Nigel Mansell made it two wins from two at the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix, leading another Williams one-two at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Riccardo Patrese pushed him hard, while Michael Schumacher celebrated his first Formula 1 podium for Benetton.
Race Guide
Season: 1992 F1 World Championship
Race date: 22 March 1992
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC-06:00)
Circuit: Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez
Laps: 69 laps
Circuit length: 4.421 km
1991 winner: Riccardo Patrese
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:16.346 | |
| Fastest lap | Gerhard Berger | McLaren |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:17.711 on lap 60 | |
| First | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Second | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
| Third | Michael Schumacher | Benetton |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 20 March 1992 | Pre-qualifying | Cancelled |
| 20 March 1992 | Practice 1 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 20 March 1992 | Qualifying 1 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 21 March 1992 | Practice 2 | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 21 March 1992 | Qualifying 2 | Afternoon; start time unconfirmed |
| 22 March 1992 | Warm-up | Morning; start time unconfirmed |
| 22 March 1992 | Race | Start time unconfirmed |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Nigel Mansell arrived at round 2 leading the 1992 F1 World Championship on 10 points, with Riccardo Patrese on 6. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 16 points.
Race entries
The established teams retained their line-ups, but Andrea Moda withdrew before running because its new cars were not ready. The remaining 30 drivers therefore contested the weekend without a preliminary elimination session.
Pre-qualifying
Andrea Moda‘s withdrawal made pre-qualifying unnecessary. The four other drivers assigned to the session advanced automatically, leaving the main qualifying sessions to decide which 26 cars would start.
Friday Free Practice
The circuit’s bumps were an immediate challenge on Friday, despite work on the surface and the banking at Peraltada. Williams looked well suited to the conditions, its active suspension helping Nigel Mansell establish a clear advantage. McLaren‘s older car was much less settled over the uneven track, leaving Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger with a difficult balance between speed and control.
Friday Practice Classification
1992 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 20 March 1992
Friday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell set Friday’s fastest time, with Michael Schumacher splitting the Williams cars in second. Ayrton Senna suffered a heavy accident in the Esses and was treated for a bruised leg. The McLaren driver’s participation on Saturday became a much bigger concern than his position on the provisional grid.
Friday Qualifying Classification
1992 Mexican Grand Prix first qualifying session, 20 March 1992
Saturday Free Practice
Riccardo Patrese edged Nigel Mansell by just 0.025 seconds on Saturday morning, showing that the Williams contest was tightening. McLaren‘s difficulties continued, with Gerhard Berger suffering excursions as the car reacted badly to the bumps. Ayrton Senna returned despite the bruised leg sustained in his Friday qualifying accident. Keeping the car stable through the fast sections remained a more pressing problem than simply finding extra engine power.
Saturday Practice Classification
1992 Mexican Grand Prix Practice, 21 March 1992
Saturday Qualifying
Riccardo Patrese led Saturday’s session but missed Nigel Mansell‘s Friday benchmark by only 0.016 seconds. Michael Schumacher and Martin Brundle secured an all-Benetton second row, ahead of Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna. Aguri Suzuki, Paul Belmondo, van de Eric van de Poele and Amati failed to qualify.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1992 Mexican Grand Prix second qualifying session, 21 March 1992
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 | 1:16.346 | 1:16.648 | 1:16.346 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:17.908 | 1:16.362 | 1:16.362 | — |
| 3 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 1:17.554 | 1:17.292 | 1:17.292 | — |
| 4 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | 1:18.937 | 1:18.588 | 1:18.588 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:18.604 | 1:18.589 | 1:18.589 | — |
| 6 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:23.063 | 1:18.791 | 1:18.791 | — |
| 7 | 21 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:19.982 | 1:19.111 | 1:19.111 | — |
| 8 | 33 | Maurício Gugelmin | Jordan | 1:20.246 | 1:19.355 | 1:19.355 | — |
| 9 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara | 1:19.767 | 1:19.378 | 1:19.378 | — |
| 10 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:21.434 | 1:19.417 | 1:19.417 | — |
| 11 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | 1:19.423 | 1:24.117 | 1:19.423 | — |
| 12 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:20.450 | 1:19.509 | 1:19.509 | — |
| 13 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | 1:21.656 | 1:19.743 | 1:19.743 | — |
| 14 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | 1:20.386 | 1:19.769 | 1:19.769 | — |
| 15 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | 1:19.957 | 1:20.469 | 1:19.957 | — |
| 16 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | 1:20.709 | 1:19.961 | 1:19.961 | — |
| 17 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | 1:20.042 | 1:20.202 | 1:20.042 | — |
| 18 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:20.145 | 1:20.390 | 1:20.145 | — |
| 19 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger | March | 7:56.613 | 1:20.200 | 1:20.200 | — |
| 20 | 28 | Ivan Capelli | Ferrari | 1:20.223 | 1:21.120 | 1:20.223 | — |
| 21 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:21.019 | 1:20.227 | 1:20.227 | — |
| 22 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:20.709 | 1:20.395 | 1:20.395 | — |
| 23 | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal | 1:21.902 | 1:20.845 | 1:20.845 | — |
| 24 | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi | 1:22.188 | 1:20.935 | 1:20.935 | — |
| 25 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:21.396 | 1:21.064 | 1:21.064 | — |
| 26 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:21.122 | 1:21.963 | 1:21.122 | — |
| 27 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki | Footwork | 1:21.617 | 1:21.187 | 1:21.187 | — |
| 28 | 17 | Paul Belmondo | March | 1:23.508 | 1:21.504 | 1:21.504 | — |
| 29 | 7 | Eric van de Poele | Brabham | 1:22.937 | 1:22.197 | 1:22.197 | — |
| 30 | 8 | Giovanna Amati | Brabham | no time | 1:25.052 | 1:25.052 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Nigel Mansell headed the warm-up as Williams prepared for a hot race at altitude. Renault and Elf had tailored their fuel work to those conditions, while tyre life was another important consideration over the full distance. McLaren had been working to make its car more manageable with race fuel aboard; even after the morning session, there was still scope for last-minute adjustment on the grid.
