Nelson Piquet led Roberto Moreno home for Benetton‘s first one-two finish at the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, while Aguri Suzuki became Japan’s first Formula 1 podium finisher. Ayrton Senna secured the championship after a first-corner collision eliminated both him and Alain Prost.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 21 October 1990
Race start time: 13:00 local time (UTC+09:00)
Circuit: Suzuka International Racing Course
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.860 km
1989 winner: Alessandro Nannini
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:36.996 | |
| Fastest lap | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:44.233 on lap 40 | |
| First | Nelson Piquet | Benetton |
| Second | Roberto Moreno | Benetton |
| Third | Aguri Suzuki | Lola |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 19 October 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 19 October 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 20 October 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 20 October 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 21 October 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 21 October 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 15 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 78 points, with Alain Prost on 69. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 118 points.
Race entries
Roberto Moreno joined Benetton in place of Alessandro Nannini, who had suffered serious injuries in a helicopter accident. Johnny Herbert replaced Martin Donnelly at Lotus, Gianni Morbidelli took Paolo Barilla‘s Minardi seat, and Alex Caffi returned to Arrows. EuroBrun and Life withdrew, leaving 30 cars and removing the need for pre-qualifying.
Friday Free Practice
Gerhard Berger set Friday’s practice pace as McLaren introduced another Honda engine development. Jean Alesi crashed and injured his neck, an incident whose consequences would become clearer overnight. Roberto Moreno began adapting to the competitive Benetton after spending the season fighting to pre-qualify, while Johnny Herbert and Gianni Morbidelli also had new cars to learn at a particularly demanding circuit.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, 19 October 1990
Friday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger headed Friday qualifying ahead of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna. Jean Alesi‘s time would ultimately be sufficient to qualify despite his inability to run on Saturday, while the new arrivals sought to establish themselves in unfamiliar machinery.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Japanese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 19 October 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell narrowly headed Saturday practice, with Roberto Moreno an impressive third. Jean Alesi missed the day’s running because of his neck injury. Mauricio Gugelmin and Yannick Dalmas collided during the morning, escaping injury but adding repair work for their teams. The session gave Roberto Moreno a valuable opportunity to build confidence, while Ferrari‘s pace suggested that the title contest would remain closely fought.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Japanese Grand Prix Practice, 20 October 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:39.890 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.037s | — |
| 3 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +0.092s | — |
| 4 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.127s | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.415s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.030s | — |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.625s | — |
| 8 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.729s | — |
| 9 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +1.886s | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.051s | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +2.482s | — |
| 12 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +2.503s | — |
| 13 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +2.624s | — |
| 14 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.225s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.306s | — |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +3.518s | — |
| 17 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +3.674s | — |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +3.999s | — |
| 19 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +4.037s | — |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +4.129s | — |
| 21 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +4.486s | — |
| 22 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +4.551s | — |
| 23 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +5.281s | — |
| 24 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +5.574s | — |
| 25 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | +6.817s | — |
| 26 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +7.166s | — |
| 27 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +7.228s | — |
| 28 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +7.453s | — |
| 29 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +7.681s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna produced a 1:36.996 on Saturday to beat Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell. Gerhard Berger completed row two. Ayrton Senna objected to pole being on the dirtier side of the track, but the grid arrangement remained unchanged, leaving the championship rivals alongside one another for the start.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Japanese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 20 October 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:36.996 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:37.228 | — |
| 3 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:37.719 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:38.118 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:39.324 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:40.049 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:40.579 | — |
| 8 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:40.664 | — |
| 9 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:40.888 | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:41.024 | — |
| 11 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:41.033 | — |
| 12 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:41.078 | — |
| 13 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:41.558 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:41.698 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:41.709 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:41.964 | — |
| 17 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:42.339 | — |
| 18 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:42.361 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:42.364 | — |
| 20 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:42.593 | — |
| 21 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:43.610 | — |
| 22 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:43.647 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:43.782 | — |
| 24 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:43.887 | — |
| 25 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:45.393 | — |
| 26 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:46.326 | — |
| 27 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 29:56.038 | — |
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 | 1:38.828 | 1:36.996 | 1:36.996 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:38.684 | 1:37.228 | 1:37.228 | — |
| 3 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:38.969 | 1:37.719 | 1:37.719 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:38.374 | 1:38.118 | 1:38.118 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:39.577 | 1:39.324 | 1:39.324 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:41.041 | 1:40.049 | 1:40.049 | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:40.052 | no time | 1:40.052 | — |
