Ayrton Senna ended Nigel Mansell‘s winning streak in a thrilling finish to the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix. Nigel Mansell‘s late pit stop handed Ayrton Senna the lead, and the McLaren driver resisted relentless pressure to win by just 0.215 seconds. Riccardo Patrese finished third.
Race Guide
Season: 1992 F1 World Championship
Race date: 31 May 1992
Race start time: 15:30 local time (UTC+02:00)
Circuit: Circuit de Monaco
Laps: 78 laps
Circuit length: 3.328 km
1991 winner: Ayrton Senna
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Pole time | 1:19.495 | |
| Fastest lap | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:21.598 on lap 74 | |
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren |
| Second | Nigel Mansell | Williams |
| Third | Riccardo Patrese | Williams |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 28 May 1992 | Pre-qualifying | 08:00–09:00 |
| 28 May 1992 | Practice 1 | 10:00–11:45 |
| 28 May 1992 | Qualifying 1 | 13:00–14:00 |
| 30 May 1992 | Practice 2 | 10:00–11:45 |
| 30 May 1992 | Qualifying 2 | 13:30–14:30 (delayed) |
| 31 May 1992 | Warm-up | 11:00–11:30 |
| 31 May 1992 | Race | 15:30 |
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 6 leading the 1992 F1 World Championship on 50 points, with Riccardo Patrese on 24. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 74 points.
Race entries
The drivers were unchanged, and Lotus now had a second 107 ready for Häkkinen. Ivan Capelli retained his Ferrari seat amid speculation about his future. At the other end of the field, Roberto Moreno was trying to turn Andrea Moda‘s difficult season into a first race start.
Pre-qualifying
Michele Alboreto and Bertrand Gachot led the Thursday session, but Roberto Moreno supplied the surprise by taking Andrea Moda into main qualifying for the first time. Andrea Chiesa also advanced. Ukyo Katayama suffered an oil leak and crashed at Tabac, while McCarthy’s limited running left him at the bottom of the order.
Pre-qualifying Classification
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:25.413 | — |
| 2 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | 1:25.980 | +0.567 |
| 3 | 34 | Roberto Moreno | Andrea Moda | 1:27.186 | +1.773 |
| 4 | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal | 1:27.756 | +2.343 |
| 5 | 30 | Ukyo Katayama | Venturi | 1:28.310 | +2.897 |
| 6 | 35 | Perry McCarthy | Andrea Moda | 17:05.924 | +15:40.511 |
Thursday Free Practice
Nigel Mansell led Thursday practice in warm, hazy conditions. Ferrari used the session to try new traction-control and differential equipment on Jean Alesi‘s car, although engine response remained a concern. Michele Alboreto made good use of the mileage already gained in pre-qualifying, while Stefano Modena showed more promise at a circuit where he had started on the front row the previous year.
Thursday Practice Classification
1992 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, 28 May 1992
Thursday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell led Thursday qualifying from Ayrton Senna and Riccardo Patrese. Gerhard Berger suffered a heavy accident at Massenet after a suspension failure, while Jean Alesi recovered from a spin to go fifth. Roberto Moreno established a promising time early but lost further running to overheating.
Thursday Qualifying Classification
1992 Monaco Grand Prix first qualifying session, 28 May 1992
Saturday Free Practice
Saturday practice was interrupted by Pierluigi Martini‘s heavy accident in the tunnel. Repairs to the barriers took 40 minutes and pushed the start of qualifying back by half an hour. Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese headed the times, but the interruption left teams with less flexibility to finish their preparations. Pierluigi Martini would need the spare Dallara for the afternoon.
Saturday Practice Classification
1992 Monaco Grand Prix Practice, 30 May 1992
Saturday Qualifying
Nigel Mansell improved to 1:19.495 on Saturday and Riccardo Patrese completed the Williams front row. Ayrton Senna was third, with Jean Alesi fourth and Gerhard Berger fifth. Roberto Moreno secured the final grid place by 0.036 seconds from van de Eric van de Poele, giving Andrea Moda its only Grand Prix start.
