Ayrton Senna made it four wins from four at the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix, controlling the race while his pursuers ran into trouble. Nigel Mansell opened his points account with second place, and Jean Alesi completed the podium for Ferrari.
Race Guide
Season: 1991 F1 World Championship
Race date: 12 May 1991
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78 laps
Circuit length: 3.328 km
1990 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Pole time | 1:20.344 | |
| Fastest lap | Alain Prost | Ferrari |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:24.368 on lap 77 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Third | Jean Alesi | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 9 May 1991 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 9 May 1991 | Practice 1 | 10:00 |
| 9 May 1991 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00 |
| 11 May 1991 | Practice 2 | 10:00 |
| 11 May 1991 | Qualifying 2 | 13:00 |
| 12 May 1991 | Warm-up | 11:00 |
| 12 May 1991 | Race | 15:30 |
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 4 leading the 1991 F1 World Championship on 30 points, with Gerhard Berger on 10. McLaren headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 40 points.
Race entries
The teams retained their Imola line-ups, but the weekend soon reduced the field. Martin Brundle was excluded after missing a weighbridge signal, and Alex Caffi withdrew following a heavy Saturday practice accident.
Pre-qualifying
Lehto, de Andrea de Cesaris, Emanuele Pirro and Bertrand Gachot secured the four available places. Their early running also gave them useful knowledge of a street circuit where there had been no pre-race testing. Nicola Larini, van de Eric van de Poele, Chaves and Olivier Grouillard failed to advance.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:23.260 | — |
| 2 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:23.538 | +0.278 |
| 3 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:24.421 | +1.161 |
| 4 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:24.802 | +1.542 |
| 5 | 34 | Nicola Larini | Lamborghini | 1:25.893 | +2.633 |
| 6 | 35 | Eric van de Poele | Lamborghini | 1:26.282 | +3.022 |
| 7 | 31 | Pedro Chaves | Coloni | 1:27.389 | +4.129 |
| 8 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard | Fondmetal | 1:27.759 | +4.499 |
Thursday Free Practice
Gerhard Berger set the Thursday morning pace, ahead of Ayrton Senna and Roberto Moreno, as the drivers reacquainted themselves with Monaco’s narrow streets. The preliminary runners had already gained valuable track experience, and Lehto looked particularly confident. Martin Brundle‘s failure to stop for a weighbridge check ended his weekend, a costly reminder that a procedural mistake could be every bit as decisive as contact with the barriers.
Thursday Practice Classification
1991 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, 9 May 1991
Thursday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna led Thursday qualifying with a 1:20.508, ahead of Gerhard Berger and Riccardo Patrese. McLaren looked strong, but Monaco offered opportunities for a well-balanced car to upset the usual order, and Tyrrell was preparing just such a challenge.
Thursday Qualifying Classification
1991 Monaco Grand Prix first qualifying session, 9 May 1991
Saturday Free Practice
Ayrton Senna was quickest on Saturday morning, but even he clipped a barrier hard enough to disturb his left-rear wheel alignment. Alex Caffi suffered a much more serious accident near the swimming pool, wrecking his Footwork and ending his participation despite escaping serious injury. Riccardo Patrese and Gerhard Berger followed Ayrton Senna on the timesheets as the leading teams balanced speed against the unforgiving confines of the circuit.
Saturday Practice Classification
1991 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, 11 May 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:21.856 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.109s | — |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.320s | — |
| 4 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +0.863s | — |
| 5 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +0.934s | — |
| 6 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.341s | — |
| 7 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +1.374s | — |
| 8 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | +1.400s | — |
| 9 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +1.403s | — |
| 10 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +1.428s | — |
| 11 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +1.534s | — |
| 12 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +1.661s | — |
| 13 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +1.990s | — |
| 14 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +2.273s | — |
| 15 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +2.579s | — |
| 16 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +2.592s | — |
| 17 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +2.791s | — |
| 18 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +3.060s | — |
| 19 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +3.478s | — |
| 20 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +3.484s | — |
| 21 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +3.595s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +3.788s | — |
| 23 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +3.849s | — |
| 24 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +4.680s | — |
| 25 | 12 | Julian Bailey | Lotus | +4.720s | — |
| 26 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +4.839s | — |
| 27 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +5.477s | — |
| 28 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | +6.189s | — |
| 29 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Footwork | +6.547s | — |
Saturday Qualifying
Ayrton Senna improved to 1:20.344 on Saturday to retain pole. Stefano Modena delivered an outstanding lap to put Tyrrell second, ahead of Riccardo Patrese, Nelson Piquet, Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger. The front-row performance gave Stefano Modena a genuine chance to shape the race, even if matching Ayrton Senna over the full distance would be a formidable task.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1991 Monaco Grand Prix second qualifying session, 11 May 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:20.344 | — |
| 2 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:20.809 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:20.973 | — |
| 4 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:21.159 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:21.205 | — |
