Riccardo Patrese delivered Williams‘ first victory of the season at the 1991 Mexican Grand Prix. A forceful recovery from a poor start put him ahead of Nigel Mansell, who charged back late on to complete a one-two finish, with Ayrton Senna a distant third.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 16 June 1991
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-06:00)
Circuit: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Laps: 67 laps (69 laps scheduled)
Circuit length: 4.421 km
1990 winner: Alain Prost
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:16.696 | |
| Fastest lap | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:16.788 on lap 61 | |
| First | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Second | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Third | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 14 June 1991 | Pre-qualifying | Start time unconfirmed |
| 14 June 1991 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 14 June 1991 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 15 June 1991 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 15 June 1991 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 16 June 1991 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 16 June 1991 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
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 6 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 40 points, with Nelson Piquet on 16. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 50 points.
Race entries
The driver line-ups were unchanged, with Stefan Johansson continuing to deputise for the injured Alex Caffi at Footwork. Ayrton Senna arrived recovering from a jet-ski accident, adding an uncomfortable personal complication to McLaren‘s efforts to counter Williams‘ growing speed.
Pre-qualifying
Lehto headed pre-qualifying, and Olivier Grouillard progressed for the first time that season. Nicola Larini initially made the cut but was excluded because his rear wing was too high. That allowed both Jordans through, with de Andrea de Cesaris third and Bertrand Gachot fourth. Van de Eric van de Poele, Chaves and Emanuele Pirro also missed out.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:28.381 | — |
| 2 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:28.959 | +0.578 |
| 3 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:29.545 | +1.164 |
| 4 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:30.599 | +2.218 |
| 5 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:30.655 | +2.274 |
| 6 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | 1:37.144 | +8.763 |
| 7 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:40.164 | +11.783 |
| EX | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | — | — |
Friday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna led Friday practice ahead of the Williams pair, but the circuit’s altitude and bumps made this a demanding venue for every engine and chassis. McLaren was seeking more power without sacrificing reliability, while Ferrari‘s stiff suspension complicated its search for grip on the uneven surface. The morning offered Ayrton Senna encouragement before a much more alarming qualifying session.
Friday Practice Classification
1991 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 14 June 1991
Friday Qualifying
Riccardo Patrese set the decisive time on Friday, a 1:16.696 ahead of Nigel Mansell and Ayrton Senna. The session was overshadowed by major accidents at Peraltada: Bertrand Gachot crashed, and Ayrton Senna subsequently rolled his McLaren into the barriers. Ayrton Senna escaped without injury.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1991 Mexican Grand Prix first qualifying session, 14 June 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell set a commanding Saturday practice time, more than two seconds clear of Stefano Modena. Teams were still dealing with Friday’s damage, including the heavily crashed McLaren and Jordan, while Footwork continued to suffer Porsche engine failures. The altitude magnified differences in performance, and Williams‘ pace suggested that its advantage was more substantial than a single quick qualifying lap.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 15 June 1991
Saturday Qualifying
Rain affected Saturday’s qualifying and Riccardo Patrese‘s Friday time remained unbeaten, securing another all-Williams front row. Ayrton Senna retained third, with Jean Alesi fourth and Gerhard Berger fifth. Olivier Grouillard delivered a standout performance for Fondmetal by qualifying tenth, an excellent reward after finally escaping pre-qualifying.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 Mexican Grand Prix second qualifying session, 15 June 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 | 1:16.696 | 1:17.192 | 1:16.696 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:16.978 | 1:18.346 | 1:16.978 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:17.264 | 1:18.711 | 1:17.264 | — |
| 4 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:18.129 | 1:19.581 | 1:18.129 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:18.156 | 1:18.980 | 1:18.156 | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:18.168 | 1:19.117 | 1:18.168 | — |
| 7 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:18.183 | 1:20.778 | 1:18.183 | — |
| 8 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:18.911 | 1:18.216 | 1:18.216 | — |
| 9 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:18.589 | 1:18.375 | 1:18.375 | — |
| 10 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:18.453 | 1:20.560 | 1:28.959 | — |
| 11 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:20.053 | 1:18.935 | 1:29.545 | — |
| 12 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:19.064 | 9:28.503 | 1:19.064 | — |
| 13 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:19.971 | 1:19.092 | 1:19.092 | — |
| 14 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:20.978 | 1:19.201 | 1:19.201 | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:19.215 | 1:19.878 | 1:19.215 | — |
| 16 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:19.291 | 1:20.029 | 1:28.381 | — |
| 17 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:20.378 | 1:19.647 | 1:19.647 | — |
| 18 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:20.442 | 1:19.785 | 1:19.785 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:21.737 | 1:20.049 | 1:20.049 | — |
| 20 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:20.050 | 1:20.551 | 1:30.599 | — |
| 21 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:20.200 | 1:20.535 | 1:20.200 | — |
| 22 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:20.252 | 1:21.053 | 1:20.252 | — |
| 23 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:21.257 | 1:20.322 | 1:20.322 | — |
| 24 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:20.823 | 1:22.072 | 1:20.823 | — |
| 25 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:20.830 | 1:22.964 | 1:20.830 | — |
| 26 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:21.429 | 1:21.178 | 1:21.178 | — |
| 27 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:21.737 | 1:21.225 | 1:21.225 | — |
| 28 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:22.258 | 1:22.398 | 1:22.258 | — |
| 29 | 10 | Stefan Johansson | Footwork | 1:22.938 | 1:22.598 | 1:22.598 | — |
| 30 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:22.899 | 1:23.920 | 1:22.899 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Riccardo Patrese headed the warm-up, but Jean Alesi suffered a heavy accident that damaged the front of his Ferrari and left him with a painful knee. He was able to race. For the leading teams, the final preparations also involved choosing tyres capable of lasting the distance, with Goodyear’s runners planning to avoid a stop if wear allowed.
