Ayrton Senna won the 1990 United States Grand Prix, but Jean Alesi made him fight for it in a spectacular season opener. The young Tyrrell driver led much of the race before finishing second, with Thierry Boutsen completing the podium on the streets of Phoenix.
Race Guide
Season: 1990 F1 World Championship
Race date: 11 March 1990
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC-07:00)
Circuit: Phoenix Street Circuit
Laps: 72 laps
Circuit length: 3.800 km
1989 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:28.664 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:31.050 on lap 34 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell |
| Third | Thierry Boutsen | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 March 1990 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 9 March 1990 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 9 March 1990 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 10 March 1990 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 10 March 1990 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 11 March 1990 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 11 March 1990 | Race | 14:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
The 1990 F1 World Championship opened with Alain Prost defending his title at Ferrari and Gerhard Berger taking his former McLaren seat alongside Ayrton Senna. Victory was worth nine points, and only each driver’s best eleven results counted. Phoenix moved to March to avoid the extreme heat of the previous year’s summer race.
Race entries
Alain Prost joined Nigel Mansell at Ferrari, Gerhard Berger moved to McLaren and Nelson Piquet joined Benetton. Derek Warwick and Martin Donnelly formed Lotus‘s new pairing, while Satoru Nakajima moved to Tyrrell. Bernd Schneider deputised for the injured Alex Caffi at Arrows, and Gianni Morbidelli replaced the unwell Emanuele Pirro at Dallara. Life entered Formula 1 with Gary David Brabham and an unusual W12 engine.
Pre-qualifying
Nine drivers contested four places in the main sessions. Roberto Moreno led Eric Bernard, Olivier Grouillard and Aguri Suzuki through, while both AGS drivers and Langes missed out. The new Life suffered electrical trouble, and Gachot’s Subaru-powered Coloni was stopped by a gear-selection failure.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:32.292 | — |
| 2 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:32.711 | +0.419 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:33.181 | +0.889 |
| 4 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:33.331 | +1.039 |
| 5 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:35.420 | +3.128 |
| 6 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas | AGS | 1:35.481 | +3.189 |
| 7 | 34 | Claudio Langes | EuroBrun | 1:37.399 | +5.107 |
| 8 | 39 | Gary Brabham | Life | 2:07.147 | +35.855 |
| 9 | 31 | Bertrand Gachot | Coloni | 5:15.010 | +3:43.718 |
Friday Free Practice
Jean Alesi set Friday’s practice pace as Tyrrell‘s late switch to Pirelli tyres immediately paid dividends in the cool conditions. The tight street circuit offered smaller teams a chance to compete with more powerful rivals. Olivier Grouillard damaged his Osella in a morning accident, while Philippe Alliot‘s weekend ended after prohibited outside assistance following trouble with his Ligier.
Friday Practice Classification
1990 United States Grand Prix Practice, 9 March 1990
Friday Qualifying
Gerhard Berger took provisional pole on his McLaren debut with a 1:28.664. Pierluigi Martini was only 0.067 seconds behind in the Minardi, with de Andrea de Cesaris and Jean Alesi completing an unexpected leading quartet. Pirelli’s qualifying tyres had helped reshape the usual order.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1990 United States Grand Prix first qualifying session, 9 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:28.664 | — |
| 2 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:28.731 | — |
| 3 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:29.019 | — |
| 4 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:29.408 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:29.431 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:29.862 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:29.910 | — |
| 8 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:29.947 | — |
| 9 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:30.059 | — |
| 10 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:30.127 | — |
| 11 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:30.130 | — |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:30.213 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:30.424 | — |
| 14 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:31.194 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:31.226 | — |
| 16 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:31.247 | — |
| 17 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:31.363 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:31.414 | — |
| 19 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:31.650 | — |
| 20 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Arrows | 1:31.892 | — |
| 21 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:31.948 | — |
| 22 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:31.984 | — |
| 23 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 1:32.398 | — |
| 24 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:32.400 | — |
| 25 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:32.904 | — |
| 26 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:33.044 | — |
| 27 | 35 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:33.468 | — |
| 28 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | 1:34.292 | — |
Saturday Free Practice
Rain changed the challenge on Saturday. Alessandro Nannini headed practice, with Olivier Grouillard and Derek Warwick close behind, but the wet surface prevented the teams from making a normal dry-weather comparison. It also increased the importance of Friday’s qualifying times. Drivers who had struggled on the first day now faced the prospect of beginning the race much further back than expected.
