Ayrton Senna beat Alain Prost to victory in the 1990 Italian Grand Prix, with Gerhard Berger third. The race was restarted after Derek Warwick escaped a spectacular accident at Parabolica, then developed into another tense McLaren–Ferrari duel.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 9 September 1990
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.800 km
1989 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:22.533 | |
| Fastest lap | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.254 on lap 46 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Third | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 7 September 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 7 September 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 7 September 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 8 September 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 8 September 1990 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 9 September 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 9 September 1990 | Race | 15:00 |
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 12 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 63 points, with Alain Prost on 50. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 96 points.
Race entries
The remaining teams retained their Belgian Grand Prix line-ups. Ferrari arrived at its home race seeking to close Ayrton Senna‘s championship advantage, while the smaller teams faced another high-speed test of power and reliability.
Pre-qualifying
Olivier Grouillard, Gachot, Gabriele Tarquini and Yannick Dalmas secured places in the main sessions. Both EuroBruns were eliminated, along with Giacomelli’s Life. This was the final Grand Prix appearance for Life‘s unsuccessful W12 engine.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:26.947 | — |
| 2 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:27.594 | +0.647 |
| 3 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:27.773 | +0.826 |
| 4 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:28.113 | +1.166 |
| 5 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:28.703 | +1.756 |
| 6 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:35.061 | +8.114 |
| 7 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 1:55.244 | +28.297 |
Friday Free Practice
Jean Alesi spent much of Friday practice at the top before Ayrton Senna went faster late in the session. The McLaren driver had initially concentrated on race preparation before trying a quicker configuration. Nigel Mansell and Martin Donnelly both needed assistance getting their cars back, reminders that even the opening practice could impose costly interruptions on the weekend’s programme.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 7 September 1990
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna set Friday’s best time ahead of Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger. Ferrari was competitive, but McLaren still held the advantage at the end of the opening qualifying session.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Italian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 7 September 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Gerhard Berger headed Saturday practice, while Ayrton Senna completed only a handful of laps after telemetry raised concerns about his engine. McLaren changed it, but the spare car was configured for Gerhard Berger and could not provide an immediate substitute. Ayrton Senna therefore approached qualifying with less morning preparation than planned, relying partly on the previous day’s information.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 8 September 1990
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:22.533 on Saturday, with Alain Prost taking second just ahead of Gerhard Berger. Nigel Mansell completed the second row and Jean Alesi qualified fifth. Ayrton Senna had overcome his disrupted practice to secure pole at Ferrari‘s home circuit.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Italian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 8 September 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 | 1:22.972 | 1:22.533 | 1:22.533 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:23.497 | 1:22.935 | 1:22.935 | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:23.239 | 1:22.936 | 1:22.936 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:23.141 | 1:23.720 | 1:23.141 | — |
| 5 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:24.159 | 1:23.526 | 1:23.526 | — |
| 6 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:24.042 | 1:23.984 | 1:23.984 | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:24.253 | 1:24.555 | 1:24.253 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:25.567 | 1:24.583 | 1:24.583 | — |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:24.699 | 1:24.987 | 1:24.699 | — |
| 10 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:26.170 | 1:25.556 | 1:25.556 | — |
| 11 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:26.110 | 1:25.629 | 1:25.629 | — |
| 12 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:25.728 | 1:25.677 | 1:25.677 | — |
| 13 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:25.927 | 1:26.154 | 1:25.927 | — |
| 14 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:26.449 | 1:26.081 | 1:26.081 | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:26.330 | 1:26.516 | 1:26.330 | — |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:26.712 | 1:26.735 | 1:26.712 | — |
| 17 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:26.950 | 1:27.997 | 1:26.950 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:27.074 | 1:26.962 | 1:26.962 | — |
| 19 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:27.790 | 1:26.964 | 1:26.964 | — |
| 20 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:27.153 | 1:27.043 | 1:27.043 | — |
| 21 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:27.828 | 1:27.410 | 1:27.410 | — |
| 22 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:27.784 | 1:27.448 | 1:27.448 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:27.541 | 1:28.228 | 1:26.947 | — |
| 24 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:28.564 | 1:27.673 | 1:28.132 | — |