Saturday Qualifying Classification
1992 Monaco Grand Prix second qualifying session, 30 May 1992
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 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 1:20.714 | 1:19.495 | 1:19.495 | — |
| 2 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:22.309 | 1:20.368 | 1:20.368 | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 1:21.467 | 1:20.608 | 1:20.608 | — |
| 4 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 1:22.942 | 1:20.895 | 1:20.895 | — |
| 5 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 1:22.359 | 1:21.224 | 1:21.224 | — |
| 6 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 1:23.150 | 1:21.831 | 1:21.831 | — |
| 7 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | 1:23.872 | 1:22.068 | 1:22.068 | — |
| 8 | 28 | Ivan Capelli | Ferrari | 1:23.813 | 1:22.119 | 1:22.119 | — |
| 9 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 1:25.979 | 1:22.579 | 1:22.579 | — |
| 10 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | 1:23.552 | 1:22.647 | 1:22.647 | — |
| 11 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 1:23.774 | 1:22.671 | 1:25.413 | — |
| 12 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1:24.567 | 1:22.733 | 1:22.733 | — |
| 13 | 33 | Maurício Gugelmin | Jordan | 1:24.235 | 1:22.863 | 1:22.863 | — |
| 14 | 11 | Mika Häkkinen | Lotus | 1:25.809 | 1:22.886 | 1:22.886 | — |
| 15 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | 1:23.606 | 1:23.122 | 1:25.980 | — |
| 16 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger | March | 1:23.978 | 1:23.264 | 1:23.264 | — |
| 17 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | 1:25.561 | 1:23.487 | 1:23.487 | — |
| 18 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara | 1:25.665 | 1:23.508 | 1:23.508 | — |
| 19 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki | Footwork | 1:24.340 | 1:23.641 | 1:23.641 | — |
| 20 | 21 | JJ Lehto | Dallara | 1:25.050 | 1:23.862 | 1:23.862 | — |
| 21 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | 1:23.890 | 1:23.909 | 1:23.890 | — |
| 22 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 1:25.222 | 1:23.909 | 1:23.909 | — |
| 23 | 26 | Érik Comas | Ligier | 1:24.816 | 1:23.974 | 1:23.974 | — |
| 24 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | 1:24.533 | 1:23.990 | 1:23.990 | — |
| 25 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | 1:25.614 | 1:24.479 | 1:24.479 | — |
| 26 | 34 | Roberto Moreno | Andrea Moda | 1:25.185 | 1:24.945 | 1:27.186 | — |
| 27 | 7 | Eric van de Poele | Brabham | 1:25.702 | 1:24.981 | 1:24.981 | — |
| 28 | 8 | Damon Hill | Brabham | 1:26.889 | 1:25.394 | 1:25.394 | — |
| 29 | 14 | Andrea Chiesa | Fondmetal | 1:27.140 | 1:25.660 | 1:27.756 | — |
| 30 | 17 | Paul Belmondo | March | 1:26.501 | 1:25.750 | 1:25.750 | — |
Sunday warm-up
Riccardo Patrese topped the Sunday warm-up, while Aguri Suzuki crashed heavily at Tabac and went to hospital for checks before being cleared to race. Michele Alboreto was second-fastest in the other Footwork. With a dry afternoon expected, preserving a single set of tyres over the distance was central to the race prospects; an unscheduled stop would be especially costly on Monaco’s narrow streets.
Warm-up Classification
1992 Monaco Grand Prix Warm-up, 31 May 1992
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 1:23.959 | — |
| 2 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | +1.081s | — |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | +1.157s | — |
| 4 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | +1.159s | — |
| 5 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | +1.193s | — |
| 6 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | +1.203s | — |
| 7 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | +1.359s | — |
| 8 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | +1.488s | — |
| 9 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | +1.694s | — |
| 10 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | +1.796s | — |
| 11 | 28 | Ivan Capelli | Ferrari | +1.817s | — |
| 12 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | +1.951s | — |
| 13 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | +2.041s | — |
| 14 | 33 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Jordan | +2.615s | — |
| 15 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | +2.985s | — |
| 16 | 22 | Pierluigi Martini | Dallara | +2.996s | — |
| 17 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | +3.056s | — |
| 18 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | +3.069s | — |
| 19 | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | +3.181s | — |
| 20 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | +3.294s | — |
| 21 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | +3.368s | — |
| 22 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | +3.454s | — |
| 23 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger | March | +3.899s | — |
| 24 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki | Footwork | +4.650s | — |
| 25 | 34 | Roberto Moreno | Andrea Moda | +7.233s | — |
| 26 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | +8.155s | — |
What happened in the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix?
Nigel Mansell led away as Ayrton Senna passed Riccardo Patrese for second. The Williams gradually pulled clear, while Michael Schumacher and Jean Alesi collided at the hairpin during their battle behind the leaders. Jean Alesi later retired, as did Gerhard Berger, and Ivan Capelli‘s afternoon ended against the barriers.
With victory seemingly secure, Nigel Mansell felt a problem at the rear of his car and headed for the pits. Initially suspected to be a puncture, it was later attributed to a possible loose wheel nut. The stop put him behind Ayrton Senna, but fresh tyres allowed him to close the gap rapidly.
Nigel Mansell searched for an opening around the streets, yet Ayrton Senna placed his McLaren precisely enough to deny him. The Brazilian took his fifth Monaco victory, matching Graham Damon Hill‘s record. Riccardo Patrese held off Michael Schumacher for third, with Martin Brundle fifth and Bertrand Gachot sixth. Nigel Mansell‘s perfect winning run was over, but he still banked valuable championship points.