Saturday Practice Classification
1990 United States Grand Prix Practice, 10 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:51.939 | — |
| 2 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +0.284s | — |
| 3 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +0.595s | — |
| 4 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +1.699s | — |
| 5 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Arrows | +2.579s | — |
| 6 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.720s | — |
| 7 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +5.054s | — |
| 8 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +5.314s | — |
| 9 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +5.732s | — |
| 10 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +5.797s | — |
| 11 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +6.536s | — |
| 12 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +7.186s | — |
| 13 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +7.792s | — |
| 14 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +7.923s | — |
| 15 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | +11.498s | — |
| 16 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +11.699s | — |
| 17 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +12.724s | — |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +22.480s | — |
| 19 | 36 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Onyx | +34.933s | — |
| 20 | 35 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | +36.283s | — |
| 21 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +41.180s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +1206.389s | — |
| 23 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1730.170s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Saturday’s wet session left the grid unchanged. Martin Donnelly set the quickest time in the rain, but Gerhard Berger retained pole ahead of Pierluigi Martini. Ayrton Senna started fifth and Alain Prost seventh, while several smaller teams enjoyed their best opportunity of the season near the front.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1990 United States Grand Prix second qualifying session, 10 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:49.942 | — |
| 2 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:51.538 | — |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:52.015 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:52.405 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:52.771 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:53.486 | — |
| 7 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:53.530 | — |
| 8 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:54.499 | — |
| 9 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:54.738 | — |
| 10 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:55.449 | — |
| 11 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:56.661 | — |
| 12 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:57.435 | — |
| 13 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 2:05.974 | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 2:33.083 | — |
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 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:28.664 | 1:53.486 | 1:28.664 | — |
| 2 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:28.731 | 2:33.083 | 1:28.731 | — |
| 3 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 1:29.019 | 1:57.435 | 1:29.019 | — |
| 4 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 1:29.408 | 1:54.738 | 1:29.408 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:29.431 | 1:52.015 | 1:29.431 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:29.862 | 1:55.449 | 1:29.862 | — |
| 7 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:29.910 | 1:56.661 | 1:29.910 | — |
| 8 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 1:29.947 | — | 1:33.181 | — |
| 9 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 1:30.059 | 1:52.771 | 1:30.059 | — |
| 10 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 1:30.127 | — | 1:30.127 | — |
| 11 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:30.130 | — | 1:30.130 | — |
| 12 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:30.213 | 1:53.530 | 1:30.213 | — |
| 13 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 1:30.424 | — | 1:30.424 | — |
| 14 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 1:31.194 | — | 1:31.194 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:31.226 | — | 1:32.711 | — |
| 16 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 1:31.247 | 1:51.538 | 1:32.292 | — |
| 17 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 1:31.363 | 1:52.405 | 1:31.363 | — |
| 18 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:31.414 | — | 1:33.331 | — |
| 19 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | 1:31.650 | 1:49.942 | 1:31.650 | — |
| 20 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Arrows | 1:31.892 | — | 1:31.892 | — |
| 21 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 1:31.948 | 1:54.499 | 1:31.948 | — |
| 22 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 1:31.984 | — | 1:31.984 | — |
| 23 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 1:32.398 | — | 1:32.398 | — |
| 24 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 1:32.400 | 2:05.974 | 1:32.400 | — |
| 25 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:32.904 | — | 1:32.904 | — |
| 26 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:33.044 | — | 1:33.044 | — |
| 27 | 35 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx | 1:33.468 | — | 1:33.468 | — |
| 28 | 21 | Gianni Morbidelli | Dallara | 1:34.292 | — | 1:34.292 | — |
| 29 | 36 | JJ Lehto | Onyx | — | — | — | — |
| EX | 26 | Philippe Alliot | Ligier | 1:31.664 | — | — | — |
Sunday warm-up
Ayrton Senna led the warm-up, but Jean Alesi was second, reinforcing the impression that Tyrrell‘s qualifying form might translate into race pace. Cool weather left uncertainty over how the competing tyre compounds would last. Ferrari also had reliability concerns after transmission problems during the weekend, while the street circuit offered little opportunity to recover from a late mechanical interruption.