Warm-up Classification
1992 Mexican Grand Prix Warm-up, 22 March 1992
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:18.406 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | +0.507s | — |
| 3 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +0.836s | — |
| 4 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | +0.874s | — |
| 5 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.014s | — |
| 6 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | +1.157s | — |
| 7 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara | +1.958s | — |
| 8 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +2.051s | — |
| 9 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +2.252s | — |
| 10 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | +2.302s | — |
| 11 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +2.364s | — |
| 12 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | +2.377s | — |
| 13 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | +2.416s | — |
| 14 | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +2.680s | — |
| 15 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +2.889s | — |
| 16 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | +3.462s | — |
| 17 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | +3.516s | — |
| 18 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | +3.526s | — |
| 19 | 28 | Ivan Capelli | Ferrari | +3.580s | — |
| 20 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +3.653s | — |
| 21 | 33 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Jordan | +3.716s | — |
| 22 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger | March | +4.078s | — |
| 23 | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi | +4.126s | — |
| 24 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +4.232s | — |
| 25 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +4.416s | — |
| 26 | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal | +6.797s | — |
What happened in the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix?
Nigel Mansell led away and immediately established the advantage that would shape the race. Riccardo Patrese followed, while Ayrton Senna briefly ran third before Michael Schumacher moved ahead. The Brazilian’s hopes ended with transmission trouble, leaving the Benetton as the leading challenger to Williams.
Riccardo Patrese kept Nigel Mansell in sight but had to manage his front tyres. Behind Michael Schumacher, Martin Brundle and Gerhard Berger fought an absorbing battle, trading pressure and position until Martin Brundle‘s engine failed. That retirement denied Benetton the chance to bring both cars home near the front.
Nigel Mansell won by almost 13 seconds from Riccardo Patrese. Michael Schumacher‘s third place was his first podium, with Gerhard Berger fourth, de Andrea de Cesaris fifth and Häkkinen sixth. Williams had again taken the maximum constructors’ score, while Michael Schumacher‘s rapid progress was becoming impossible to overlook.
After the race, Nigel Mansell headed the drivers’ standings with 20 points, followed by Riccardo Patrese on 12. Williams led the constructors’ table on 32, with McLaren on 9.
1992 Mexican Grand Prix race results
The 1992 Mexican Grand Prix was held on 22 March 1992, with a scheduled start of Start time unconfirmed local time.
1992 Mexican Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 60 | 1:17.711 |
| 2 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 62 | 1:17.765 |
| 3 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 59 | 1:17.920 |
| 4 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 62 | 1:18.056 |
| 5 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | 56 | 1:19.034 |
| 6 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 56 | 1:19.427 |
| 7 | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 57 | 1:19.589 |
| 8 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 58 | 1:19.634 |
| 9 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 58 | 1:19.648 |
| 10 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | 38 | 1:19.688 |
| 11 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 61 | 1:20.200 |
| 12 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 28 | 1:20.681 |
| 13 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 9 | 1:20.721 |
| 14 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 21 | 1:20.965 |
| 15 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara | 31 | 1:21.057 |
| 16 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | 61 | 1:21.364 |
| 17 | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi | 51 | 1:21.397 |
| 18 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | 41 | 1:21.663 |
| 19 | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal | 36 | 1:22.143 |
| 20 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 55 | 1:22.167 |
| 21 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | 8 | 1:22.521 |
| 22 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | 17 | 1:23.003 |
| 23 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | 2 | 1:25.880 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
1992 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1992 Mexican Grand Prix.
1992 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 20 |
| 2 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 12 |
| 3 | Michael Schumacher | German | Benetton | 7 |
| 4 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | McLaren | 5 |
| 5 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 4 |
| 6 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 7 | Johnny Herbert | British | Lotus | 1 |
| 8 | Mika Häkkinen | Finnish | Lotus | 1 |
| – | Érik Comas | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | JJ Lehto | Finnish | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Aguri Suzuki | Japanese | Footwork | 0 |
| – | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Footwork | 0 |
| – | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Bertrand Gachot | Belgian | Venturi | 0 |
| – | Ukyo Katayama | Japanese | Venturi | 0 |
| – | Eric van de Poele | Belgian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Olivier Grouillard | French | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Martin Brundle | British | Benetton | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Andrea Chiesa | Swiss | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Gianni Morbidelli | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Jean Alesi | French | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Christian Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Stefano Modena | Italian | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Ivan Capelli | Italian | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | Karl Wendlinger | Austrian | March | 0 |
1992 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams | 32 |
| 2 | McLaren | 9 |
| 3 | Benetton | 7 |
| 4 | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 5 | Lotus | 2 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Footwork | 0 |
| – | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Venturi | 0 |
| – | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Ferrari | 0 |
| – | March | 0 |
1992 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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