| 6 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:21.455 | — |
| 7 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:21.583 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:21.804 | — |
| 9 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:21.910 | — |
| 10 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:22.764 | — |
| 11 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:22.972 | — |
| 12 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:23.022 | — |
| 13 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:23.064 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:23.394 | — |
| 15 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:23.431 | — |
| 16 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:23.584 | — |
| 17 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:23.642 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 1:23.893 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:23.898 | — |
| 20 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:23.909 | — |
| 21 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 1:24.079 | — |
| 22 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:24.109 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 1:24.151 | — |
| 24 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:24.208 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:24.606 | — |
| 26 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 1:24.829 | — |
| 27 | 12 | Julian Bailey | Lotus | 1:26.995 | — |
| 28 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:27.079 | — |
Combined Qualifying Classification
Each driver’s faster time from the two qualifying sessions determined the overall order.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Thursday Time | Saturday Time | Best Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:20.508 | 1:20.344 | 1:20.344 | — |
| 2 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 1:23.442 | 1:20.809 | 1:20.809 | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:22.057 | 1:20.973 | 1:20.973 | — |
| 4 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | 1:22.816 | 1:21.159 | 1:21.159 | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:23.274 | 1:21.205 | 1:21.205 | — |
| 6 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:21.222 | 1:21.583 | 1:21.222 | — |
| 7 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:22.113 | 1:21.455 | 1:21.455 | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 1:23.476 | 1:21.804 | 1:21.804 | — |
| 9 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:22.966 | 1:21.910 | 1:21.910 | — |
| 10 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 1:24.257 | 1:22.764 | 1:23.538 | — |
| 11 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 1:24.435 | 1:22.972 | 1:22.972 | — |
| 12 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 1:23.311 | 1:23.022 | 1:24.421 | — |
| 13 | 22 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:23.023 | 1:23.893 | 1:23.260 | — |
| 14 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 1:24.101 | 1:23.064 | 1:23.064 | — |
| 15 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | Leyton House | 1:24.920 | 1:23.394 | 1:23.394 | — |
| 16 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:24.728 | 1:23.431 | 1:23.431 | — |
| 17 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:24.481 | 1:23.584 | 1:23.584 | — |
| 18 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 1:25.040 | 1:23.642 | 1:23.642 | — |
| 19 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 1:26.380 | 1:23.898 | 1:23.898 | — |
| 20 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 1:25.078 | 1:23.909 | 1:23.909 | — |
| 21 | 29 | Éric Bernard | Lola | 1:25.370 | 1:24.079 | 1:24.079 | — |
| 22 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 1:25.500 | 1:24.109 | 1:24.109 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:24.747 | 1:24.151 | 1:24.151 | — |
| 24 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 1:24.540 | 1:24.208 | 1:24.802 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:27.843 | 1:24.606 | 1:24.606 | — |
| 26 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:24.868 | 1:24.829 | 1:24.829 | — |
| 27 | 12 | Julian Bailey | Lotus | 1:28.772 | 1:26.995 | 1:26.995 | — |
| 28 | 18 | Fabrizio Barbazza | AGS | 1:28.060 | 1:27.079 | 1:27.079 | — |
| 29 | 10 | Alex Caffi | Footwork | no time | no time | — | — |
| EX | 7 | Martin Brundle | Brabham | 1:24.840 | — | 1:24.840 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Alain Prost headed the warm-up, giving Ferrari an encouraging final run. Ayrton Senna‘s morning was less straightforward: concern over his engine prompted McLaren to prepare the spare car for the race while changing the engine in his original chassis. The team reproduced his settings in the replacement, ensuring that the late switch did not undo the work of the preceding sessions.
Warm-up Classification
1991 Monaco Grand Prix Warm-up, 12 May 1991
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 1:23.887 | — |
| 2 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +0.425s | — |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.953s | — |
| 4 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.763s | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.866s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton | +2.074s | — |
| 7 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +2.320s | — |
| 8 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | +2.449s | — |
| 9 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | +2.538s | — |
| 10 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | +2.806s | — |
| 11 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.879s | — |
| 12 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +3.142s | — |
| 13 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | +3.382s | — |
| 14 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +3.478s | — |
| 15 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | +3.572s | — |
| 16 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | +4.219s | — |
| 17 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +4.252s | — |
| 18 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | +4.268s | — |
| 19 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | +4.421s | — |
| 20 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | +4.433s | — |
| 21 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | +4.500s | — |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | +4.600s | — |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | +4.940s | — |
| 24 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +5.454s | — |
| 25 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | +6.080s | — |
| 26 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +9.723s | — |
What happened in the 1991 Monaco Grand Prix?
