Nigel Mansell claimed his first victory of 1991 in a spirited duel with Alain Prost at the French Grand Prix. Magny-Cours‘ championship debut brought Ferrari renewed competitiveness, but Nigel Mansell twice found a way past Alain Prost to win for Williams, with Ayrton Senna third.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 7 July 1991
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Laps: 72 laps
Circuit length: 4.250 km
1990 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:14.559 | |
| Fastest lap | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:19.168 on lap 49 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Third | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 5 July 1991 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 5 July 1991 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 5 July 1991 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00 |
| 6 July 1991 | Practice 2 | 10:00 |
| 6 July 1991 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 7 July 1991 | Warm-up | 09:30 |
| 7 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 7 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 44 points, with Riccardo Patrese on 20. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 54 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups remained unchanged. Ferrari introduced the 643, while Footwork abandoned its Porsche V12 and returned to Ford power. Adapting the chassis to the replacement engine left Footwork with a hurried development programme as the championship moved to a new French venue.
Pre-qualifying
De Andrea de Cesaris led Lehto, Olivier Grouillard and Bertrand Gachot through to the main sessions. Emanuele Pirro missed out, as did Nicola Larini, van de Eric van de Poele and Chaves. Olivier Grouillard‘s second successive successful attempt gave Fondmetal another welcome opportunity to develop its car through a full weekend.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:19.729 | — |
| 2 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:20.172 | +0.443 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:20.227 | +0.498 |
| 4 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:20.309 | +0.580 |
| 5 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:20.539 | +0.810 |
| 6 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 1:20.628 | +0.899 |
| 7 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:21.304 | +1.575 |
| 8 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | 1:22.229 | +2.500 |
Friday Free Practice
Riccardo Patrese headed Friday practice as the teams began the first Grand Prix weekend at Magny-Cours. Most had tested there, but the heat still complicated their work. Ferrari‘s new 643 was a central attraction, offering greater stability than its predecessor. Footwork had a more basic challenge: its hastily converted Ford-powered cars had received little testing and immediately needed troubleshooting.
Friday Practice Classification
1991 French Grand Prix Practice, 5 July 1991
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna took provisional pole on Friday, ahead of Nigel Mansell and Jean Alesi. The hot conditions suited McLaren better than the cooler weather that followed, and Saturday would bring a substantial reshuffle at the front.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1991 French Grand Prix first qualifying session, 5 July 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Cooler conditions on Saturday brought a sharp improvement in lap times, with Riccardo Patrese again fastest and Alain Prost second. Familiarity with the new layout was also growing. The smooth surface suited some cars far better than the bumps of Mexico, notably the Leyton Houses, while Ferrari‘s improvement made the contest at the front more competitive than it had been in recent rounds.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 French Grand Prix Practice, 6 July 1991
Saturday Qualifying
Riccardo Patrese claimed his third consecutive pole with a 1:14.559, denying Alain Prost a home pole in the new Ferrari. Ayrton Senna spun on oil from Olivier Grouillard‘s car during his final attempt and remained third, alongside Nigel Mansell. Gerhard Berger and Jean Alesi shared the third row.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 French Grand Prix second qualifying session, 6 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 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:17.472 | 1:14.559 | 1:14.559 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:17.386 | 1:14.789 | 1:14.789 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:16.557 | 1:14.857 | 1:14.857 | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:17.095 | 1:14.895 | 1:14.895 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:18.087 | 1:15.376 | 1:15.376 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:17.303 | 1:15.877 | 1:15.877 | — |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:20.449 | 1:16.816 | 1:16.816 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:19.711 | 1:16.961 | 1:16.961 | — |
| 9 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:19.728 | 1:17.015 | 1:17.015 | — |
| 10 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:20.635 | 1:17.020 | 1:17.020 | — |
| 11 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:19.530 | 1:17.114 | 1:17.114 | — |
| 12 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:19.426 | 1:17.149 | 1:17.149 | — |
| 13 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:20.097 | 1:17.163 | 1:19.729 | — |
| 14 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:20.427 | 1:17.504 | 1:17.504 | — |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:19.555 | 1:17.533 | 1:17.533 | — |
| 16 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:19.187 | 1:17.775 | 1:17.775 | — |
| 17 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:22.277 | 1:17.836 | 1:17.836 | — |
| 18 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:21.020 | 1:18.144 | 1:18.144 | — |
| 19 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:20.374 | 1:18.150 | 1:20.309 | — |
| 20 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:21.230 | 1:18.185 | 1:18.185 | — |
| 21 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:20.640 | 1:18.210 | 1:20.227 | — |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:22.058 | 1:18.224 | 1:18.224 | — |
| 23 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:21.613 | 1:18.540 | 1:18.540 | — |
| 24 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:20.999 | 1:18.826 | 1:18.826 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:21.966 | 1:18.846 | 1:18.846 | — |
| 26 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:21.323 | 1:19.267 | 1:20.172 | — |
| 27 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:22.274 | 1:19.491 | 1:19.491 | — |
| 28 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:22.319 | 1:20.110 | 1:20.110 | — |
| 29 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:22.737 | 1:20.262 | 1:20.262 | — |
| 30 | 10 | Stefan Johansson | Footwork | 1:24.114 | 1:21.000 | 1:21.000 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost led the warm-up, with Nigel Mansell second and Thierry Boutsen an encouraging third for Ligier at its home venue. Ayrton Senna encountered engine trouble and chose the spare McLaren for the race. Ferrari could approach the start with renewed confidence, while McLaren had another late mechanical concern to resolve before trying to contain Williams.
