Nigel Mansell kept his championship hopes alive with victory at the 1991 Italian Grand Prix. Williams‘ pace ultimately overcame Ayrton Senna‘s determined defence at Monza, while Alain Prost brought Ferrari a home podium and Michael Schumacher scored his first points for Benetton.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 8 September 1991
Race start time: 15:00 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza
Laps: 53 laps
Circuit length: 5.800 km
1990 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:21.114 | |
| Fastest lap | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:26.061 on lap 41 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Third | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 6 September 1991 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 6 September 1991 | Practice 1 | 10:00 |
| 6 September 1991 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00 |
| 7 September 1991 | Practice 2 | 10:00 |
| 7 September 1991 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 8 September 1991 | Warm-up | 10:30 |
| 8 September 1991 | Race | 15:00 |
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 12 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 71 points, with Nigel Mansell on 49. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 99 points.
Race entries
Michael Schumacher moved from Jordan to Benetton after his impressive debut, with Roberto Moreno taking the opposite route amid a contractual dispute. Bartels returned to Lotus while Johnny Herbert raced in Japan. Nelson Piquet reached his 200th Grand Prix as Benetton began life with its new pairing.
Pre-qualifying
Mark Blundell and Martin Brundle again headed the session, with Olivier Grouillard and Michele Alboreto advancing. Gabriele Tarquini‘s new AGS failed almost immediately, forcing him back into the older car without success. Barbazza and Alex Caffi also missed out, while Chaves could not complete a timed lap after his engine failed to start.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:24.271 | — |
| 2 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:25.117 | +0.846 |
| 3 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:25.556 | +1.285 |
| 4 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:25.771 | +1.500 |
| 5 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:27.392 | +3.121 |
| 6 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:27.401 | +3.130 |
| 7 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Footwork | 1:27.608 | +3.337 |
| 8 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | — | — |
Friday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell led Friday practice as Williams evaluated a revised Renault engine, although braking problems complicated his day. The driver changes drew plenty of attention too: Michael Schumacher adapted quickly to the Benetton, and Roberto Moreno was immediately competitive in the Jordan. At a circuit where braking stability and straight-line speed mattered so much, both newcomers to their teams had little time to settle in.
Friday Practice Classification
1991 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 6 September 1991
Friday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna‘s Friday lap of 1:21.114 put him ahead of Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger. The leading McLarens and Williams cars were closely matched, leaving little margin for a mistake or an encounter with traffic.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1991 Italian Grand Prix first qualifying session, 6 September 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Riccardo Patrese headed Saturday practice, while Williams continued to work around gearbox concerns. Nigel Mansell eventually relied on the spare car, which did not carry the new Renault specification. Further down the field, repeated engine failures hampered Leyton House and Dallara, illustrating the demands of Monza‘s sustained full-throttle running. Finding speed was only part of the preparation for a race this punishing.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 Italian Grand Prix Practice, 7 September 1991
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna could not improve on Saturday, but his Friday time was enough for pole. Nigel Mansell secured second ahead of Gerhard Berger and Riccardo Patrese, with the four covered by a quarter of a second. Alain Prost and Jean Alesi shared row three, while Michael Schumacher qualified seventh, ahead of Nelson Piquet and Roberto Moreno.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 Italian Grand Prix second qualifying session, 7 September 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 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:21.114 | 1:21.245 | 1:21.114 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:21.328 | 1:21.247 | 1:21.247 | — |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:21.360 | 1:21.346 | 1:21.346 | — |
| 4 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:21.619 | 1:21.372 | 1:21.372 | — |
| 5 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:22.080 | 1:21.825 | 1:21.825 | — |
| 6 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:21.956 | 1:21.890 | 1:21.890 | — |
| 7 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 1:22.471 | 1:22.553 | 1:22.471 | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:23.176 | 1:22.726 | 1:22.726 | — |
| 9 | 32 | Roberto Moreno | Jordan | 1:23.102 | 1:23.447 | 1:23.102 | — |
| 10 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:23.294 | 1:23.789 | 1:23.294 | — |
| 11 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:23.473 | 1:24.400 | 1:24.271 | — |
| 12 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:23.674 | 1:24.755 | 1:23.674 | — |
| 13 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:24.457 | 1:23.701 | 1:23.701 | — |
| 14 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:24.060 | 1:23.921 | 1:23.921 | — |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:24.464 | 1:24.265 | 1:24.265 | — |
| 16 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:24.584 | 1:24.282 | 1:24.282 | — |
| 17 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:24.287 | 1:25.223 | 1:24.287 | — |
| 18 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:24.391 | 1:25.023 | 1:24.391 | — |
| 19 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:24.713 | 1:24.643 | 1:25.117 | — |
| 20 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:24.733 | 1:24.725 | 1:24.725 | — |
| 21 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:26.133 | 1:25.177 | 1:25.177 | — |
| 22 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:25.478 | 1:25.420 | 1:25.420 | — |
| 23 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 1:25.717 | 1:25.934 | 1:25.717 | — |
| 24 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:26.325 | 1:25.871 | 1:25.871 | — |
| 25 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:26.701 | 1:25.941 | 1:25.941 | — |
| 26 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:26.416 | 1:26.805 | 1:25.556 | — |
| 27 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:26.563 | 1:27.198 | 1:25.771 | — |
| 28 | 12 | Michael Bartels | Lotus | 1:27.169 | 1:26.829 | 1:26.829 | — |
| 29 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:27.110 | 1:27.099 | 1:27.099 | — |
| 30 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:27.257 | 8:14.470 | 1:27.257 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost set the fastest warm-up time under cloudy skies, with Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell close behind. Most Goodyear runners intended to complete the race without changing tyres, while Pirelli had brought a new specification. Those plans placed particular importance on the balance with race fuel aboard: a car that looked quick for one lap still had to protect its tyres through a long, uninterrupted stint.
