Formula 1’s first visit to Phoenix became a test of endurance in the Arizona heat. Alain Prost won the 1989 United States Grand Prix after Ayrton Senna retired, while Riccardo Patrese finished second and local driver Eddie Cheever gave the crowd a podium to celebrate. The victory also moved Alain Prost ahead in the championship.
Race Guide
Season: 1989 F1 World Championship
Race date: 4 June 1989
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-07:00)
Circuit: Phoenix Street Circuit
Laps: 75 laps
Circuit length: 3.800 km
1980 winner: Alan Jones
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:30.108 | |
| Fastest lap | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:33.969 on lap 38 | |
| First | Alain Prost | McLaren |
| Second | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Third | Eddie Cheever | Arrows |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 June 1989 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 2 June 1989 | Practice 1 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 2 June 1989 | Qualifying 1 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 3 June 1989 | Practice 2 | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 3 June 1989 | Qualifying 2 | Start time unconfirmed |
| 4 June 1989 | Warm-up | Morning; start unconfirmed |
| 4 June 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
Ayrton Senna arrived at round 5 leading the 1989 F1 World Championship on 27 points, with Alain Prost on 20. McLaren – Honda headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 47 points.
Race entries
The teams retained their driver pairings from Mexico as the championship moved to the new Phoenix Street Circuit. Eddie Cheever had an especially personal homecoming: the Arrows driver had been born in Phoenix. With the circuit unfamiliar to everyone, learning its bumps, braking points and concrete-lined corners was the immediate priority.
Pre-qualifying
Martin Brundle headed pre-qualifying, with Alex Caffi, Stefan Johansson and Stefano Modena also advancing. The same four drivers had progressed in Mexico, although their order changed. Bertrand Gachot‘s hopes were undone by a driveshaft-joint problem and a spare car that would not start. For the survivors, the next challenge was turning their early track knowledge into a competitive main-session time.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:32.293 | — |
| 2 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:32.992 | +0.699 |
| 3 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:33.768 | +1.475 |
| 4 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:33.924 | +1.631 |
| 5 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella | 1:34.281 | +1.988 |
| 6 | 32 | Pierre-Henri Raphanel | Coloni | 1.35.110 | +2.817 |
| 7 | 33 | Gregor Foitek | EuroBrun | 1:35.805 | +3.512 |
| 8 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:36.470 | +4.177 |
| 9 | 41 | Joachim Winkelhock | AGS | 1:36.498 | +4.205 |
| 10 | 39 | Volker Weidler | Rial | 1:36.583 | +4.290 |
| 11 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:36.610 | +4.317 |
| 12 | 35 | Aguri Suzuki | Zakspeed | 1:37.776 | +5.483 |
| 13 | 37 | Bertrand Gachot | Onyx | 1:45.530 | +13.237 |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice, but Martin Brundle‘s second place gave Brabham another strong opening on a street circuit. The unfamiliar layout was already presenting practical problems: support-category running had exposed a lifting manhole cover and damaged asphalt, prompting repairs before Formula 1 began. Williams had troubles of its own, with gear-selection difficulties disrupting the drivers’ running. In the heat and dust, establishing a dependable car mattered as much as discovering the quickest line.
Friday Practice Classification
1989 United States Grand Prix Practice, 2 June 1989
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna established a commanding provisional pole on Friday with a 1:30.108, more than a second clear of Alain Prost. Nigel Mansell was third. The Brazilian’s confidence on the new circuit was striking, and his opening-day time would remain the benchmark through the final session.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1989 United States Grand Prix first qualifying session, 2 June 1989
Saturday Free Practice
Alain Prost crashed heavily in Saturday morning practice, damaging his McLaren‘s monocoque and gearbox. It left him needing the spare car and made an already demanding weekend harder. Ayrton Senna was fastest again, ahead of Martin Brundle, while Stefan Johansson put the Onyx an encouraging third. Brabham‘s repeated appearance near the front suggested its Friday performance had been no fluke; Alain Prost, meanwhile, had repairs and lost running to recover from before the race.