Ayrton Senna led from the start, with Stefano Modena holding second and Riccardo Patrese following. Gerhard Berger‘s attempt to make progress ended in contact with Nelson Piquet. Up front, Ayrton Senna steadily opened a gap while Stefano Modena concentrated on keeping Riccardo Patrese behind him.
Stefano Modena‘s engine failed in the tunnel, and Riccardo Patrese crashed on the oil, removing both of Ayrton Senna‘s closest pursuers. Alain Prost subsequently lost time with a tyre problem, while Nigel Mansell fought his way forward and passed the Ferrari at the chicane. The Williams driver finally had a strong result within reach after three frustrating races.
Ayrton Senna completed another controlled victory, with Nigel Mansell second and Jean Alesi third. Roberto Moreno finished fourth, Alain Prost recovered to fifth and Emanuele Pirro took the final point. Four rounds into the season, Ayrton Senna had collected every available victory and established a commanding championship lead.
After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 40 points, followed by Alain Prost on 11. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 50, with Ferrari on 16.
1991 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 1991 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 12 May 1991, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
1991 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 77 | 1:24.368 |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 53 | 1:24.850 |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 34 | 1:25.147 |
| 4 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 6 | 1:25.228 |
| 5 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 32 | 1:25.250 |
| 6 | 4 | Stefano Modena | Tyrrell | 34 | 1:25.629 |
| 7 | 19 | Roberto Moreno | Benetton | 31 | 1:25.823 |
| 8 | 28 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 51 | 1:26.055 |
| 9 | 33 | Andrea de Cesaris | Jordan | 10 | 1:26.257 |
| 10 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 64 | 1:26.627 |
| 11 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro | Dallara | 52 | 1:26.924 |
| 12 | 32 | Bertrand Gachot | Jordan | 64 | 1:27.163 |
| 13 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 40 | 1:27.304 |
| 14 | 22 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 41 | 1:27.541 |
| 15 | 29 | Eric Bernard | Lola | 64 | 1:27.624 |
| 16 | 8 | Mark Blundell | Brabham | 33 | 1:27.641 |
| 17 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima | Tyrrell | 11 | 1:27.740 |
| 18 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi | 49 | 1:27.740 |
| 19 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 71 | 1:27.787 |
| 20 | 15 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Leyton House | 37 | 1:28.012 |
| 21 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 41 | 1:28.648 |
| 22 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola | 6 | 1:28.661 |
| 23 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | Leyton House | 4 | 1:28.803 |
| 24 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS | 7 | 1:29.711 |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 6 | 1:30.366 |
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 Monaco Grand Prix.
1991 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 40 |
| 2 | Alain Prost | French | Ferrari | 11 |
| 3 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | McLaren | 10 |
| 4 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 6 |
| 5 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 6 |
| 6 | Nelson Piquet | Brazilian | Benetton | 6 |
| 7 | Jean Alesi | French | Ferrari | 5 |
| 8 | JJ Lehto | Finnish | Dallara | 4 |
| 9 | Roberto Moreno | Brazilian | Benetton | 3 |
| 10 | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Minardi | 3 |
| 11 | Stefano Modena | Italian | Tyrrell | 3 |
| 12 | Mika Häkkinen | Finnish | Lotus | 2 |
| 13 | Satoru Nakajima | Japanese | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 14 | Emanuele Pirro | Italian | Dallara | 1 |
| 15 | Aguri Suzuki | Japanese | Lola / Lola | 1 |
| 16 | Julian Bailey | British | Lotus | 1 |
| – | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Nicola Larini | Italian | Lamborghini | 0 |
| – | Bertrand Gachot | Belgian | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Gianni Morbidelli | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Mark Blundell | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | AGS | 0 |
| – | Éric Bernard | French | Lola / Lola | 0 |
| – | Eric van de Poele | Belgian | Lamborghini | 0 |
| – | Érik Comas | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | Leyton House | 0 |
| – | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Footwork | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | Leyton House | 0 |
1991 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren | 50 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 16 |
| 3 | Williams | 12 |
| 4 | Benetton | 9 |
| 5 | Dallara | 5 |
| 6 | Tyrrell | 5 |
| 7 | Minardi | 3 |
| 8 | Lotus | 3 |
| 9 | Lola | 1 |
| 10 | Ligier | 0 |
| 11 | Lamborghini | 0 |
| 12 | Jordan | 0 |
| 13 | Brabham | 0 |
| 14 | AGS | 0 |
| 15 | Leyton House | 0 |
| 16 | Footwork | 0 |
1991 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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