Ayrton Senna won the 1990 Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Alain Prost and Gerhard Berger after two red flags forced the field to start three times. Once the race finally settled, McLaren and Ferrari fought another close contest at Spa.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 26 August 1990
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Laps: 44 laps
Circuit length: 6.940 km
1989 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:50.365 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:55.087 on lap 38 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Third | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 24 August 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 24 August 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 24 August 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 25 August 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 25 August 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 26 August 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 26 August 1990 | Race | 14:00 |
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 11 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 54 points, with Alain Prost on 44. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 83 points.
Race entries
Onyx withdrew before the weekend, reducing the field and allowing Ligier to escape pre-qualifying. The remaining teams kept their driver pairings. Honda brought another engine development as McLaren sought to strengthen its championship position.
Pre-qualifying
Olivier Grouillard led the preliminary session, with Yannick Dalmas, Gachot and Gabriele Tarquini also advancing. It was Gachot’s first successful pre-qualifying attempt of the season. Roberto Moreno, Langes and Giacomelli were eliminated.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:57.941 | — |
| 2 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:58.339 | +0.398 |
| 3 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:59.130 | +1.189 |
| 4 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:59.910 | +1.969 |
| 5 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 2:00.270 | +2.329 |
| 6 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 2:01.405 | +3.464 |
| 7 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 2:19.445 | +21.504 |
Friday Free Practice
Gerhard Berger led Friday practice, but McLaren still had work to do with its balance and the response of Honda‘s latest engine development. Williams evaluated a new Renault specification with Thierry Boutsen. The circuit’s combination of fast corners and long full-throttle sections made power valuable, although predictable handling remained essential through its most demanding sequences.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 24 August 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:52.498 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.597s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.077s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.156s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.048s | — |
| 6 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +2.095s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.140s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.335s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +2.563s | — |
| 10 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +3.032s | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.384s | — |
| 12 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.717s | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.267s | — |
| 14 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +4.280s | — |
| 15 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +4.403s | — |
| 16 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +4.479s | — |
| 17 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +4.592s | — |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +5.198s | — |
| 19 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +5.244s | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +5.293s | — |
| 21 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +5.344s | — |
| 22 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +5.759s | — |
| 23 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +5.919s | — |
| 24 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +6.255s | — |
| 25 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +6.523s | — |
| 26 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +6.741s | — |
| 27 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +6.942s | — |
| 28 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +7.092s | — |
| 29 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +7.912s | — |
Friday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger headed Friday qualifying ahead of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Philippe Alliot‘s times were cancelled after his car failed a technical check concerning its dimensions, leaving him dependent on Saturday.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Belgian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 24 August 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:51.211 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:51.841 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:52.278 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:52.601 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:53.689 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:54.024 | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:54.116 | — |
| 8 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:54.260 | — |
| 9 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:54.497 | — |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:55.012 | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:55.294 | — |
| 12 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:55.798 | — |
| 13 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:55.800 | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:56.074 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:56.213 | — |
| 16 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:56.239 | — |
| 17 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:56.246 | — |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:56.562 | — |
| 19 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:56.666 | — |
| 20 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:56.923 | — |
| 21 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:57.014 | — |
| 22 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:57.221 | — |
| 23 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:57.255 | — |
| 24 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:57.471 | — |
| 25 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:57.770 | — |
| 26 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:58.034 | — |
| 27 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:58.293 | — |
| 28 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:58.995 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Alain Prost headed Saturday practice as Ferrari established a stronger challenge. Riccardo Patrese suffered a heavy accident following a rear-suspension failure, giving Williams an urgent repair task. Larrousse showed encouraging speed with Aguri Suzuki, but engine trouble disrupted Eric Bernard‘s weekend. The session underlined how quickly promising pace could be overshadowed by reliability problems at Spa.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Belgian Grand Prix Practice, 25 August 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:51.116 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.556s | — |
| 3 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.839s | — |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.466s | — |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.779s | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.859s | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +2.925s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.930s | — |
| 9 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +3.453s | — |
| 10 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +3.633s | — |
| 11 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.928s | — |
| 12 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +3.954s | — |
| 13 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +4.074s | — |
| 14 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +4.090s | — |
| 15 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +4.190s | — |
| 16 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +4.248s | — |
| 17 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +4.386s | — |
| 18 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +4.514s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.599s | — |
| 20 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +4.823s | — |
| 21 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +4.829s | — |
| 22 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +5.009s | — |
| 23 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +5.080s | — |
| 24 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +5.472s | — |
| 25 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +5.929s | — |
| 26 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +6.002s | — |