Saturday Practice Classification
1989 United States Grand Prix Practice, 3 June 1989
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna was quickest again on Saturday, but his faster Friday lap secured pole. Alain Prost remained second, while Alessandro Nannini moved to third ahead of Nigel Mansell. Martin Brundle and Alex Caffi completed the top six. Ayrton Senna‘s 34th career pole took him beyond Jim Clark‘s record; Eddie Cheever qualified seventeenth for his home race.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1989 United States Grand Prix second qualifying session, 3 June 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 | 1:30.108 | 1:30.710 | 1:30.108 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 1:31.620 | 1:31.517 | 1:31.517 | — |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:32.924 | 1:31.799 | 1:31.799 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:31.927 | 1:33.383 | 1:31.927 | — |
| 5 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:32.750 | 1:31.960 | 1:32.293 | — |
| 6 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 1:32.819 | 1:32.160 | 1:32.992 | — |
| 7 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:34.267 | 1:32.286 | 1:33.924 | — |
| 8 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:33.697 | 1:32.364 | 1:32.364 | — |
| 9 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 1:33.377 | 1:32.491 | 1:32.491 | — |
| 10 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 1:32.640 | 1:32.492 | 1:32.492 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 1:36.136 | 1:32.493 | 1:32.493 | — |
| 12 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 1:34.721 | 1:32.562 | 1:32.562 | — |
| 13 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:33.061 | 1:32.649 | 1:32.649 | — |
| 14 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:34.523 | 1:32.795 | 1:32.795 | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:34.794 | 1:33.031 | 1:33.031 | — |
| 16 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:35.227 | 1:33.044 | 1:33.044 | — |
| 17 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 1:33.214 | 1:33.361 | 1:33.214 | — |
| 18 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March | 1:35.236 | 1:33.324 | 1:33.324 | — |
| 19 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:34.637 | 1:33.370 | 1:33.768 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Luis Pérez-Sala | Minardi | 1:34.636 | 1:33.724 | 1:33.724 | — |
| 21 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 1:34.748 | 1:33.741 | 1:33.741 | — |
| 22 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 1:33.745 | 1:33.804 | 1:33.745 | — |
| 23 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 1:35.188 | 1:33.782 | 1:33.782 | — |
| 24 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:34.455 | 1:33.790 | 1:33.790 | — |
| 25 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | 1:35.377 | 1:33.806 | 1:33.806 | — |
| 26 | 38 | Christian Danner | Rial | 1:35.453 | 1:33.848 | 1:33.848 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Olivier Grouillard | Ligier | 1:35.124 | 1:34.153 | 1:34.153 | — |
| 28 | 31 | Roberto Moreno | Coloni | 2:10.795 | 1:34.352 | 1:34.352 | — |
| 29 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier | 1:35.823 | 1:34.798 | 1:34.798 | — |
| 30 | 29 | Yannick Dalmas | Lola | 1:35.771 | 1:35.496 | 1:35.496 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alessandro Nannini‘s warm-up ended in a heavy accident, leaving him with a painful neck and a spare car for the race. Williams also remained unhappy with its handling, prompting further setup changes after the session. Ayrton Senna led the times ahead of the two Ferraris. The morning’s problems underlined the severity of the challenge: drivers needed a car they could place accurately between the walls while enduring the heat for a race likely to approach the two-hour limit.
