Nigel Mansell claimed his only victory of the season at the 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix, ahead of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost. An early red flag ended the contest after a collision involving Alex Caffi and Aguri Suzuki, leaving Ferrari with a win but fresh tension between its drivers.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 23 September 1990
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Autódromo do Estoril
Laps: 61 laps (71 laps scheduled)
Circuit length: 4.350 km
1989 winner: Gerhard Berger
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari |
| Pole time | 1:13.557 | |
| Fastest lap | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:18.306 on lap 56 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari |
| Second | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Third | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 21 September 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 21 September 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 22 September 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 22 September 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 23 September 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 23 September 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 13 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 72 points, with Alain Prost on 56. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 109 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups were unchanged. Life finally replaced its W12 with a Judd V8, but even getting the revised car running would prove difficult. Ferrari arrived with changes to its starting setup after Alain Prost‘s recent problems getting away from the grid.
Pre-qualifying
Olivier Grouillard again led the session, followed by Yannick Dalmas, Gachot and Gabriele Tarquini. Roberto Moreno and Langes missed out. Life‘s engine change brought no immediate relief: its ill-fitting engine cover came loose during Giacomelli’s initial running, preventing a meaningful attempt.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:19.384 | — |
| 2 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:19.885 | +0.501 |
| 3 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:20.000 | +0.616 |
| 4 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:20.942 | +1.558 |
| 5 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:21.188 | +1.804 |
| 6 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:23.447 | +4.063 |
| 7 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | no time | — |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice, but McLaren struggled to eliminate understeer as the weekend developed. Ferrari had a well-balanced car and a powerful qualifying engine available, setting up a close contest despite McLaren‘s early advantage. Jean Alesi also had braking concerns, while Satoru Nakajima was unwell, leaving Tyrrell with difficulties beyond simply finding more speed.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 21 September 1990
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna led Friday qualifying ahead of Alain Prost and Gerhard Berger, with Nigel Mansell fourth. The leading teams remained closely matched, and Saturday offered Ferrari another opportunity to challenge for the front row.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 21 September 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Riccardo Patrese narrowly headed Saturday practice. Williams nevertheless endured a difficult morning when a starter-related fire injured a mechanic in its garage. Elsewhere, the search for grip remained troublesome for Lotus and Minardi, while Benetton worked through inconsistent handling. The timing sheet therefore concealed several teams’ struggles to turn a competitive lap into a dependable weekend.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 22 September 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:14.857 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.031s | — |
| 3 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +0.192s | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.262s | — |
| 5 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +0.370s | — |
| 6 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +0.620s | — |
| 7 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.342s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.695s | — |
| 9 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +2.123s | — |
| 10 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +2.205s | — |
| 11 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.249s | — |
| 12 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.275s | — |
| 13 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.320s | — |
| 14 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +2.441s | — |
| 15 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +2.442s | — |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +2.454s | — |
| 17 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +2.780s | — |
| 18 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.918s | — |
| 19 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +3.292s | — |
| 20 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +3.346s | — |
| 21 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +3.416s | — |
| 22 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.774s | — |
| 23 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.807s | — |
| 24 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +3.849s | — |
| 25 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +3.942s | — |
| 26 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +4.246s | — |
| 27 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +4.257s | — |
| 28 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +4.859s | — |
| 29 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | +5.802s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell improved to 1:13.557, beating Alain Prost by only 0.038 seconds. Ayrton Senna was just 0.006 seconds further back in third, with Gerhard Berger fourth. Ferrari had locked out the front row by the narrowest of margins over its principal rival.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 22 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 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:14.861 | 1:13.557 | 1:13.557 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:14.530 | 1:13.595 | 1:13.595 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:14.246 | 1:13.601 | 1:13.601 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:14.552 | 1:14.292 | 1:14.292 | — |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:15.539 | 1:14.723 | 1:14.723 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:15.542 | 1:14.728 | 1:14.728 | — |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:15.646 | 1:14.934 | 1:14.934 | — |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:16.092 | 1:15.122 | 1:15.122 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:16.123 | 1:15.411 | 1:15.411 | — |
| 10 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:16.477 | 1:15.673 | 1:15.673 | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:17.189 | 1:16.012 | 1:16.012 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:18.242 | 1:16.284 | 1:16.284 | — |