| 27 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +6.184s | — |
| 28 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +6.505s | — |
| 29 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +8.133s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:50.365 on Saturday to claim pole ahead of Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost. Thierry Boutsen took fourth, followed by Nigel Mansell and Alessandro Nannini. McLaren had secured another front-row lockout, but Alain Prost remained close enough to threaten in the race.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Belgian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 25 August 1990
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 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:52.278 | 1:50.365 | 1:50.365 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:51.211 | 1:50.948 | 1:50.948 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:51.841 | 1:51.043 | 1:51.043 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:54.024 | 1:51.902 | 1:51.902 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:52.601 | 1:52.267 | 1:52.267 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:55.800 | 1:52.648 | 1:52.648 | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:54.260 | 1:52.703 | 1:52.703 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:53.689 | 1:52.853 | 1:52.853 | — |
| 9 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:54.116 | 1:52.885 | 1:52.885 | — |
| 10 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:55.798 | 1:53.468 | 1:53.468 | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:55.294 | 1:53.523 | 1:53.523 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:55.012 | 1:53.783 | 1:53.783 | — |
| 13 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:57.014 | 1:53.916 | 1:53.916 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:54.497 | 1:54.120 | 1:54.120 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:56.213 | 1:54.251 | 1:54.251 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:56.074 | 1:54.312 | 1:54.312 | — |
| 17 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:56.239 | 1:54.595 | 1:54.595 | — |
| 18 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:56.246 | 1:55.068 | 1:55.068 | — |
| 19 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:56.562 | 1:55.199 | 1:55.199 | — |
| 20 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:56.923 | 1:55.261 | 1:55.261 | — |
| 21 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:57.471 | 1:55.278 | 1:55.278 | — |
| 22 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:56.666 | 1:55.304 | 1:55.304 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:57.770 | 1:55.334 | 1:57.941 | — |
| 24 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:58.034 | 1:55.668 | 1:55.668 | — |
| 25 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:57.221 | 1:55.859 | 1:55.859 | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:57.255 | 1:56.055 | 1:56.055 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | no time | 1:56.118 | 1:56.118 | — |
| 28 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:58.293 | 1:57.566 | 1:59.910 | — |
| 29 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:58.995 | 1:57.704 | 1:58.339 | — |
| 30 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | no time | 1:58.520 | 1:59.130 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost again set the pace in the warm-up, ahead of Alessandro Nannini and Ayrton Senna. Tyre choice remained a concern, with Ferrari assessing the available compounds rather than simply treating the fastest morning lap as proof of race superiority. The dry running gave teams a final opportunity to settle their settings before an afternoon that would be dominated initially by interruptions.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Belgian Grand Prix Warm-up, 26 August 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:55.290 | — |
| 2 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +0.725s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.111s | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +1.959s | — |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.079s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.079s | — |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.431s | — |
| 8 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.585s | — |
| 9 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +2.759s | — |
| 10 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +2.893s | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.113s | — |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +3.122s | — |
| 13 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +3.702s | — |
| 14 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +3.748s | — |
| 15 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.798s | — |
| 16 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.967s | — |
| 17 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +4.036s | — |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +4.044s | — |
| 19 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +4.172s | — |
| 20 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +4.244s | — |
| 21 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +4.737s | — |
| 22 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +4.889s | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +5.173s | — |
| 24 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +5.650s | — |
| 25 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +5.741s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Belgian Grand Prix?
Collisions at the first start brought out the red flag. The second attempt was also stopped after Paolo Barilla crashed heavily at Eau Rouge. A third start finally launched the full 44-lap race, with Ayrton Senna retaining control at the front.
Alain Prost passed Gerhard Berger and became Ayrton Senna‘s main challenger. Alessandro Nannini gained ground by avoiding a tyre stop, but Alain Prost recovered second and Gerhard Berger eventually passed the Benetton late in the race. Nigel Mansell retired after struggling with his spare car, while both Williams drivers suffered gearbox trouble.
Ayrton Senna beat Alain Prost by just over three seconds, with Gerhard Berger completing the podium. Alessandro Nannini finished fourth, Nelson Piquet fifth and Mauricio Gugelmin sixth. The victory strengthened Ayrton Senna‘s championship position after an unusually fragmented afternoon.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 63 points, followed by Alain Prost on 50. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 96, with Ferrari on 63.
1990 Belgian Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Belgian Grand Prix was held on 26 August 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1990 Belgian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 38 | 1:55.087 |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 36 | 1:55.132 |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 41 | 1:55.531 |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 40 | 1:55.650 |
| 5 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 36 | 1:56.531 |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 40 | 1:57.036 |
| 7 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 28 | 1:58.163 |
| 8 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 20 | 1:58.199 |
| 9 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 29 | 1:58.330 |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 40 | 1:58.351 |
| 11 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 39 | 1:58.531 |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 9 | 1:58.666 |
| 13 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 41 | 1:59.081 |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 39 | 1:59.415 |
| 15 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 15 | 1:59.767 |
| 16 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 38 | 1:59.956 |
| 17 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 34 | 2:00.157 |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 35 | 2:00.610 |
| 19 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 24 | 2:00.671 |
| 20 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 35 | 2:00.886 |
| 21 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 34 | 2:01.959 |
| 22 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 9 | 2:02.225 |
| 23 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 3 | 2:03.152 |
| 24 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1 | 2:14.599 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1990 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1990 Belgian Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 96 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 63 |
| 3 | Williams | 42 |
| 4 | Benetton | 40 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 14 |
| 6 | Leyton House | 7 |
| 7 | Lola | 6 |
| 8 | Lotus | 3 |
| 9 | Arrows | 2 |
| 10 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Osella | 0 |
| – | AGS | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 0 |
Drivers counted their best eleven results; constructors counted every round. The standings here show the position after this race.
1990 Formula 1 Race Calendar
Seen in:
