Alain Prost claimed his first Ferrari victory at the 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix after Ayrton Senna‘s home hopes were undone by contact with a backmarker. Gerhard Berger finished second and Ayrton Senna recovered to third as Formula 1 returned to a substantially rebuilt Interlagos.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 25 March 1990
Race start time: 13:00 local time (UTC-03:00)
Circuit: Autódromo José Carlos Pace
Laps: 71 laps
Circuit length: 4.325 km
1989 winner: Nigel Mansell
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:17.277 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:19.899 on lap 55 | |
| First | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Second | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Third | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 23 March 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 23 March 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 23 March 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 24 March 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 24 March 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 25 March 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 25 March 1990 | Race | 13:00 |
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 2 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 9 points, with Jean Alesi on 6. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 9 points.
Race entries
Alex Caffi returned to Arrows after missing Phoenix through injury. Gianni Morbidelli continued to deputise for Emanuele Pirro at Dallara, while the other teams retained their opening-round pairings. The shortened Interlagos layout gave even the experienced drivers a new circuit to learn.
Pre-qualifying
Eric Bernard and Aguri Suzuki led the way, with Olivier Grouillard and Yannick Dalmas also advancing. Roberto Moreno lost his chance when the EuroBrun he had borrowed from Langes ran out of fuel as the circuit dried. Gabriele Tarquini, Gachot, Langes and Gary David Brabham were also eliminated, Life‘s engine failing before a representative lap was possible.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:23.763 | — |
| 2 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:23.982 | +0.219 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:23.987 | +0.224 |
| 4 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:24.015 | +0.252 |
| 5 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:24.265 | +0.502 |
| 6 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:25.763 | +2.000 |
| 7 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:34.046 | +10.283 |
| 8 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:39.188 | +15.425 |
| 9 | 39 | Gary Brabham | Life | no time | — |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice as the field explored the rebuilt circuit. Overnight rain had left the early running damp, and the new layout’s bumps soon became a major consideration. Ferrari had revised its clutch arrangements after Phoenix, while Lotus worked on cooling and other reliability problems. The opening laps were therefore as much about understanding the venue and proving repairs as setting a benchmark.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix Practice, 23 March 1990
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna headed Friday qualifying ahead of Gerhard Berger and Thierry Boutsen. McLaren looked particularly strong, while the Williams pair emerged as its nearest challengers for the leading rows.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 23 March 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna again headed Saturday practice, with Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell next. Ferrari looked more competitive than its eventual qualifying positions would suggest, but its drivers struggled to extract the best from the qualifying tyres. Benetton had severe oversteer, while Leyton House‘s lack of grip would leave both cars outside the grid. The demanding surface continued to expose weaknesses in balance and reliability.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix Practice, 24 March 1990
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:17.277 on Saturday to secure pole. Gerhard Berger retained second on his Friday time, with Thierry Boutsen and Riccardo Patrese sharing row two. Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost qualified fifth and sixth. Gianni Morbidelli reached the grid for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 24 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:17.277 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:18.150 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:18.288 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:18.504 | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:18.884 | — |
| 6 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:18.923 | — |
| 7 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:19.475 | — |
| 8 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:19.688 | — |
| 9 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:19.964 | — |
| 10 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:20.126 | — |
| 11 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | 1:20.229 | — |
| 12 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:20.317 | — |
| 13 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:20.317 | — |
| 14 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:20.794 | — |
| 15 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:20.884 | — |
| 16 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 1:20.902 | — |
| 17 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:20.998 | — |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:21.002 | — |
| 19 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:21.024 | — |
| 20 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:21.086 | — |
| 21 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:21.086 | — |
| 22 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:21.087 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:21.121 | — |
| 24 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 1:21.417 | — |
| 25 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:21.422 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:22.057 | — |
| 27 | 35 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:22.184 | — |
| 28 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:22.862 | — |
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 | 1:17.769 | 1:17.277 | 1:17.277 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:17.888 | 1:18.504 | 1:17.888 | — |
| 3 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:18.375 | 1:18.150 | 1:18.150 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:18.465 | 1:18.288 | 1:18.288 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:18.509 | 1:19.475 | 1:18.509 | — |
| 6 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:18.631 | 1:18.884 | 1:18.631 | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:19.230 | 1:18.923 | 1:18.923 | — |
| 8 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:19.039 | 1:19.688 | 1:19.039 | — |
| 9 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:19.125 | 1:19.964 | 1:19.125 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:19.309 | — | 1:19.309 | — |
| 11 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:19.406 | 1:21.024 | 1:23.763 | — |
| 12 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:19.425 | 1:20.126 | 1:19.425 | — |
| 13 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:19.629 | 1:20.317 | 1:19.629 | — |
| 14 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:20.032 | — | 1:20.032 | — |
| 15 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:20.055 | 1:20.317 | 1:20.055 | — |
| 16 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | 1:20.164 | 1:20.229 | 1:20.164 | — |
| 17 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:20.282 | 1:21.121 | 1:20.282 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:20.557 | 1:21.086 | 1:23.982 | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:20.568 | 1:21.086 | 1:20.568 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:20.650 | 1:20.794 | 1:20.650 | — |
| 21 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:21.292 | 1:20.884 | 1:23.987 | — |
