Riccardo Patrese ended a long wait for victory at the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix, passing Gerhard Berger late on to win for Williams. Alessandro Nannini completed the podium after an eventful Imola race in which several leading contenders fell away.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 13 May 1990
Race start time: 14:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Laps: 61 laps
Circuit length: 5.040 km
1989 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:23.220 | |
| Fastest lap | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:27.156 on lap 60 | |
| First | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Second | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Third | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 11 May 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 11 May 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 11 May 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 12 May 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 12 May 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 13 May 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 13 May 1990 | Race | 14:30 |
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 3 leading the 1990 F1 World Championship on 13 points, with Alain Prost on 9. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 19 points.
Race entries
David Brabham replaced Gregor Foitek at David Brabham, with Gregor Foitek moving to Onyx in place of Johansson. Bruno Giacomelli took over the Life after Gary David Brabham left, and Emanuele Pirro returned to Dallara. Tyrrell introduced its striking raised-nose 019, while several other teams also brought new cars for the European opener.
Pre-qualifying
Eric Bernard and Aguri Suzuki comfortably advanced in the new Lola, followed by Olivier Grouillard and Roberto Moreno. Yannick Dalmas withdrew with a hand injury and Gabriele Tarquini‘s AGS failed almost immediately. Gachot, Langes and Giacomelli also missed out, the Life completing only a very slow, troubled lap.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:26.475 | — |
| 2 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:27.344 | +0.869 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:28.155 | +1.680 |
| 4 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:28.178 | +1.703 |
| 5 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 1:33.554 | +7.079 |
| 6 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:34.272 | +7.797 |
| 7 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli | Life | 7:16.212 | +5:49.737 |
| 8 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | no time | — |
| 9 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | no time | — |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice as the European season began with an array of new machinery. Tyrrell‘s raised nose drew particular attention, while Ferrari compared its latest developments with the established car. The weekend brought serious accidents for Pierluigi Martini and Alessandro Nannini; Pierluigi Martini‘s injury forced him to withdraw, while Alessandro Nannini was able to continue after his heavy impact.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 11 May 1990
Friday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger headed Friday qualifying, just ahead of Ayrton Senna, with Riccardo Patrese third. The leading three were the only drivers below 1:25, underlining the work Ferrari still had to do at its home venue.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 11 May 1990
Saturday Free Practice
Riccardo Patrese led Saturday practice, with Jean Alesi third in the new Tyrrell and Ferrari still searching for a satisfactory setup. Roberto Moreno‘s accident disrupted the morning and delayed the afternoon qualifying session. Williams was quietly emerging as a strong challenger, while Jean Alesi demonstrated that the innovative Tyrrell could compete with much more powerful cars on a demanding permanent circuit.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 12 May 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:24.610 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.174s | — |
| 3 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +0.569s | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +0.646s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.786s | — |
| 6 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.876s | — |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.378s | — |
| 8 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.492s | — |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.879s | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.055s | — |
| 11 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.068s | — |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.604s | — |
| 13 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +2.628s | — |
| 14 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +2.757s | — |
| 15 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +2.929s | — |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +3.201s | — |
| 17 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +3.370s | — |
| 18 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.601s | — |
| 19 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | +3.686s | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.831s | — |
| 21 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | +3.917s | — |
| 22 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | +4.583s | — |
| 23 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +4.769s | — |
| 24 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +4.783s | — |
| 25 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +5.168s | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +5.190s | — |
| 27 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +5.456s | — |
| 28 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | +6.010s | — |
| 29 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +6.169s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna took pole with a 1:23.220 on Saturday, ahead of Gerhard Berger and the two Williams drivers. Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost shared row three, with Jean Alesi seventh. The session began 28 minutes late following the morning’s interruption, but McLaren still emerged with a clear advantage.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 12 May 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:23.220 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:23.781 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:24.444 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:25.039 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:25.095 | — |
| 6 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:25.179 | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:25.230 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:25.761 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:26.042 | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:26.682 | — |
| 11 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:26.714 | — |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:26.836 | — |
| 13 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:26.838 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:27.008 | — |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:27.068 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:27.214 | — |
| 17 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:27.217 | — |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:27.521 | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:27.532 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:27.564 | — |
| 21 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:27.613 | — |
| 22 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:28.009 | — |
| 23 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:28.435 | — |
| 24 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:28.667 | — |
| 25 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:28.699 | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:28.797 | — |
| 27 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:28.927 | — |
| 28 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:31.653 | — |
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 | 1:24.079 | 1:23.220 | 1:23.220 | — |
