Nigel Mansell gave the Silverstone crowd a commanding home victory at the 1991 British Grand Prix. He took pole, led every lap and set the fastest lap, while Ayrton Senna‘s late fuel shortage promoted Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost onto the podium.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 14 July 1991
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Silverstone Circuit
Laps: 59 laps
Circuit length: 5.226 km
1990 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:20.939 | |
| Fastest lap | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.379 on lap 43 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Third | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 12 July 1991 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 12 July 1991 | Practice 1 | 10:00 |
| 12 July 1991 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00 |
| 13 July 1991 | Practice 2 | 10:00 |
| 13 July 1991 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 14 July 1991 | Warm-up | 09:30 |
| 14 July 1991 | 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 8 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 48 points, with Nigel Mansell on 23. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 58 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups were unchanged, with Stefan Johansson making his final appearance as Alex Caffi‘s substitute at Footwork. Benetton arrived following Tom Walkinshaw’s purchase of a stake in the team. Silverstone itself was markedly different, with a revised layout that added technical challenges to its familiar high-speed character.
Pre-qualifying
Lehto led another Dallara–Jordan sweep, followed by de Andrea de Cesaris, Emanuele Pirro and Bertrand Gachot. Olivier Grouillard, Nicola Larini, van de Eric van de Poele and Chaves were eliminated. This was the final round before the mid-season reshuffle: Jordan and Dallara had done enough to escape the preliminary session for the remainder of the year.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:24.825 | — |
| 2 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:25.508 | +0.683 |
| 3 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:25.726 | +0.901 |
| 4 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:25.931 | +1.106 |
| 5 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:26.299 | +1.474 |
| 6 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 1:28.042 | +3.217 |
| 7 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:28.827 | +4.002 |
| 8 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | 1:29.735 | +4.910 |
Friday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell immediately looked at home on the revised Silverstone layout, setting Friday’s fastest practice time by more than a second. McLaren had brought additional cars and engine specifications in its effort to respond, while Ferrari was learning how its new 643 behaved at this venue. The altered Maggots-Becketts sequence and new final section gave the teams plenty of fresh work despite the circuit’s familiar name.
Friday Practice Classification
1991 British Grand Prix Practice, 12 July 1991
Friday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell headed Friday qualifying, with Gerhard Berger second and Ayrton Senna third. De Andrea de Cesaris also impressed with the fifth-fastest time, giving Jordan another reason for optimism after its strong recent results.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1991 British Grand Prix first qualifying session, 12 July 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell again led Saturday practice comfortably, with Riccardo Patrese and Ayrton Senna closest. Riccardo Patrese was less satisfied with his chassis balance, while McLaren‘s engine development brought reliability concerns as well as the search for power. Ferrari also needed time to find the right settings. Williams‘ advantage was therefore becoming a consistent feature of the weekend, rather than something its rivals could dismiss as a Friday anomaly.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 British Grand Prix Practice, 13 July 1991
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell improved to 1:20.939 on Saturday to take his first pole of the season, 0.679 seconds ahead of Ayrton Senna. Riccardo Patrese qualified third and Gerhard Berger fourth, followed by Alain Prost and Jean Alesi. De Andrea de Cesaris could not improve after an electrical problem and slipped to thirteenth.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 British Grand Prix second qualifying session, 13 July 1991
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 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:22.644 | 1:20.939 | 1:20.939 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:23.277 | 1:21.618 | 1:21.618 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:23.436 | 1:22.109 | 1:22.109 | — |
| 4 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:23.045 | 1:22.476 | 1:22.476 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:24.726 | 1:22.478 | 1:22.478 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:24.520 | 1:22.881 | 1:22.881 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:25.715 | 1:23.265 | 1:23.265 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:25.107 | 1:23.626 | 1:23.626 | — |
| 9 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:25.834 | 1:24.044 | 1:24.044 | — |
| 10 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:24.925 | 1:24.069 | 1:24.069 | — |
| 11 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:24.997 | 1:24.141 | 1:24.825 | — |
| 12 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:26.117 | 1:24.165 | 1:24.165 | — |
| 13 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:24.169 | 1:24.319 | 1:25.508 | — |
| 14 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:25.803 | 1:24.345 | 1:24.345 | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:26.229 | 1:24.560 | 1:24.560 | — |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:25.951 | 1:24.587 | 1:24.587 | — |
| 17 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:25.323 | 1:24.592 | 1:25.931 | — |
| 18 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:25.136 | 1:24.654 | 1:25.726 | — |
| 19 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:25.530 | 1:25.174 | 1:25.174 | — |
| 20 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:27.367 | 1:25.222 | 1:25.222 | — |
| 21 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:26.235 | 1:25.537 | 1:25.537 | — |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:26.438 | 1:25.583 | 1:25.583 | — |
| 23 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:27.279 | 1:25.583 | 1:25.583 | — |
| 24 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:27.207 | 1:25.689 | 1:25.689 | — |
| 25 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:26.936 | 1:25.872 | 1:25.872 | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:27.193 | 1:26.192 | 1:26.192 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:26.486 | 1:26.392 | 1:26.392 | — |
| 28 | 10 | Stefan Johansson | Footwork | 1:28.204 | 1:26.544 | 1:26.544 | — |
| 29 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:31.697 | 1:28.122 | 1:28.122 | — |
| 30 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:31.130 | 1:28.136 | 1:28.136 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Nigel Mansell completed his sweep of the preparatory sessions by leading the warm-up, with Riccardo Patrese second and de Andrea de Cesaris third. Jordan‘s pace was especially encouraging as it approached its final race under the pre-qualifying requirement. For Williams, the morning reinforced the prospect of a strong home result, although the season had already shown how easily speed could be undone by a mechanical problem.