| 22 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 1:20.965 | 1:20.902 | 1:20.902 | — |
| 23 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:20.920 | 1:21.002 | 1:20.920 | — |
| 24 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:21.244 | 1:20.998 | 1:20.998 | — |
| 25 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:21.065 | 1:22.057 | 1:21.065 | — |
| 26 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:22.426 | 1:21.087 | 1:24.015 | — |
| 27 | 35 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:21.241 | 1:22.184 | 1:21.241 | — |
| 28 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:21.323 | 1:21.417 | 1:21.323 | — |
| 29 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:21.383 | 1:21.422 | 1:21.383 | — |
| 30 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:21.616 | 1:22.862 | 1:21.616 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost set the warm-up pace ahead of Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, providing Ferrari with an encouraging sign for the race. The distinction between qualifying speed and performance with race fuel was becoming important. Tyre durability also remained an open question after Pirelli’s striking Phoenix performance, with Jean Alesi‘s intended non-stop approach facing a very different test on Interlagos‘ abrasive, bumpy layout.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix Warm-up, 25 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:20.589 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.401s | — |
| 3 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.640s | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.847s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +0.950s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.049s | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +1.193s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.116s | — |
| 9 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.217s | — |
| 10 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +2.308s | — |
| 11 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +2.310s | — |
| 12 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.342s | — |
| 13 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.391s | — |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +2.532s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.888s | — |
| 16 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +2.985s | — |
| 17 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | +2.991s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +2.997s | — |
| 19 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | +3.523s | — |
| 20 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.624s | — |
| 21 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +3.719s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.763s | — |
| 23 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.785s | — |
| 24 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +3.875s | — |
| 25 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +4.162s | — |
| 26 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +5.857s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led from the start, while Thierry Boutsen passed Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost began moving forward. Thierry Boutsen‘s chances were badly damaged when braking trouble sent him into equipment and mechanics during his pit stop, requiring a new nose before he could rejoin.
Alain Prost closed on Ayrton Senna, whose race then changed when he made contact with Satoru Nakajima while lapping the Tyrrell. The McLaren needed a replacement nose, handing Alain Prost the advantage. Nigel Mansell was also recovering from a stop and a broken anti-roll bar, while Riccardo Patrese retired late on.
Alain Prost won from Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna, earning Ferrari an immediate return on its new signing. Nigel Mansell finished fourth, Thierry Boutsen recovered to fifth and Nelson Piquet took the final point after passing the tyre-troubled Jean Alesi near the finish. Ayrton Senna‘s wait for a home victory continued.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 13 points, followed by Alain Prost on 9. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 19, with Ferrari on 12.
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Brazilian Grand Prix was held on 25 March 1990, with a scheduled start of 13:00 local time.
1990 Brazilian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 55 | 1:19.899 |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 57 | 1:20.010 |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 42 | 1:20.067 |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 38 | 1:20.089 |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 45 | 1:20.132 |
| 6 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 61 | 1:20.389 |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 61 | 1:20.650 |
| 8 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 54 | 1:21.799 |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 52 | 1:21.820 |
| 10 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 38 | 1:22.398 |
| 11 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 38 | 1:22.536 |
| 12 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 60 | 1:22.649 |
| 13 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 43 | 1:22.899 |
| 14 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 27 | 1:22.948 |
| 15 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | 58 | 1:22.987 |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 58 | 1:23.115 |
| 17 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 30 | 1:23.255 |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 21 | 1:23.292 |
| 19 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 17 | 1:23.390 |
| 20 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 21 | 1:23.491 |
| 21 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 22 | 1:23.671 |
| 22 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 29 | 1:24.177 |
| 23 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 11 | 1:24.658 |
| 24 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 10 | 1:24.922 |
| 25 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 6 | 1:25.308 |
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 Brazilian Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 13 |
| 2 | Alain Prost | French | Ferrari | 9 |
| 3 | Jean Alesi | French | Tyrrell | 6 |
| 4 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | McLaren | 6 |
| 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Williams | 6 |
| 6 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Benetton | 4 |
| 7 | Nigel Mansell | British | Ferrari | 3 |
| 8 | Stefano Modena | Italian | Brabham | 2 |
| 9 | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Tyrrell | 1 |
| – | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Éric Bernard | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 0 |
| – | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Benetton | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Bernd Schneider | German | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Roberto Moreno | Brazilian | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Gianni Morbidelli | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Paolo Barilla | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Alex Caffi | Italian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Aguri Suzuki | Japanese | Lola | 0 |
| – | Martin Donnelly | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Gregor Foitek | Swiss | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Yannick Dalmas | French | AGS | 0 |
| – | Derek Warwick | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Olivier Grouillard | French | Osella | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | Leyton House | 0 |
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 19 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 12 |
| 3 | Tyrrell | 7 |
| 4 | Williams | 6 |
| 5 | Benetton | 4 |
| 6 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Lola | 0 |
| – | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Lotus | 0 |
| – | AGS | 0 |
| – | Osella | 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
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