| 8 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:40.355 | 1:40.664 | 1:40.355 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:41.719 | 1:40.579 | 1:40.579 | — |
| 10 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:41.442 | 1:40.888 | 1:40.888 | — |
| 11 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:40.899 | 1:41.964 | 1:40.899 | — |
| 12 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:41.482 | 1:41.024 | 1:41.024 | — |
| 13 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:41.657 | 1:41.033 | 1:41.033 | — |
| 14 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:41.208 | 1:41.078 | 1:41.078 | — |
| 15 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:43.111 | 1:41.558 | 1:41.558 | — |
| 16 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:42.049 | 1:41.698 | 1:41.698 | — |
| 17 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:42.141 | 1:41.709 | 1:41.709 | — |
| 18 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:43.396 | 1:42.339 | 1:42.339 | — |
| 19 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 17:40.230 | 1:42.361 | 1:42.361 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:42.858 | 1:42.364 | 1:42.364 | — |
| 21 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:44.106 | 1:42.593 | 1:42.593 | — |
| 22 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:42.617 | no time | 1:42.617 | — |
| 23 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:43.156 | no time | 1:43.156 | — |
| 24 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:43.270 | 1:43.887 | 1:43.270 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:43.304 | 1:43.610 | 1:43.304 | — |
| 26 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:43.601 | 1:43.647 | 1:43.601 | — |
| 27 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:43.993 | 1:43.782 | 1:43.782 | — |
| 28 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:44.281 | 29:56.038 | 1:44.281 | — |
| 29 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:44.410 | 1:46.326 | 1:44.410 | — |
| 30 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 20:22.535 | 1:45.393 | 1:45.393 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Nigel Mansell led Alain Prost in the warm-up, with Ayrton Senna third. Jean Alesi tried to return but could not continue comfortably and withdrew, leaving 25 starters. His brief attempt ended a difficult weekend for Tyrrell. Ferrari‘s one-two in the morning suggested strong race pace, although the dispute over the grid’s cleaner side had already made the opening moments unusually contentious.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Japanese Grand Prix Warm-up, 21 October 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:42.820 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.161s | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.533s | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.921s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.602s | — |
| 6 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.177s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +2.450s | — |
| 8 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.782s | — |
| 9 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.852s | — |
| 10 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.044s | — |
| 11 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +3.262s | — |
| 12 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +3.329s | — |
| 13 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.405s | — |
| 14 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +3.469s | — |
| 15 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.516s | — |
| 16 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +3.613s | — |
| 17 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +3.911s | — |
| 18 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +4.506s | — |
| 19 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +4.712s | — |
| 20 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +4.725s | — |
| 21 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +4.841s | — |
| 22 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +5.107s | — |
| 23 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +5.400s | — |
| 24 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +5.897s | — |
| 25 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +6.150s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix?
Alain Prost made the better start, but Ayrton Senna drove into the Ferrari at the first corner and both retired. The collision settled the drivers’ championship in Ayrton Senna‘s favour. He later acknowledged that the move had been deliberate, making this one of the sport’s most controversial title deciders.
Gerhard Berger briefly led before spinning out, and Nigel Mansell then controlled the race until a driveshaft failure as he left his tyre stop. Nelson Piquet inherited the lead, with Roberto Moreno following in the second Benetton. Their opportunity was transformed into a memorable team result.
Nelson Piquet won from Roberto Moreno, while Aguri Suzuki took third for Larrousse in front of his home crowd. Riccardo Patrese, Thierry Boutsen and Satoru Nakajima completed the points. Ferrari‘s failure to score also confirmed McLaren as constructors’ champion, though the celebrations were overshadowed by the opening collision.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 78 points, followed by Alain Prost on 69. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 118, with Ferrari on 100.
1990 Japanese Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix was held on 21 October 1990, with a scheduled start of 13:00 local time.
1990 Japanese Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 40 | 1:44.233 |
| 2 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 40 | 1:44.850 |
| 3 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 47 | 1:45.114 |
| 4 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 45 | 1:45.539 |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 47 | 1:45.706 |
| 6 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 27 | 1:45.887 |
| 7 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 23 | 1:46.042 |
| 8 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 44 | 1:46.106 |
| 9 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 22 | 1:46.272 |
| 10 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 27 | 1:46.463 |
| 11 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 21 | 1:46.681 |
| 12 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 42 | 1:46.849 |
| 13 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 43 | 1:46.897 |
| 14 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 27 | 1:47.094 |
| 15 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 19 | 1:47.518 |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 9 | 1:48.035 |
| 17 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 18 | 1:48.506 |
| 18 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 15 | 1:48.865 |
| 19 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 5 | 1:49.471 |
| 20 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1 | 1:49.573 |
| 21 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 13 | 1:49.761 |
| 22 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 2 | 1:54.765 |
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 Japanese Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 118 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 100 |
| 3 | Benetton | 62 |
| 4 | Williams | 54 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 16 |
| 6 | Lola | 11 |
| 7 | Leyton House | 7 |
| 8 | Lotus | 3 |
| 9 | Arrows | 2 |
| 10 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | AGS | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 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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