Nigel Mansell made it three consecutive victories at the 1991 German Grand Prix, leading Riccardo Patrese home in another Williams one-two. Jean Alesi completed the podium as Ayrton Senna again ran out of fuel late on, leaving the championship battle increasingly finely balanced.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 28 July 1991
Race start time: 14:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Hockenheimring
Laps: 45 laps
Circuit length: 6.802 km
1990 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:37.087 | |
| Fastest lap | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:43.569 on lap 35 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Third | Jean Alesi | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 26 July 1991 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 26 July 1991 | Practice 1 | 10:00 |
| 26 July 1991 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00 |
| 27 July 1991 | Practice 2 | 10:00 |
| 27 July 1991 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 28 July 1991 | Warm-up | 09:30 |
| 28 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 9 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 51 points, with Nigel Mansell on 33. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 67 points.
Race entries
Michael Bartels made his Formula 1 debut for Lotus while Johnny Herbert fulfilled his Japanese Formula 3000 commitments. Alex Caffi returned to Footwork after his injury lay-off. Ayrton Senna also arrived following a major testing accident at Hockenheim, having escaped with bruising after a tyre failure sent his McLaren into a series of rolls.
Pre-qualifying
The mid-season reshuffle brought Brabham, AGS and Footwork into pre-qualifying, alongside Fondmetal and Coloni. Jordan, Dallara and Stefano Modena moved out; Nicola Larini‘s seventh place in Phoenix had proved decisive for Stefano Modena. Martin Brundle, Gabriele Tarquini, Michele Alboreto and Mark Blundell advanced here, while Olivier Grouillard, Alex Caffi, Barbazza and Chaves were eliminated.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:42.810 | — |
| 2 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:43.939 | +1.129 |
| 3 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:44.034 | +1.224 |
| 4 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:44.257 | +1.447 |
| 5 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:44.645 | +1.835 |
| 6 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Footwork | 1:45.282 | +2.472 |
| 7 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:46.604 | +3.794 |
| 8 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | 1:47.546 | +4.736 |
Friday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell led Friday practice ahead of Riccardo Patrese as Williams immediately exploited Hockenheim’s long straights. Footwork endured a particularly difficult morning: Michele Alboreto tried three cars and was stopped by two transmission failures and a puncture. With outright power so important here, the gap between the leading packages and the struggling teams was becoming especially stark.
Friday Practice Classification
1991 German Grand Prix Practice, 26 July 1991
Friday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell took provisional pole on Friday, ahead of Gerhard Berger and Riccardo Patrese. Williams and McLaren were in a contest of their own, with Ferrari unable to match the leading quartet’s pace on the long straights.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1991 German Grand Prix first qualifying session, 26 July 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell went faster still on Saturday morning, setting a time that would even beat his eventual pole lap. The session also brought a frightening accident for Erik Comas, whose Ligier overturned at the Ostkurve chicane. He escaped injury, but the crash intensified concern over the tyre barriers and the risk of a car being launched into the air.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 German Grand Prix Practice, 27 July 1991
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell improved to 1:37.087 on Saturday, beating Ayrton Senna by 0.187 seconds. Gerhard Berger and Riccardo Patrese completed the first two rows, all four covered by less than half a second. Alain Prost and Jean Alesi followed, while de Andrea de Cesaris again impressed as the best of the midfield in seventh.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 German Grand Prix second qualifying session, 27 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 | 1:37.467 | 1:37.087 | 1:37.087 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:38.208 | 1:37.274 | 1:37.274 | — |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:37.946 | 1:37.393 | 1:37.393 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:38.146 | 1:37.435 | 1:37.435 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:39.422 | 1:39.034 | 1:39.034 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:39.391 | 1:39.042 | 1:39.042 | — |
| 7 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:40.387 | 1:40.239 | 1:40.239 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:40.560 | 1:40.878 | 1:40.560 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:41.968 | 1:40.957 | 1:40.957 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:40.998 | 1:41.373 | 1:40.998 | — |
| 11 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:41.443 | 1:41.308 | 1:41.308 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:42.025 | 1:41.330 | 1:41.330 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:41.515 | 1:41.390 | 1:41.390 | — |
| 14 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:41.566 | 1:41.952 | 1:41.566 | — |
| 15 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:42.294 | 1:41.615 | 1:42.810 | — |
| 16 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | no time | 1:41.735 | 1:41.735 | — |
| 17 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:41.823 | 1:41.929 | 1:41.823 | — |
| 18 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:42.021 | 1:42.672 | 1:42.021 | — |
| 19 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:42.132 | 1:42.058 | 1:42.058 | — |
| 20 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:42.171 | 1:42.708 | 1:42.171 | — |
| 21 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:43.414 | 1:42.216 | 1:44.257 | — |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:45.037 | 1:42.474 | 1:42.474 | — |
| 23 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:44.816 | 1:42.726 | 1:42.726 | — |
| 24 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 1:44.596 | 1:43.035 | 1:43.035 | — |
| 25 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:43.797 | 1:43.321 | 1:43.321 | — |
| 26 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:43.803 | 1:43.364 | 1:43.364 | — |
| 27 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:44.362 | 1:43.409 | 1:44.034 | — |
| 28 | 12 | Michael Bartels | Lotus | 1:46.409 | 1:43.624 | 1:43.624 | — |
| 29 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:43.787 | 1:43.918 | 1:43.939 | — |
| 30 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:44.489 | 1:44.207 | 1:44.207 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Nigel Mansell headed the warm-up ahead of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna as the teams prepared for a hot race. Tyre stops promised to be significant with the leading cars so closely matched. Safety discussions also continued before the start, and the chicane tyre barriers were replaced with traffic cones following the drivers’ debate about the danger highlighted by Erik Comas‘ accident.