Warm-up Classification
1989 United States Grand Prix Warm-up, 4 June 1989
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:33.949 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.641s | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | +0.758s | — |
| 4 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | +1.160s | — |
| 5 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | +1.274s | — |
| 6 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +1.418s | — |
| 7 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | +1.747s | — |
| 8 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +1.787s | — |
| 9 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | +1.813s | — |
| 10 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | +1.944s | — |
| 11 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | +2.056s | — |
| 12 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | +2.141s | — |
| 13 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | +2.286s | — |
| 14 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +2.468s | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.701s | — |
| 16 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | +2.764s | — |
| 17 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +2.970s | — |
| 18 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +3.035s | — |
| 19 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | +3.104s | — |
| 20 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | +3.273s | — |
| 21 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +3.314s | — |
| 22 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.868s | — |
| 23 | 38 | Christian Danner | Rial | +4.012s | — |
| 24 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | +4.578s | — |
| 25 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | +4.611s | — |
| 26 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | +5.364s | — |
What happened in the 1989 United States Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led away, with Alain Prost following closely before managing rising engine temperatures. Alessandro Nannini‘s injured neck forced him to retire early. Ayrton Senna then developed an intermittent misfire, waved Alain Prost through and made unsuccessful repair stops before retiring. The opening had arrived for Alain Prost, but the race still demanded careful management in punishing conditions.
Ferrari lost both cars to alternator problems, while Alex Caffi‘s promising run ended in contact with team-mate Andrea de Cesaris. Riccardo Patrese advanced to second and held off Eddie Cheever, whose own closing laps were complicated by brake trouble. Alain Prost kept clear of the drama and took the victory when the two-hour limit ended the race after 75 of the scheduled 81 laps.
Christian Danner finished an excellent fourth for Rial, followed by Johnny Herbert and Thierry Boutsen. Eddie Cheever‘s third place proved to be his final Formula 1 podium. The attrition had opened opportunities throughout the field, but Alain Prost took the biggest prize: his first victory of the season and the championship lead.
After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 29 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 27. McLaren – Honda led the constructors’ table on 56, with Williams – Renault on 16.
1989 United States Grand Prix race results
The 1989 United States Grand Prix was held on 4 June 1989.
1989 United States Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 38 | 1:33.969 |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren | 32 | 1:34.957 |
| 3 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 64 | 1:35.155 |
| 4 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 24 | 1:35.168 |
| 5 | 21 | Alex Caffi | Dallara | 50 | 1:35.291 |
| 6 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell | 50 | 1:35.349 |
| 7 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 49 | 1:35.435 |
| 8 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 61 | 1:35.526 |
| 9 | 10 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows | 64 | 1:35.650 |
| 10 | 11 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus | 48 | 1:35.837 |
| 11 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 33 | 1:35.930 |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 63 | 1:35.973 |
| 13 | 4 | Michele Alboreto | Tyrrell | 17 | 1:36.140 |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 19 | 1:36.213 |
| 15 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 19 | 1:36.391 |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March | 19 | 1:36.722 |
| 17 | 38 | Christian Danner | Rial | 61 | 1:36.901 |
| 18 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 3 | 1:37.134 |
| 19 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 68 | 1:37.216 |
| 20 | 20 | Johnny Herbert | Benetton | 49 | 1:37.287 |
| 21 | 12 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus | 22 | 1:37.415 |
| 22 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 16 | 1:38.135 |
| 23 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows | 3 | 1:38.223 |
| 24 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola | 3 | 1:38.690 |
| 25 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | March | 6 | 1:38.762 |
| 26 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi | 39 | 1:39.506 |
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 United States Grand Prix.
1989 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1989 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren – Honda | 56 |
| 2 | Williams – Renault | 16 |
| 3 | Benetton – Ford | 13 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 9 |
| 5 | Arrows – Ford | 8 |
| 6 | Tyrrell – Ford | 7 |
| 7 | Brabham – Judd | 5 |
| 8 | March – Judd | 4 |
| 9 | Dallara – Ford | 3 |
| 10 | Rial – Ford | 3 |
| 11 | AGS – Ford | 1 |
| — | Ligier – Ford | 0 |
| — | Lotus – Judd | 0 |
| — | Lola – Lamborghini | 0 |
| — | Osella – Ford | 0 |
| — | Zakspeed – Yamaha | 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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