| 25 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:27.772 | 1:27.749 | 1:27.749 | — |
| 26 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:28.626 | 1:27.937 | 1:27.937 | — |
| 27 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:28.107 | 1:28.256 | 1:27.773 | — |
| 28 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:28.258 | 1:28.521 | 1:28.258 | — |
| 29 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:28.382 | 1:30.446 | 1:28.382 | — |
| 30 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:28.952 | 1:30.140 | 1:27.594 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost narrowly beat Ayrton Senna in the warm-up, with Alessandro Nannini third. McLaren had used its earlier data and overnight work to compensate for Ayrton Senna‘s lost Saturday running, and the small gap suggested a close race. For Ferrari, the morning offered encouragement that its home challenge could survive beyond qualifying despite McLaren‘s pole position.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Italian Grand Prix Warm-up, 9 September 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:27.320 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.076s | — |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +0.905s | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.041s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.138s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.407s | — |
| 7 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +1.576s | — |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +1.817s | — |
| 9 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +2.183s | — |
| 10 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.296s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.460s | — |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.572s | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.201s | — |
| 14 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.231s | — |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.343s | — |
| 16 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +3.363s | — |
| 17 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.415s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +3.432s | — |
| 19 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.796s | — |
| 20 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +4.048s | — |
| 21 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +4.067s | — |
| 22 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +4.075s | — |
| 23 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +4.206s | — |
| 24 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +4.704s | — |
| 25 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +4.858s | — |
| 26 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +5.193s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Italian Grand Prix?
Derek Warwick crashed at the end of the opening lap, his Lotus overturning after striking the barrier at Parabolica. He escaped and ran back to take the spare car for the restart. The full race distance was restored, and Ayrton Senna again led away.
Jean Alesi briefly challenged near the front before spinning out. Alain Prost passed Gerhard Berger and pursued Ayrton Senna, but the McLaren driver answered the threat. Nigel Mansell remained fourth despite a sticking throttle, while Benetton‘s afternoon was complicated by costly stops for both drivers.
Ayrton Senna won by around six seconds from Alain Prost, with Gerhard Berger third and Nigel Mansell fourth. Riccardo Patrese and Satoru Nakajima completed the points. Ferrari had provided a serious challenge, but Ayrton Senna left Monza with another victory and a stronger championship lead.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 72 points, followed by Alain Prost on 56. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 109, with Ferrari on 72.
1990 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Italian Grand Prix was held on 9 September 1990, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.
1990 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 46 | 1:26.254 |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 42 | 1:26.376 |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 46 | 1:26.650 |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 37 | 1:27.776 |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 45 | 1:27.882 |
| 6 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 12 | 1:28.483 |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 40 | 1:28.608 |
| 8 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 18 | 1:28.672 |
| 9 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 46 | 1:28.777 |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 36 | 1:29.112 |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 28 | 1:29.138 |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 20 | 1:29.298 |
| 13 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 4 | 1:29.386 |
| 14 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 43 | 1:29.750 |
| 15 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 47 | 1:29.820 |
| 16 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 44 | 1:29.868 |
| 17 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 8 | 1:29.876 |
| 18 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 10 | 1:29.949 |
| 19 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 38 | 1:30.348 |
| 20 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 11 | 1:30.521 |
| 21 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 36 | 1:30.640 |
| 22 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 27 | 1:31.523 |
| 23 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 12 | 1:31.668 |
| 24 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 7 | 1:31.740 |
| 25 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 9 | 1:32.025 |
| 26 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 12 | 1:32.881 |
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 Italian Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 109 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 72 |
| 3 | Williams | 44 |
| 4 | Benetton | 40 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 15 |
| 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
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