Thierry Boutsen resisted relentless late pressure from Ayrton Senna to win the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix by just 0.288 seconds. Nelson Piquet finished third after a race in which overtaking opportunities were scarce and several ambitious attacks ended in contact.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 12 August 1990
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Hungaroring
Laps: 77 laps
Circuit length: 3.968 km
1989 winner: Nigel Mansell
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:17.919 | |
| Fastest lap | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:22.058 on lap 63 | |
| First | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
| Second | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Third | Nelson Piquet | Benetton |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 10 August 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 10 August 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 11 August 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 11 August 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 12 August 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 12 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 10 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 48 points, with Alain Prost on 44. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 77 points.
Race entries
The teams retained their German Grand Prix line-ups. Williams brought aerodynamic developments to a circuit where downforce mattered far more than outright speed. This would prove to be Onyx‘s final Grand Prix weekend before the team’s withdrawal.
Pre-qualifying
Nicola Larini and Philippe Alliot again took Ligier through, with Yannick Dalmas and Gabriele Tarquini securing both remaining places for AGS. Olivier Grouillard, Gachot and Roberto Moreno missed out, followed by Langes and Giacomelli.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:21.518 | — |
| 2 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:21.710 | +0.192 |
| 3 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:23.227 | +1.709 |
| 4 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:23.406 | +1.888 |
| 5 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:23.582 | +2.064 |
| 6 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:23.670 | +2.152 |
| 7 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:24.386 | +2.868 |
| 8 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:26.514 | +4.996 |
| 9 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 1:41.431 | +19.913 |
Friday Free Practice
Jean Alesi led Friday practice, demonstrating the Tyrrell‘s effectiveness on a circuit that rewarded grip and agility. The tyre picture was less straightforward: teams struggled to obtain consistent front-end performance from the available soft compounds. Ferrari chose its established engine specification for reliability, while Williams assessed developments that would help transform its qualifying prospects.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix Practice, 10 August 1990
Friday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger led Friday qualifying ahead of Nigel Mansell and Jean Alesi. The tight circuit appeared to have opened the contest beyond the usual leading pair, although Williams had yet to reveal its strongest pace.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 10 August 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna narrowly beat Alessandro Nannini in Saturday practice, with Gerhard Berger third. Gregor Foitek suffered a heavy accident after a suspension failure, compounding Onyx‘s difficulties. Elsewhere, finding a stable balance remained a challenge: Minardi struggled with understeer, while tyre degradation threatened to undermine the Lotus drivers’ prospects over a full race distance.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix Practice, 11 August 1990
Saturday Qualifying
Thierry Boutsen delivered a 1:17.919 on Saturday to take his first pole, narrowly beating Riccardo Patrese for a Williams front-row lockout. Gerhard Berger retained third overall, ahead of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Jean Alesi. Alain Prost qualified eighth.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 11 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 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:19.619 | 1:17.919 | 1:17.919 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:19.419 | 1:17.955 | 1:17.955 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:18.127 | 1:18.703 | 1:18.127 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:20.389 | 1:18.162 | 1:18.162 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:18.739 | 1:18.719 | 1:18.719 | — |
| 6 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:19.042 | 1:18.726 | 1:18.726 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:19.300 | 1:18.901 | 1:18.901 | — |
| 8 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:20.309 | 1:19.029 | 1:19.029 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:21.109 | 1:19.453 | 1:19.453 | — |
| 10 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:21.675 | 1:19.675 | 1:19.675 | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:21.154 | 1:19.839 | 1:19.839 | — |
| 12 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:21.692 | 1:19.963 | 1:19.963 | — |
| 13 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:21.070 | 1:19.970 | 1:19.970 | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:21.242 | 1:20.197 | 1:20.197 | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:21.449 | 1:20.202 | 1:20.202 | — |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:21.512 | 1:20.385 | 1:20.385 | — |
| 17 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:22.198 | 1:20.397 | 1:20.397 | — |
| 18 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:21.324 | 1:20.602 | 1:20.602 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:21.577 | 1:20.619 | 1:20.619 | — |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:22.024 | 1:20.715 | 1:20.715 | — |
| 21 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:22.701 | 1:21.003 | 1:21.710 | — |
| 22 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:22.909 | 1:21.758 | 1:21.758 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:22.784 | 1:21.849 | 1:21.849 | — |
| 24 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:23.827 | 1:21.964 | 1:23.406 | — |
| 25 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:22.584 | 1:22.078 | 1:21.518 | — |
