Ayrton Senna reclaimed the championship lead with victory in the 1990 German Grand Prix, catching Alessandro Nannini after the Benetton driver’s bold decision to run without a tyre stop. Gerhard Berger completed the podium.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 29 July 1990
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Hockenheimring
Laps: 45 laps
Circuit length: 6.802 km
1989 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:40.198 | |
| Fastest lap | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:45.602 on lap 31 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
| Third | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 27 July 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 27 July 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 27 July 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 28 July 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 28 July 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 29 July 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 29 July 1990 | Race | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Alain Prost arrived at round 9 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 41 points, with Ayrton Senna on 39. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 64 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups were unchanged, but the mid-season reshuffle released Larrousse from pre-qualifying and sent Ligier into the preliminary session. Coloni also abandoned its unsuccessful Subaru engine in favour of a Ford Cosworth unit.
Pre-qualifying
Philippe Alliot and Nicola Larini comfortably cleared Ligier‘s new hurdle, joined by Olivier Grouillard and Yannick Dalmas. Gabriele Tarquini missed out, while Gachot’s first outing with the revised Coloni ended without a place in the main sessions. Roberto Moreno, Langes and Giacomelli were also eliminated.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:45.513 | — |
| 2 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:46.186 | +0.673 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:46.828 | +1.315 |
| 4 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:47.125 | +1.612 |
| 5 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:48.127 | +2.614 |
| 6 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:48.983 | +3.470 |
| 7 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:50.460 | +4.947 |
| 8 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:50.897 | +5.384 |
| 9 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 2:10.786 | +25.273 |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna narrowly led Alain Prost in Friday practice, with Alessandro Nannini also close behind. Gerhard Berger‘s preparations were interrupted by an engine problem involving the electronic throttle, an unwelcome setback at a circuit where sustained full power put particular pressure on the machinery. McLaren remained the benchmark, but the Ferrari and Benetton times suggested that the race might offer a closer contest.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 German Grand Prix Practice, 27 July 1990
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna‘s Friday lap of 1:40.198 put him ahead of Gerhard Berger, with Alain Prost third. Alessandro Nannini escaped a frightening accident in which his Benetton caught fire, bringing out the red flag and leaving the team with substantial repairs.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 German Grand Prix first qualifying session, 27 July 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Alain Prost headed Saturday practice as oppressive heat made the previous day’s qualifying times increasingly difficult to approach. Ayrton Senna lost running to another engine-electronics problem. Benetton also faced a major rebuilding job after Alessandro Nannini‘s fiery Friday qualifying accident, while the leading teams had to balance their pursuit of speed against preparations for a demanding race.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 German Grand Prix Practice, 28 July 1990
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell was fastest on the hotter Saturday, but Friday’s leading times stood. McLaren occupied the front row ahead of Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell, with Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen behind. The conditions allowed McLaren to devote attention to race running rather than chase an unlikely improvement.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 German Grand Prix second qualifying session, 28 July 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 | 1:40.198 | 1:46.843 | 1:40.198 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:40.434 | 1:46.628 | 1:40.434 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:41.732 | 1:42.590 | 1:41.732 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:42.313 | 1:42.057 | 1:42.057 | — |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:43.736 | 1:42.195 | 1:42.195 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:43.620 | 1:42.380 | 1:42.380 | — |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:42.926 | 1:42.872 | 1:42.872 | — |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:43.255 | 1:44.652 | 1:43.255 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:43.594 | 1:44.559 | 1:43.594 | — |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:45.025 | 1:44.349 | 1:44.349 | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:45.382 | 1:44.363 | 1:44.363 | — |
| 12 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:44.998 | 1:44.496 | 1:44.496 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:44.873 | 1:44.650 | 1:44.650 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | no time | 1:45.193 | 1:45.193 | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:45.736 | 1:45.237 | 1:45.237 | — |
| 16 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:45.364 | 1:45.244 | 1:45.244 | — |
| 17 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:45.547 | 1:47.269 | 1:45.547 | — |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:46.201 | 1:45.604 | 1:45.604 | — |
| 19 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:45.871 | 1:45.755 | 1:45.755 | — |
| 20 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:47.723 | 1:45.790 | 1:45.790 | — |
| 21 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:46.110 | 1:46.518 | 1:46.110 | — |
| 22 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:47.068 | 1:46.187 | 1:46.186 | — |
| 23 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:46.904 | 1:46.506 | 1:46.506 | — |
| 24 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:46.596 | 1:57.287 | 1:45.513 | — |
| 25 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:48.856 | 1:46.857 | 1:46.857 | — |
| 26 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:47.209 | 1:47.726 | 1:47.209 | — |
| 27 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:47.429 | 1:48.172 | 1:46.828 | — |
| 28 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:47.747 | 1:47.958 | 1:47.747 | — |
| 29 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:47.789 | 1:47.874 | 1:47.125 | — |
| 30 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:48.118 | 1:48.032 | 1:48.032 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ayrton Senna set the warm-up pace, narrowly ahead of Nigel Mansell. Alessandro Nannini‘s rebuilt Benetton was ready after its extensive repairs, allowing him to resume his weekend. Ferrari‘s competitive morning offered encouragement for the race, while tyre durability remained central to the likely strategies: avoiding a stop could gain track position, provided the rubber survived the full distance.
