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 23 April 1989.
1989 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 45 | 1:26.795 |
| 2 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 37 | 1:27.273 |
| 3 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 45 | 1:29.571 |
| 4 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 18 | 1:29.849 |
| 5 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 49 | 1:29.868 |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 13 | 1:29.959 |
| 7 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 52 | 1:29.995 |
| 8 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 49 | 1:30.164 |
| 9 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 53 | 1:30.364 |
| 10 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 44 | 1:30.371 |
| 11 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 30 | 1:30.728 |
| 12 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 36 | 1:30.749 |
| 13 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 28 | 1:30.771 |
| 14 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | 50 | 1:31.020 |
| 15 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 15 | 1:31.791 |
| 16 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | 38 | 1:31.948 |
| 17 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 43 | 1:31.970 |
| 18 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 16 | 1:32.038 |
| 19 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 27 | 1:32.189 |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 18 | 1:32.618 |
| 21 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 3 | 1:33.319 |
| 22 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 3 | 1:34.472 |
| 23 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 5 | 1:34.525 |
| 24 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1 | 1:42.912 |
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 San Marino Grand Prix.
1989 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alain Prost | French | McLaren | 12 |
| 2 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 9 |
| 3 | Nigel Mansell | British | Ferrari | 9 |
| 4 | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Benetton | 5 |
| 5 | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | March | 4 |
| 6 | Derek Warwick | British | Arrows | 4 |
| 7 | Johnny Herbert | British | Benetton | 3 |
| 8 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Williams | 3 |
| 9 | Jonathan Palmer | British | Tyrrell | 1 |
| – | Alex Caffi | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | AGS | 0 |
| – | Eddie Cheever | American | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Olivier Grouillard | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Osella | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Christian Danner | German | Rial | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Luis Pérez-Sala | Spanish | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Bernd Schneider | German | Zakspeed | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | March | 0 |
| – | Stefano Modena | Italian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Yannick Dalmas | French | Lola | 0 |
1989 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – Honda | 21 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 9 |
| 3 | Benetton – Ford | 8 |
| 4 | March – Judd | 4 |
| 5 | Arrows – Ford | 4 |
| 6 | Williams – Renault | 3 |
| 7 | Tyrrell – Ford | 1 |
| — | Dallara – Ford | 0 |
| — | Lotus – Judd | 0 |
| — | AGS – Ford | 0 |
| — | Ligier – Ford | 0 |
| — | Lola – Lamborghini | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | Rial – Ford | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed – Yamaha | 0 |
| — | Brabham – Judd | 0 |
| — | Minardi – Ford | 0 |
| — | EuroBrun – Judd | 0 |
| — | Coloni – Ford | 0 |
| — | Onyx – 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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