Warm-up Classification
1991 British Grand Prix Warm-up, 14 July 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:26.863 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.508s | — |
| 3 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +1.046s | — |
| 4 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.188s | — |
| 5 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +1.536s | — |
| 6 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.754s | — |
| 7 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.231s | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +2.262s | — |
| 9 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.299s | — |
| 10 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.393s | — |
| 11 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +2.418s | — |
| 12 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +2.521s | — |
| 13 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +2.544s | — |
| 14 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +2.560s | — |
| 15 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +2.694s | — |
| 16 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.837s | — |
| 17 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +3.238s | — |
| 18 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.352s | — |
| 19 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +3.595s | — |
| 20 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.873s | — |
| 21 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.901s | — |
| 22 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +3.998s | — |
| 23 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +4.011s | — |
| 24 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +4.039s | — |
| 25 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +4.252s | — |
| 26 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +4.746s | — |
What happened in the 1991 British Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna briefly took the lead at the start, but Nigel Mansell reclaimed it at Stowe before the opening lap was complete. Riccardo Patrese‘s race ended following contact with Gerhard Berger. Nigel Mansell then pulled away, while the Ferraris and Gerhard Berger contested the remaining podium places.
Jean Alesi‘s challenge ended after contact with Aguri Suzuki while lapping the Lola. De Andrea de Cesaris escaped injury when a suspension failure sent his Jordan into a heavy accident at Abbey. Up front, Nigel Mansell remained in control, but Ayrton Senna‘s apparently secure second place disappeared when he ran out of fuel on the final lap.
Nigel Mansell won ahead of Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost, with Ayrton Senna classified fourth, Nelson Piquet fifth and Bertrand Gachot sixth. The victory reduced Nigel Mansell‘s championship deficit to 18 points. On the slowing-down lap he stopped to give Ayrton Senna a lift back to the pits, creating one of the season’s enduring images.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 33. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 67, with Williams on 55.
1991 British Grand Prix race results
The 1991 British Grand Prix was held on 14 July 1991, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1991 British Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 43 | 1:26.379 |
| 2 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 48 | 1:26.589 |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 51 | 1:26.633 |
| 4 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 43 | 1:27.509 |
| 5 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 53 | 1:27.857 |
| 6 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 57 | 1:27.936 |
| 7 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 30 | 1:27.998 |
| 8 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 55 | 1:28.305 |
| 9 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 56 | 1:28.856 |
| 10 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 23 | 1:28.869 |
| 11 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 40 | 1:29.246 |
| 12 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 41 | 1:29.316 |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 49 | 1:29.379 |
| 14 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 39 | 1:29.411 |
| 15 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 49 | 1:29.485 |
| 16 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 50 | 1:29.877 |
| 17 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 16 | 1:30.204 |
| 18 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 41 | 1:30.222 |
| 19 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 23 | 1:30.935 |
| 20 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 9 | 1:31.078 |
| 21 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 28 | 1:31.133 |
| 22 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 20 | 1:31.192 |
| 23 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 5 | 1:31.207 |
| 24 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 21 | 1:31.493 |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 25 | 1:31.804 |
| 26 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1 | 2:48.923 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1991 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1991 British Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 67 |
| 2 | Williams | 55 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 29 |
| 4 | Benetton | 23 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 11 |
| 6 | Jordan | 10 |
| 7 | Dallara | 5 |
| 8 | Minardi | 3 |
| 9 | Lotus | 3 |
| 10 | Lola | 2 |
| 11 | Ligier | 0 |
| 12 | Lamborghini | 0 |
| 13 | Leyton House | 0 |
| 14 | Brabham | 0 |
| 15 | AGS | 0 |
| 16 | Footwork | 0 |
| 17 | Fondmetal | 0 |
1991 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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