Warm-up Classification
1991 German Grand Prix Warm-up, 28 July 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:43.885 | — |
| 2 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +0.673s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.862s | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.929s | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.019s | — |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +1.224s | — |
| 7 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +2.535s | — |
| 8 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +2.664s | — |
| 9 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +3.146s | — |
| 10 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.464s | — |
| 11 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +3.497s | — |
| 12 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +3.622s | — |
| 13 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +3.706s | — |
| 14 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +4.020s | — |
| 15 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +4.031s | — |
| 16 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +4.169s | — |
| 17 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +4.181s | — |
| 18 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +4.190s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.246s | — |
| 20 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +4.255s | — |
| 21 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +5.092s | — |
| 22 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | +5.334s | — |
| 23 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +6.248s | — |
| 24 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +6.259s | — |
| 25 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +9.026s | — |
What happened in the 1991 German Grand Prix?
Nigel Mansell led away, with Gerhard Berger initially moving ahead of Ayrton Senna. A slow tyre stop dropped Gerhard Berger back, while Nigel Mansell maintained control through his own stop and soon reclaimed the lead from the non-stopping Jean Alesi.
Riccardo Patrese worked past the cars ahead to secure second. Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost fought fiercely behind him until Alain Prost ran off while attempting to pass at the first chicane and stalled. Their disagreement continued after the race, adding another contentious episode to their rivalry.
Nigel Mansell won from Riccardo Patrese and Jean Alesi. Ayrton Senna ran out of fuel on the final lap for the second successive race and was classified seventh, allowing Gerhard Berger, de Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot to complete the points. Nigel Mansell‘s third straight win cut his deficit to just eight points.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 51 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 43. Williams led the constructors’ table on 71, with McLaren on 70.
1991 German Grand Prix race results
The 1991 German Grand Prix was held on 28 July 1991, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.
1991 German Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 35 | 1:43.569 |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 34 | 1:43.745 |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 43 | 1:43.970 |
| 4 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 35 | 1:44.059 |
| 5 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 43 | 1:44.213 |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 35 | 1:44.395 |
| 7 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 39 | 1:44.991 |
| 8 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 25 | 1:45.403 |
| 9 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 31 | 1:46.067 |
| 10 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 41 | 1:46.264 |
| 11 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 32 | 1:46.387 |
| 12 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 41 | 1:46.549 |
| 13 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 20 | 1:46.680 |
| 14 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 42 | 1:46.964 |
| 15 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 35 | 1:47.032 |
| 16 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 34 | 1:47.097 |
| 17 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 23 | 1:47.266 |
| 18 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 20 | 1:47.516 |
| 19 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 11 | 1:48.431 |
| 20 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 19 | 1:49.125 |
| 21 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 20 | 1:49.307 |
| 22 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 13 | 1:49.359 |
| 23 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 11 | 1:49.723 |
| 24 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 17 | 1:49.790 |
| 25 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 4 | 1:50.573 |
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 German Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams | 71 |
| 2 | McLaren | 70 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 33 |
| 4 | Benetton | 23 |
| 5 | Jordan | 13 |
| 6 | Tyrrell | 11 |
| 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
Seen in:
