Ayrton Senna won the 1990 Canadian Grand Prix after Gerhard Berger‘s jump-start penalty changed the order at the finish. Nelson Piquet took second and Nigel Mansell third in a slippery race that caught out several leading drivers.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 10 June 1990
Race start time: 13:00 local time (UTC-04:00)
Circuit: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve
Laps: 70 laps
Circuit length: 4.390 km
1989 winner: Thierry Boutsen
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:20.399 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:22.077 on lap 70 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Nelson Piquet | Benetton |
| Third | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 8 June 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 8 June 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 8 June 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 9 June 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 9 June 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 10 June 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 10 June 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 5 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 22 points, with Gerhard Berger on 16. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 38 points.
Race entries
The teams kept their Monaco line-ups. EuroBrun briefly appeared set to part with Langes, but he remained in the second car. Ferrari and Lotus brought aerodynamic changes as the field prepared for a circuit whose deteriorating surface was attracting criticism.
Pre-qualifying
Roberto Moreno headed the session, followed by Olivier Grouillard, Aguri Suzuki and Eric Bernard. Gabriele Tarquini missed the cut by just 0.010 seconds, with Yannick Dalmas also eliminated. Gachot, Langes and Giacomelli were much further away, their teams continuing to struggle with development and reliability.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:28.268 | — |
| 2 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:28.589 | +0.321 |
| 3 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:29.372 | +1.104 |
| 4 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:29.844 | +1.576 |
| 5 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:29.855 | +1.587 |
| 6 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:30.460 | +2.192 |
| 7 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:44.185 | +15.917 |
| 8 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:47.118 | +18.850 |
| 9 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 1:50.253 | +21.985 |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice in a new McLaren chassis, with Nelson Piquet close behind. The rough, low-grip surface was a major concern, and Alain Prost was particularly critical of the circuit’s condition. Ferrari‘s revised front wing and Lotus‘s aerodynamic changes were among the developments being assessed, but finding a predictable balance over the bumps remained the immediate priority.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Canadian Grand Prix Practice, 8 June 1990
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna beat Gerhard Berger by only 0.066 seconds in Friday qualifying to secure provisional pole. Alain Prost was third, followed by Alessandro Nannini, Nelson Piquet and Thierry Boutsen. Nigel Mansell‘s preparations were disrupted by a puncture, leaving him seventh.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Canadian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 8 June 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Wet conditions transformed Saturday practice, with Nigel Mansell narrowly ahead of Alain Prost and Riccardo Patrese. Eric Bernard crashed heavily during the day’s wet running, adding repair work to Larrousse‘s engine problems. For the field as a whole, the change of weather meant that the dry qualifying order from Friday was increasingly likely to stand, limiting opportunities to recover from a disappointing opening day.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Canadian Grand Prix Practice, 9 June 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:37.159 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.142s | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.162s | — |
| 4 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +0.294s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +0.712s | — |
| 6 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.269s | — |
| 7 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +1.377s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.042s | — |
| 9 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +2.367s | — |
| 10 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +2.904s | — |
| 11 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +3.027s | — |
| 12 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.424s | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.435s | — |
| 14 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.749s | — |
| 15 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +3.934s | — |
| 16 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +4.587s | — |
| 17 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +4.909s | — |
| 18 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +4.949s | — |
| 19 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +5.145s | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +5.166s | — |
| 21 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +5.374s | — |
| 22 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +5.561s | — |
| 23 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +6.379s | — |
| 24 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +6.574s | — |
| 25 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +6.639s | — |
| 26 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +7.201s | — |
| 27 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | +8.729s | — |
| 28 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +15.044s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Saturday’s wet session could not displace the Friday times. Nelson Piquet was fastest in the official second-session results, but McLaren retained the front row. Roberto Moreno narrowly failed to qualify despite his excellent pre-qualifying performance, illustrating how little margin the smaller teams had.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Canadian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 9 June 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:27.124 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:27.647 | — |
| 3 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:29.062 | — |
| 4 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:30.091 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:30.514 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:30.575 | — |
| 7 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:30.872 | — |
| 8 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:31.097 | — |
| 9 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:31.514 | — |
| 10 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:31.797 | — |
| 11 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:32.750 | — |
| 12 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:32.777 | — |
| 13 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:33.240 | — |
| 14 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:35.198 | — |
| 15 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:36.453 | — |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:36.629 | — |
| 17 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:38.775 | — |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:39.209 | — |
| 19 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:40.047 | — |
| 20 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 1:40.607 | — |
| 21 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:42.487 | — |
| 22 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:45.435 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:51.583 | — |
| 24 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 7:00.728 | — |
| 25 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 44:52.525 | — |