After the race, Nigel Mansell headed the drivers’ standings with 56 points, followed by Riccardo Patrese on 28. Williams led the constructors’ table on 84, with McLaren on 26.
1992 Monaco Grand Prix race results
The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix was held on 31 May 1992, with a scheduled start of 15:30 local time.
1992 Monaco Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams | 74 | 1:21.598 |
| 2 | 20 | Martin Brundle | Benetton | 48 | 1:23.406 |
| 3 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren | 49 | 1:23.470 |
| 4 | 19 | Michael Schumacher | Benetton | 32 | 1:23.868 |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams | 37 | 1:24.080 |
| 6 | 2 | Gerhard Berger | McLaren | 30 | 1:24.172 |
| 7 | 27 | Jean Alesi | Ferrari | 25 | 1:24.827 |
| 8 | 29 | Bertrand Gachot | Venturi | 43 | 1:24.932 |
| 9 | 9 | Michele Alboreto | Footwork | 49 | 1:25.004 |
| 10 | 28 | Ivan Capelli | Ferrari | 28 | 1:25.032 |
| 11 | 21 | Jyrki Jarvilehto | Dallara | 55 | 1:25.390 |
| 12 | 23 | Christian Fittipaldi | Minardi | 40 | 1:25.594 |
| 13 | 11 | Mika Hakkinen | Lotus | 12 | 1:25.871 |
| 14 | 10 | Aguri Suzuki | Footwork | 50 | 1:25.909 |
| 15 | 26 | Erik Comas | Ligier | 50 | 1:26.002 |
| 16 | 12 | Johnny Herbert | Lotus | 16 | 1:26.005 |
| 17 | 25 | Thierry Boutsen | Ligier | 16 | 1:26.320 |
| 18 | 33 | Mauricio Gugelmin | Jordan | 9 | 1:26.863 |
| 19 | 4 | Andrea de Cesaris | Tyrrell | 7 | 1:26.916 |
| 20 | 32 | Stefano Modena | Jordan | 6 | 1:28.149 |
| 21 | 3 | Olivier Grouillard | Tyrrell | 4 | 1:28.590 |
| 22 | 34 | Roberto Moreno | Andrea Moda | 11 | 1:30.344 |
| 23 | 15 | Gabriele Tarquini | Fondmetal | 8 | 1:30.718 |
| 24 | 16 | Karl Wendlinger | March | 1 | 1:44.613 |
| 25 | 24 | Gianni Morbidelli | Minardi | 1 | 5:34.500 |
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 Monaco Grand Prix.
1992 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigel Mansell | British | Williams | 56 |
| 2 | Riccardo Patrese | Italian | Williams | 28 |
| 3 | Michael Schumacher | German | Benetton | 20 |
| 4 | Ayrton Senna | Brazilian | McLaren | 18 |
| 5 | Gerhard Berger | Austrian | McLaren | 8 |
| 6 | Jean Alesi | French | Ferrari | 7 |
| 7 | Martin Brundle | British | Benetton | 5 |
| 8 | Michele Alboreto | Italian | Footwork | 5 |
| 9 | Ivan Capelli | Italian | Ferrari | 2 |
| 10 | Andrea de Cesaris | Italian | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 11 | Pierluigi Martini | Italian | Dallara | 2 |
| 12 | Johnny Herbert | British | Lotus | 1 |
| 13 | Mika Häkkinen | Finnish | Lotus | 1 |
| 14 | Bertrand Gachot | Belgian | Venturi | 1 |
| – | Aguri Suzuki | Japanese | Footwork | 0 |
| – | Érik Comas | French | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Maurício Gugelmin | Brazilian | Jordan | 0 |
| – | Gianni Morbidelli | Italian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | JJ Lehto | Finnish | Dallara | 0 |
| – | Christian Fittipaldi | Brazilian | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Karl Wendlinger | Austrian | March | 0 |
| – | Olivier Grouillard | French | Tyrrell | 0 |
| – | Ukyo Katayama | Japanese | Venturi | 0 |
| – | Thierry Boutsen | Belgian | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Paul Belmondo | French | March | 0 |
| – | Eric van de Poele | Belgian | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Gabriele Tarquini | Italian | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Andrea Chiesa | Swiss | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Roberto Moreno | Brazilian | Andrea Moda | 0 |
| – | Stefano Modena | Italian | Jordan | 0 |
1992 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Williams | 84 |
| 2 | McLaren | 26 |
| 3 | Benetton | 25 |
| 4 | Ferrari | 9 |
| 5 | Footwork | 5 |
| 6 | Tyrrell | 2 |
| 7 | Lotus | 2 |
| 8 | Dallara | 2 |
| 9 | Venturi | 1 |
| – | Minardi | 0 |
| – | Ligier | 0 |
| – | Jordan | 0 |
| – | March | 0 |
| – | Brabham | 0 |
| – | Fondmetal | 0 |
| – | Andrea Moda | 0 |
1992 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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