Warm-up Classification
1991 Mexican Grand Prix Warm-up, 16 June 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:19.755 | — |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +0.467s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.964s | — |
| 4 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.091s | — |
| 5 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +1.279s | — |
| 6 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +1.799s | — |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.902s | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +1.907s | — |
| 9 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.931s | — |
| 10 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +1.931s | — |
| 11 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +2.236s | — |
| 12 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | +2.302s | — |
| 13 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.574s | — |
| 14 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +2.649s | — |
| 15 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +2.780s | — |
| 16 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +2.792s | — |
| 17 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +2.809s | — |
| 18 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.860s | — |
| 19 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +2.962s | — |
| 20 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +3.053s | — |
| 21 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +3.124s | — |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.185s | — |
| 23 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +3.412s | — |
| 24 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +3.730s | — |
| 25 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | +3.924s | — |
| 26 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +4.417s | — |
What happened in the 1991 Mexican Grand Prix?
Two aborted starts reduced the race from 69 laps to 67. When it finally began, Nigel Mansell led while Riccardo Patrese slipped to fourth. Riccardo Patrese recovered past Jean Alesi and Ayrton Senna, then overtook Nigel Mansell as his team-mate managed rising engine temperatures.
Riccardo Patrese built a substantial lead, but Nigel Mansell‘s temperatures eventually settled and he began a determined pursuit. Behind them, Ferrari lost both cars, while Nelson Piquet retired with a wheel-bearing problem. De Andrea de Cesaris continued Jordan‘s encouraging run near the front.
Nigel Mansell closed the gap to just 1.3 seconds, but Riccardo Patrese held on to win. Ayrton Senna finished third, followed by de Andrea de Cesaris, Roberto Moreno and Éric Eric Bernard. Williams finally had a result to match its speed, while Eric Bernard secured what would prove to be Lola‘s final Formula 1 point.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 44 points, followed by Riccardo Patrese on 20. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 54, with Williams on 33.
1991 Mexican Grand Prix race results
The 1991 Mexican Grand Prix was held on 16 June 1991, with a scheduled start of Start time unconfirmed local time.
1991 Mexican Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 61 | 1:16.788 |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 67 | 1:17.299 |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 52 | 1:18.570 |
| 4 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 49 | 1:19.109 |
| 5 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 47 | 1:19.510 |
| 6 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 56 | 1:19.648 |
| 7 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 55 | 1:19.718 |
| 8 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 42 | 1:19.744 |
| 9 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 50 | 1:19.920 |
| 10 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 64 | 1:19.953 |
| 11 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 37 | 1:20.129 |
| 12 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 56 | 1:20.411 |
| 13 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 63 | 1:20.446 |
| 14 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 61 | 1:20.472 |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 58 | 1:20.613 |
| 16 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 46 | 1:20.622 |
| 17 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 29 | 1:20.982 |
| 18 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 46 | 1:21.105 |
| 19 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 13 | 1:21.266 |
| 20 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 21 | 1:22.269 |
| 21 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 16 | 1:22.487 |
| 22 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 10 | 1:23.300 |
| 23 | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 16 | 1:23.323 |
| 24 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 4 | 1:23.948 |
| 25 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 4 | 1:24.014 |
| 26 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 7 | 1:24.895 |
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 Mexican Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 54 |
| 2 | Williams | 33 |
| 3 | Benetton | 21 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 16 |
| 5 | Tyrrell | 11 |
| 6 | Jordan | 8 |
| 7 | Dallara | 5 |
| 8 | Minardi | 3 |
| 9 | Lotus | 3 |
| 10 | Lola | 2 |
| 11 | Ligier | 0 |
| 12 | Lamborghini | 0 |
| 13 | Brabham | 0 |
| 14 | AGS | 0 |
| 15 | Leyton House | 0 |
| 16 | Footwork | 0 |
| 17 | Fondmetal | 0 |
1991 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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