| 26 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:22.986 | 1:22.126 | 1:22.126 | — |
| 27 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:23.116 | 1:22.263 | 1:23.227 | — |
| 28 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:23.923 | 1:22.488 | 1:22.488 | — |
| 29 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | no time | 1:22.647 | 1:22.647 | — |
| 30 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:24.361 | 1:24.863 | 1:24.361 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost was comfortably fastest in the warm-up, but his soft-tyre pace came with questions over durability. Thierry Boutsen experienced a vibration that would remain a concern in the race. Ayrton Senna also encountered trouble before the start and switched to the spare McLaren after a radiator leak, leaving the leading contenders with more to consider than the morning’s timing order.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix Warm-up, 12 August 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:21.332 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.164s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.286s | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.327s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.366s | — |
| 6 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +1.492s | — |
| 7 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +1.566s | — |
| 8 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.595s | — |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.016s | — |
| 10 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +2.179s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.396s | — |
| 12 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +2.773s | — |
| 13 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +2.984s | — |
| 14 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.988s | — |
| 15 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +3.045s | — |
| 16 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +3.187s | — |
| 17 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +3.366s | — |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.575s | — |
| 19 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +3.620s | — |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.804s | — |
| 21 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +3.846s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.917s | — |
| 23 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.689s | — |
| 24 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +5.764s | — |
| 25 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +5.886s | — |
| 26 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +6.013s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix?
Thierry Boutsen led from pole and used the circuit’s limited passing opportunities to protect his advantage. Ayrton Senna lost time behind Jean Alesi and then needed a tyre stop after a puncture, forcing him to recover through the field. Alain Prost‘s challenge ended with gearbox trouble.
The pursuit produced costly incidents. Ayrton Senna collided with Alessandro Nannini while trying to pass at the chicane, ending the Benetton driver’s race, while Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell also came together and retired. Ayrton Senna nevertheless reached Thierry Boutsen and applied sustained pressure in the closing laps.
Thierry Boutsen held his line and his nerve to win by less than three-tenths of a second. Nelson Piquet finished third, followed by Riccardo Patrese, Derek Warwick and Eric Bernard. Williams celebrated a hard-earned victory, while Ayrton Senna extended his advantage over the retiring Alain Prost.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 54 points, followed by Alain Prost on 44. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 83, with Ferrari on 57.
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Hungarian Grand Prix was held on 12 August 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1990 Hungarian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 63 | 1:22.058 |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 52 | 1:22.122 |
| 3 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 58 | 1:22.235 |
| 4 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 58 | 1:22.561 |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 58 | 1:22.577 |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 58 | 1:22.639 |
| 7 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 60 | 1:23.147 |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 59 | 1:23.164 |
| 9 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 32 | 1:23.864 |
| 10 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 59 | 1:23.934 |
| 11 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 53 | 1:24.062 |
| 12 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 66 | 1:24.073 |
| 13 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 35 | 1:24.140 |
| 14 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 17 | 1:24.214 |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 36 | 1:24.245 |
| 16 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 60 | 1:24.388 |
| 17 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 14 | 1:24.414 |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 46 | 1:24.418 |
| 19 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 69 | 1:24.765 |
| 20 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 52 | 1:24.921 |
| 21 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 31 | 1:25.209 |
| 22 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 18 | 1:25.523 |
| 23 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 60 | 1:25.710 |
| 24 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 32 | 1:25.930 |
| 25 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 29 | 1:26.474 |
| 26 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 5 | 1:27.900 |
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 Hungarian Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 83 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 57 |
| 3 | Williams | 42 |
| 4 | Benetton | 35 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 14 |
| 6 | Leyton House | 6 |
| 7 | Lola | 6 |
| 8 | Lotus | 3 |
| 9 | Arrows | 2 |
| 10 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | AGS | 0 |
| – | Osella | 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
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