Warm-up Classification
1990 United States Grand Prix Warm-up, 11 March 1990
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:30.458 | — |
| 2 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | +0.527s | — |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.837s | — |
| 4 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +1.614s | — |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.658s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.787s | — |
| 7 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.062s | — |
| 8 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | +2.360s | — |
| 9 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.519s | — |
| 10 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | +2.857s | — |
| 11 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | +3.054s | — |
| 12 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | +3.166s | — |
| 13 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | +3.306s | — |
| 14 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | +3.379s | — |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.442s | — |
| 16 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | +3.831s | — |
| 17 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | +3.860s | — |
| 18 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | +3.906s | — |
| 19 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | +3.967s | — |
| 20 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Arrows | +4.002s | — |
| 21 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +4.453s | — |
| 22 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +5.170s | — |
| 23 | 12 | Martin Donnelly | Lotus | +5.612s | — |
| 24 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | +6.975s | — |
| 25 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | +7.982s | — |
| 26 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +8.045s | — |
What happened in the 1990 United States Grand Prix?
Jean Alesi launched into the lead and began pulling away. Gerhard Berger spun into the barriers, allowing Ayrton Senna to take up the pursuit. Ayrton Senna initially judged his pace carefully while assessing how long Jean Alesi‘s tyres would remain competitive.
When Ayrton Senna attacked, Jean Alesi immediately fought back and reclaimed the lead at the next corner. Ayrton Senna passed again a lap later and this time stayed ahead. Jean Alesi eventually settled into second, preserving his tyres rather than risking the result in another attack.
Ayrton Senna won ahead of Jean Alesi and Thierry Boutsen, with Nelson Piquet fourth, Stefano Modena fifth and Satoru Nakajima sixth. Both Ferraris retired, leaving the defending champion without points. Jean Alesi‘s first podium and his fearless exchange with Ayrton Senna made the opener a memorable showcase for Tyrrell.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 9 points, followed by Jean Alesi on 6. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 9, with Tyrrell on 7.
1990 United States Grand Prix race results
The 1990 United States Grand Prix was held on 11 March 1990, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1990 United States Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 34 | 1:31.050 |
| 2 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 66 | 1:31.568 |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 18 | 1:32.178 |
| 4 | 4 | Jean Alesi | Tyrrell | 4 | 1:32.221 |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 38 | 1:32.222 |
| 6 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 66 | 1:32.681 |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton | 67 | 1:32.694 |
| 8 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 68 | 1:32.707 |
| 9 | 2 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 40 | 1:32.814 |
| 10 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 68 | 1:32.865 |
| 11 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams | 33 | 1:32.915 |
| 12 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham | 67 | 1:33.147 |
| 13 | 1 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 19 | 1:33.170 |
| 14 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Arrows | 62 | 1:33.573 |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 48 | 1:33.819 |
| 16 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Dallara | 10 | 1:34.067 |
| 17 | 7 | Gregor Foitek | Brabham | 36 | 1:34.156 |
| 18 | 24 | Paolo Barilla | Minardi | 36 | 1:34.265 |
| 19 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Arrows | 65 | 1:34.517 |
| 20 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Osella | 29 | 1:35.350 |
| 21 | 11 | Derek Warwick | Lotus | 5 | 1:35.396 |
| 22 | 33 | Roberto Moreno | EuroBrun | 14 | 1:35.446 |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 10 | 1:35.598 |
| 24 | 25 | Nicola Larini | Ligier | 3 | 1:36.971 |
| 25 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 56 | 1:37.058 |
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 United States Grand Prix.
1990 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 9 |
| 2 | Jean Alesi | French | Tyrrell | 6 |
| 3 | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Williams | 4 |
| 4 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Benetton | 3 |
| 5 | Stefano Modena | Italian | Brabham | 2 |
| 6 | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Tyrrell | 1 |
| – | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Éric Bernard | French | Lola | 0 |
| – | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Alessandro Nannini | Italian | Benetton | 0 |
| – | Bernd Schneider | German | Arrows | 0 |
| – | Roberto Moreno | Brazilian | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Paolo Barilla | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Aguri Suzuki | Japanese | Lola | 0 |
| – | Nigel Mansell | British | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | McLaren | 0 |
| – | Gregor Foitek | Swiss | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Olivier Grouillard | French | Osella | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Alain Prost | French | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Derek Warwick | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Martin Donnelly | British | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Philippe Alliot | French | Ligier | 0 |
1990 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 9 |
| 2 | Tyrrell | 7 |
| 3 | Williams | 4 |
| 4 | Benetton | 3 |
| 5 | Brabham | 2 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Lola | 0 |
| – | Arrows | 0 |
| – | EuroBrun | 0 |
| – | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Osella | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Lotus | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 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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