Warm-up Classification
1990 German Grand Prix Warm-up, 29 July 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:44.734 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.076s | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.780s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.954s | — |
| 5 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.699s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.851s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.158s | — |
| 8 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.737s | — |
| 9 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.913s | — |
| 10 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +3.062s | — |
| 11 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +3.260s | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.329s | — |
| 13 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +3.452s | — |
| 14 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +3.473s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.725s | — |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +4.155s | — |
| 17 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +4.310s | — |
| 18 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +4.313s | — |
| 19 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +4.775s | — |
| 20 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +4.839s | — |
| 21 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +4.970s | — |
| 22 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +5.066s | — |
| 23 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | +5.116s | — |
| 24 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +5.326s | — |
| 25 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +6.326s | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +6.821s | — |
What happened in the 1990 German Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led the opening stages, while damage to Nigel Mansell‘s front wing ended the Ferrari driver’s challenge. The leaders’ tyre stops promoted Alessandro Nannini and Riccardo Patrese, both attempting to exploit the time saved by staying out.
Riccardo Patrese eventually needed fresh tyres, but Alessandro Nannini continued. Ayrton Senna closed the gap and passed the Benetton while negotiating traffic on lap 34. Alessandro Nannini had made the strategy work well enough to secure second, even if victory slipped away.
Ayrton Senna won ahead of Alessandro Nannini and Gerhard Berger, with Alain Prost fourth. Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen completed the points, while Philippe Alliot was disqualified for receiving outside assistance. The result returned Ayrton Senna to the top of the drivers’ championship.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 48 points, followed by Alain Prost on 44. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 77, with Ferrari on 57.
1990 German Grand Prix race results
The 1990 German Grand Prix was held on 29 July 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1990 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 31 | 1:45.602 |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 36 | 1:45.711 |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 33 | 1:46.098 |
| 4 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 27 | 1:46.146 |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 27 | 1:46.839 |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 27 | 1:46.891 |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 20 | 1:46.949 |
| 8 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 11 | 1:47.268 |
| 9 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 24 | 1:48.421 |
| 10 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 42 | 1:48.502 |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 28 | 1:48.547 |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 26 | 1:48.799 |
| 13 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 33 | 1:49.054 |
| 14 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 29 | 1:49.071 |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 24 | 1:49.128 |
| 16 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 17 | 1:49.896 |
| 17 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 31 | 1:50.173 |
| 18 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 8 | 1:50.255 |
| 19 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 11 | 1:51.326 |
| 20 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 12 | 1:51.456 |
| 21 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 6 | 1:52.018 |
| 22 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 7 | 1:52.041 |
| 23 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1 | 2:07.152 |
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 German Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 77 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 57 |
| 3 | Benetton | 31 |
| 4 | Williams | 30 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 14 |
| 6 | Leyton House | 6 |
| 7 | Lola | 5 |
| 8 | Arrows | 2 |
| 9 | Brabham | 2 |
| 10 | Lotus | 1 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Osella | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 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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