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 | 1:20.399 | 1:30.514 | 1:20.399 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:20.465 | 1:33.240 | 1:20.465 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:20.826 | 1:31.514 | 1:20.826 | — |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:21.302 | 1:30.575 | 1:21.302 | — |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:21.568 | 1:27.124 | 1:21.568 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:21.599 | — | 1:21.599 | — |
| 7 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:21.641 | 1:27.647 | 1:21.641 | — |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:21.748 | — | 1:21.748 | — |
| 9 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:22.018 | 44:52.525 | 1:22.018 | — |
| 10 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:22.660 | 1:29.062 | 1:22.660 | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:22.673 | — | 1:22.673 | — |
| 12 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:22.703 | 1:35.198 | 1:22.703 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:23.605 | — | 1:23.605 | — |
| 14 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:23.744 | — | 1:23.744 | — |
| 15 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:23.779 | 1:30.872 | 1:28.589 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:23.795 | 1:40.047 | 1:23.795 | — |
| 17 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:23.899 | 1:31.797 | 1:23.899 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:23.915 | 1:32.777 | 1:29.372 | — |
| 19 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:24.269 | 1:38.775 | 1:24.269 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:24.285 | 1:30.091 | 1:24.285 | — |
| 21 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:24.397 | 1:42.487 | 1:24.397 | — |
| 22 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:24.425 | 1:40.607 | 1:24.425 | — |
| 23 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:24.451 | 1:32.750 | 1:29.844 | — |
| 24 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:24.554 | 7:00.728 | 1:24.554 | — |
| 25 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:24.621 | 1:36.629 | 1:24.621 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:25.113 | 1:39.209 | 1:25.113 | — |
| 27 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:25.172 | 1:31.097 | 1:28.268 | — |
| 28 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:25.712 | 1:45.435 | 1:25.712 | — |
| 29 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:25.951 | 1:51.583 | 1:25.951 | — |
| 30 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:26.771 | 1:36.453 | 1:26.771 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Gerhard Berger set the warm-up pace in wet conditions, ahead of Thierry Boutsen and Ayrton Senna. The track would still be damp at the start, but the possibility of drying conditions complicated setup choices. Gerhard Berger opted for less wing than Ayrton Senna, anticipating the improving surface. The differing approaches promised to matter as soon as drivers began considering a change to slick tyres.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Canadian Grand Prix Warm-up, 10 June 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:35.571 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.697s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.823s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +2.024s | — |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.060s | — |
| 6 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +2.465s | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +3.145s | — |
| 8 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.288s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +3.354s | — |
| 10 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +3.369s | — |
| 11 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | +3.425s | — |
| 12 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +3.510s | — |
| 13 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.686s | — |
| 14 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.791s | — |
| 15 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +4.162s | — |
| 16 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +4.361s | — |
| 17 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.579s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +4.740s | — |
| 19 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +4.839s | — |
| 20 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +4.890s | — |
| 21 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +4.968s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +5.037s | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +5.123s | — |
| 24 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +6.028s | — |
| 25 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +7.252s | — |
| 26 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +8.709s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Canadian Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led from the start, but Gerhard Berger had moved early and received a one-minute penalty. After the change to dry tyres, Ayrton Senna allowed his team-mate through so Gerhard Berger could build as much of a cushion as possible over the opposition.
The slippery circuit produced several incidents. Thierry Boutsen spun while trying to pass Alain Prost and hit Nicola Larini, while Jean Alesi crashed into the same barrier where Alessandro Nannini‘s Benetton had already come to rest. Nelson Piquet fought past Alain Prost, and Nigel Mansell also overtook his Ferrari team-mate.
Gerhard Berger crossed the line first on the road, but the penalty dropped him to fourth. Ayrton Senna was the winner, ahead of Nelson Piquet and Nigel Mansell, with Alain Prost fifth and Derek Warwick sixth. McLaren had the pace to dominate, but Gerhard Berger‘s start prevented a one-two finish.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 31 points, followed by Gerhard Berger on 19. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 50, with Ferrari on 21.
1990 Canadian Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Canadian Grand Prix was held on 10 June 1990, with a scheduled start of 13:00 local time.
1990 Canadian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 70 | 1:22.077 |
| 2 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 63 | 1:22.839 |
| 3 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 58 | 1:22.854 |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 63 | 1:23.078 |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 63 | 1:23.375 |
| 6 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 66 | 1:24.678 |
| 7 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 61 | 1:24.770 |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 19 | 1:24.781 |
| 9 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 52 | 1:24.948 |
| 10 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 49 | 1:25.430 |
| 11 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 21 | 1:25.545 |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 26 | 1:25.566 |
| 13 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 50 | 1:25.571 |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 63 | 1:25.693 |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 61 | 1:25.846 |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 43 | 1:26.158 |
| 17 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 46 | 1:26.177 |
| 18 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 19 | 1:26.486 |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 51 | 1:26.703 |
| 20 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 22 | 1:27.373 |
| 21 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 44 | 1:28.108 |
| 22 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 25 | 1:29.032 |
| 23 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 15 | 1:34.545 |
| 24 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 10 | 1:39.464 |
| 25 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 10 | 1:40.699 |
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 Canadian Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 50 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 21 |
| 3 | Williams | 18 |
| 4 | Benetton | 16 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 14 |
| 6 | Brabham | 2 |
| 7 | Arrows | 2 |
| 8 | Lotus | 1 |
| 9 | Lola | 1 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Osella | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | AGS | 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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