Warm-up Classification
1991 Italian Grand Prix Warm-up, 8 September 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:25.957 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.235s | — |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.390s | — |
| 4 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.398s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +0.406s | — |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.607s | — |
| 7 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | +1.478s | — |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.584s | — |
| 9 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +1.638s | — |
| 10 | 32 | Roberto Moreno | Jordan | +1.655s | — |
| 11 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +1.880s | — |
| 12 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +1.936s | — |
| 13 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +2.143s | — |
| 14 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.168s | — |
| 15 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +2.213s | — |
| 16 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +2.265s | — |
| 17 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +2.392s | — |
| 18 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.426s | — |
| 19 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.777s | — |
| 20 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.816s | — |
| 21 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +2.957s | — |
| 22 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +3.205s | — |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.269s | — |
| 24 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | +3.988s | — |
| 25 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +5.170s | — |
| 26 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | +8.310s | — |
What happened in the 1991 Italian Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led away as the two Williams cars began their pursuit. Riccardo Patrese passed Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell, then took the lead from Ayrton Senna at Ascari. His challenge ended almost immediately afterwards with gearbox failure, leaving Nigel Mansell to continue the attack.
Nigel Mansell eventually passed Ayrton Senna under braking at Ascari and pulled clear. Ayrton Senna stopped for fresh tyres, rejoined fifth and fought back past Michael Schumacher, Gerhard Berger and Alain Prost. That recovery limited the damage to his championship lead, but the victory was now beyond reach.
Nigel Mansell won from Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost, with Gerhard Berger fourth, Michael Schumacher fifth and Nelson Piquet sixth. Jean Alesi had retired with engine trouble, denying Ferrari a double finish at home. With four rounds remaining, Nigel Mansell still trailed by 18 points, but he had demonstrated that Williams could beat McLaren in a direct contest.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 77 points, followed by Nigel Mansell on 59. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 108, with Williams on 93.
1991 Italian Grand Prix race results
The 1991 Italian Grand Prix was held on 8 September 1991, with a scheduled start of 15:00 local time.
1991 Italian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 41 | 1:26.061 |
| 2 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 39 | 1:26.437 |
| 3 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 52 | 1:26.590 |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 47 | 1:26.828 |
| 5 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 51 | 1:26.870 |
| 6 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 51 | 1:27.152 |
| 7 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 40 | 1:27.247 |
| 8 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 28 | 1:27.300 |
| 9 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 43 | 1:27.465 |
| 10 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 43 | 1:27.472 |
| 11 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 25 | 1:27.552 |
| 12 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 37 | 1:27.905 |
| 13 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 30 | 1:28.264 |
| 14 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 43 | 1:28.413 |
| 15 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 27 | 1:28.455 |
| 16 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 45 | 1:28.644 |
| 17 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 6 | 1:28.893 |
| 18 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 36 | 1:29.354 |
| 19 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 28 | 1:29.568 |
| 20 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 41 | 1:29.726 |
| 21 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 12 | 1:29.901 |
| 22 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 19 | 1:30.140 |
| 23 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 17 | 1:30.326 |
| 24 | 32 | Roberto Moreno | Jordan | 2 | 1:32.238 |
| 25 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 5 | 1:33.025 |
| 26 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1 | 1:45.997 |
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 Italian Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 108 |
| 2 | Williams | 93 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 39 |
| 4 | Benetton | 33 |
| 5 | Jordan | 13 |
| 6 | Tyrrell | 11 |
| 7 | Dallara | 5 |
| 8 | Minardi | 3 |
| 9 | Lotus | 3 |
| 10 | Lola | 2 |
| 11 | Leyton House | 1 |
| 12 | Brabham | 1 |
| 13 | Ligier | 0 |
| 14 | Lamborghini | 0 |
| 15 | AGS | 0 |
| 16 | Fondmetal | 0 |
| 17 | Footwork | 0 |
1991 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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