| 2 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:24.027 | 1:23.781 | 1:23.781 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:24.486 | 1:24.444 | 1:24.444 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:25.832 | 1:25.039 | 1:25.039 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:25.539 | 1:25.095 | 1:25.095 | — |
| 6 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:26.080 | 1:25.179 | 1:25.179 | — |
| 7 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:26.138 | 1:25.230 | 1:25.230 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:26.316 | 1:25.761 | 1:25.761 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:26.889 | 1:26.042 | 1:26.042 | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:28.055 | 1:26.682 | 1:26.682 | — |
| 11 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:27.151 | 1:26.714 | 1:26.714 | — |
| 12 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:29.339 | 1:26.836 | 1:26.836 | — |
| 13 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:26.988 | 1:26.838 | 1:26.475 | — |
| 14 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:28.763 | 1:27.008 | 1:27.008 | — |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:27.211 | 1:27.068 | 1:27.344 | — |
| 16 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:27.533 | 1:27.214 | 1:27.214 | — |
| 17 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:27.570 | 1:27.217 | 1:27.217 | — |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:29.904 | 1:27.521 | 1:27.521 | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:27.746 | 1:27.532 | 1:27.532 | — |
| 20 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:27.642 | 1:27.564 | 1:27.564 | — |
| 21 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:27.849 | 1:27.613 | 1:27.613 | — |
| 22 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:28.590 | 1:28.009 | 1:28.155 | — |
| 23 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 1:28.111 | 1:28.435 | 1:28.111 | — |
| 24 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:28.603 | 1:31.653 | 1:28.178 | — |
| 25 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | 1:28.625 | no time | 1:28.625 | — |
| 26 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:29.566 | 1:28.667 | 1:28.667 | — |
| 27 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Arrows | 1:29.242 | 1:28.699 | 1:28.699 | — |
| 28 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:29.615 | 1:28.797 | 1:28.797 | — |
| 29 | 7 | David Brabham | Brabham | 1:31.282 | 1:28.927 | 1:28.927 | — |
| WD | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:26.466 | no time | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ayrton Senna narrowly headed Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger in the warm-up, raising Ferrari‘s hopes after a disappointing qualifying performance. Tyre selection was a significant concern for the race: the leading teams chose different combinations of harder and softer compounds. Williams, which had less downforce and tended to slide more, favoured durability for the long run.
Warm-up Classification
1990 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 13 May 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:27.497 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +0.024s | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.090s | — |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +0.257s | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.356s | — |
| 6 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +0.689s | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.758s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +0.988s | — |
| 9 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +1.511s | — |
| 10 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | +1.694s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.118s | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +2.471s | — |
| 13 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +2.577s | — |
| 14 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +2.695s | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.781s | — |
| 16 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.886s | — |
| 17 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.956s | — |
| 18 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +3.004s | — |
| 19 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +3.162s | — |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +3.387s | — |
| 21 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.604s | — |
| 22 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | +4.291s | — |
| 23 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | +4.371s | — |
| 24 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +4.392s | — |
| 25 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +6.467s | — |
| 26 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +103.920s | — |
What happened in the 1990 San Marino Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led initially but retired with a broken wheel rim. Thierry Boutsen inherited the lead before his engine failed, leaving Gerhard Berger ahead. Nigel Mansell charged forward and challenged the McLaren, surviving a dramatic spin after being forced onto the grass, only to retire later with engine trouble.
Riccardo Patrese then became Gerhard Berger‘s principal threat. He closed in and passed for the lead late in the race, avoiding the mistake that had cost him victory here years earlier. Behind them, Alessandro Nannini held off Alain Prost in the contest for third.
Riccardo Patrese won for the first time since 1983, with Gerhard Berger second and Alessandro Nannini third. Alain Prost, Nelson Piquet and Jean Alesi completed the points. The Italian crowd had been denied a Ferrari victory, but Riccardo Patrese‘s long-awaited success gave it another reason to celebrate.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 13 points, followed by Alain Prost on 12. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 25, with Williams on 15.
1990 San Marino Grand Prix race results
The 1990 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 13 May 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:30 local time.
1990 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 60 | 1:27.156 |
| 2 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 56 | 1:27.164 |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 42 | 1:27.475 |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 38 | 1:27.626 |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 48 | 1:27.636 |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 37 | 1:28.558 |
| 7 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 14 | 1:28.840 |
| 8 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 46 | 1:29.144 |
| 9 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 58 | 1:29.527 |
| 10 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 34 | 1:29.731 |
| 11 | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 44 | 1:29.813 |
| 12 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 56 | 1:29.829 |
| 13 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 55 | 1:30.461 |
| 14 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 3 | 1:30.615 |
| 15 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 55 | 1:30.848 |
| 16 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 14 | 1:31.136 |
| 17 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | 35 | 1:31.374 |
| 18 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 21 | 1:31.661 |
| 19 | 35 | Gregor Foitek | Onyx | 34 | 1:31.964 |
| 20 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 52 | 1:32.011 |
| 21 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 21 | 1:32.125 |
| 22 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 9 | 1:32.547 |
| 23 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 2 | 1:34.266 |
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 San Marino Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 25 |
| 2 | Williams | 15 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 15 |
| 4 | Benetton | 10 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 8 |
| 6 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Lola | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Onyx | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Osella | 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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