Warm-up Classification
1991 French Grand Prix Warm-up, 7 July 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:19.014 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.358s | — |
| 3 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +0.579s | — |
| 4 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +0.753s | — |
| 5 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +1.060s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +1.333s | — |
| 7 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +2.062s | — |
| 8 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +2.086s | — |
| 9 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +2.156s | — |
| 10 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.194s | — |
| 11 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | +2.285s | — |
| 12 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +2.592s | — |
| 13 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +2.643s | — |
| 14 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.672s | — |
| 15 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +2.791s | — |
| 16 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +2.953s | — |
| 17 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +3.018s | — |
| 18 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +3.019s | — |
| 19 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +3.053s | — |
| 20 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +3.061s | — |
| 21 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +3.204s | — |
| 22 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +3.378s | — |
| 23 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +3.393s | — |
| 24 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +3.551s | — |
| 25 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +3.567s | — |
| 26 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +4.039s | — |
What happened in the 1991 French Grand Prix?
Riccardo Patrese‘s gearbox found neutral at the start, allowing Alain Prost to lead Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. Nigel Mansell stayed close and used traffic to make his first successful move for the lead. Behind them, Gerhard Berger retired with engine trouble while Riccardo Patrese began recovering through the field.
Ferrari‘s quicker tyre stop put Alain Prost back ahead, forcing Nigel Mansell to launch another pursuit. He closed the gap and again exploited traffic, this time passing around the outside at the hairpin. The second move proved decisive as the Williams pulled clear.
Nigel Mansell won ahead of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, with Jean Alesi fourth, Riccardo Patrese fifth and de Andrea de Cesaris sixth. It was a timely breakthrough for Nigel Mansell and a welcome home victory for Renault. Ferrari had also taken a clear step forward, even though Alain Prost had to settle for second.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 48 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 23. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 58, with Williams on 45.
1991 French Grand Prix race results
The 1991 French Grand Prix was held on 7 July 1991, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1991 French Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 49 | 1:19.168 |
| 2 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 49 | 1:19.944 |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 65 | 1:20.028 |
| 4 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 56 | 1:20.425 |
| 5 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 54 | 1:20.570 |
| 6 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 57 | 1:21.051 |
| 7 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 34 | 1:21.641 |
| 8 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 50 | 1:21.719 |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 64 | 1:21.873 |
| 10 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 26 | 1:21.916 |
| 11 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 42 | 1:22.133 |
| 12 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 53 | 1:22.309 |
| 13 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 30 | 1:22.837 |
| 14 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 47 | 1:23.201 |
| 15 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 26 | 1:23.282 |
| 16 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 6 | 1:23.297 |
| 17 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 24 | 1:23.448 |
| 18 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 48 | 1:23.480 |
| 19 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 7 | 1:23.623 |
| 20 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 16 | 1:23.636 |
| 21 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 5 | 1:23.687 |
| 22 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 36 | 1:23.693 |
| 23 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 32 | 1:23.748 |
| 24 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 16 | 1:24.369 |
| 25 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 12 | 1:24.420 |
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 French Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 58 |
| 2 | Williams | 45 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 25 |
| 4 | Benetton | 21 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 11 |
| 6 | Jordan | 9 |
| 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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