| 13 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:17.653 | 1:16.290 | 1:16.290 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:17.569 | 1:16.296 | 1:16.296 | — |
| 15 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:17.414 | 1:16.762 | 1:16.762 | — |
| 16 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:17.045 | 1:16.795 | 1:16.795 | — |
| 17 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:18.725 | 1:16.946 | 1:16.946 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:17.252 | 1:17.066 | 1:17.066 | — |
| 19 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:18.630 | 1:17.081 | 1:17.081 | — |
| 20 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:17.097 | no time | 1:17.097 | — |
| 21 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:17.330 | 1:17.120 | 1:17.120 | — |
| 22 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:17.904 | 1:17.259 | 1:17.259 | — |
| 23 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:18.958 | 1:17.269 | 1:17.269 | — |
| 24 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:17.962 | 1:17.341 | 1:17.341 | — |
| 25 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:18.581 | 1:17.621 | 1:19.885 | — |
| 26 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:18.967 | 1:17.715 | 1:17.715 | — |
| 27 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:18.512 | 1:17.775 | 1:19.394 | — |
| 28 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:18.669 | 1:18.280 | 1:18.280 | — |
| 29 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:20.226 | 1:18.815 | 1:20.942 | — |
| 30 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:20.662 | 1:20.516 | 1:20.000 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Nigel Mansell set the warm-up pace, reinforcing Ferrari‘s challenge. Satoru Nakajima, still suffering from flu, went off and withdrew; his late absence left only 25 starters. The sky was threatening, but the race began dry. Most contenders expected a tyre change, making the timing and execution of the stops potentially decisive in a close contest.
Warm-up Classification
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix Warm-up, 23 September 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:18.435 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.656s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.725s | — |
| 4 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.871s | — |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.590s | — |
| 6 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +1.749s | — |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +1.834s | — |
| 8 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.986s | — |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.066s | — |
| 10 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.208s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.363s | — |
| 12 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +2.781s | — |
| 13 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.802s | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.814s | — |
| 15 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.819s | — |
| 16 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +2.858s | — |
| 17 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +2.921s | — |
| 18 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +3.100s | — |
| 19 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.201s | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.355s | — |
| 21 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +3.385s | — |
| 22 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.529s | — |
| 23 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.854s | — |
| 24 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | +3.903s | — |
| 25 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +4.037s | — |
What happened in the 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix?
Nigel Mansell‘s start sent him across towards Alain Prost, forcing his team-mate to lift and allowing both McLarens ahead. Ayrton Senna led, while Ferrari had to recover the advantage it had earned in qualifying.
Nigel Mansell caught and passed Ayrton Senna after the tyre stops. Alain Prost worked his way back towards the leaders, but Nigel Mansell‘s contact with Philippe Alliot while lapping the Ligier added another anxious moment. The Ferrari continued, while Philippe Alliot crashed out.
A collision between Alex Caffi and Aguri Suzuki brought the race to an early end, with the result taken after 61 laps. Nigel Mansell won from Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, followed by Gerhard Berger, Nelson Piquet and Alessandro Nannini. Ayrton Senna extended his championship lead, while Alain Prost was frustrated by the start and the opportunity Ferrari had lost.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 78 points, followed by Alain Prost on 60. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 118, with Ferrari on 85.
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix race results
The 1990 Portuguese Grand Prix was held on 23 September 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1990 Portuguese Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 56 | 1:18.306 |
| 2 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 59 | 1:18.355 |
| 3 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 52 | 1:18.396 |
| 4 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 52 | 1:18.438 |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 49 | 1:18.577 |
| 6 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 48 | 1:18.936 |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 54 | 1:19.713 |
| 8 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 41 | 1:20.349 |
| 9 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 29 | 1:20.575 |
| 10 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 55 | 1:20.792 |
| 11 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 41 | 1:20.914 |
| 12 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 32 | 1:20.916 |
| 13 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 55 | 1:20.958 |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 35 | 1:21.186 |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 47 | 1:21.623 |
| 16 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 33 | 1:21.843 |
| 17 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 32 | 1:21.894 |
| 18 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 40 | 1:22.231 |
| 19 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 28 | 1:22.275 |
| 20 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 21 | 1:22.434 |
| 21 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 11 | 1:22.625 |
| 22 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 18 | 1:23.232 |
| 23 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 4 | 1:23.510 |
| 24 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 3 | 1:24.879 |
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 Portuguese Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 118 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 85 |
| 3 | Williams | 44 |
| 4 | Benetton | 43 |
| 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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