1992 Portuguese Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Nigel Mansell set a new single-season record with his ninth victory of 1992 at the Portuguese Grand Prix. Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna completed the podium, but the race’s most alarming moment was Riccardo Patrese‘s airborne accident on the main straight.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Pole time	1:13.041
Fastest lap	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:16.272 on lap 66
First	Nigel Mansell	Williams
Second	Gerhard Berger	McLaren
Third	Ayrton Senna	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
25 September 1992	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
25 September 1992	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
26 September 1992	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
26 September 1992	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
27 September 1992	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
27 September 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 14 leading the 1992 F1 World Championship on 98 points, with Michael Schumacher on 47. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 144 points.

Race entries

Fondmetal withdrew because of financial difficulties, leaving 26 cars and ensuring every entrant a place on the grid. The remaining driver pairings were unchanged. Ivan Capelli made his final appearance for Ferrari before Nicola Larini took over for the last two rounds.

Friday Free Practice

Nigel Mansell suffered a major scare in Friday practice when his active suspension failed approaching the tight left-hander at the end of the back straight. He escaped through the run-off area and still set the session’s fastest time. The incident made finding the cause of Williams‘ recent hydraulic problems an urgent priority, even as its underlying pace remained clear.

Friday Practice Classification

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 25 September 1992

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:13.761	—
2	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	+0.314s	—
3	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	+1.610s	—
4	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+1.768s	—
5	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.387s	—
6	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+2.687s	—
7	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	+2.791s	—
8	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	+3.220s	—
9	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+3.300s	—
10	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	+3.302s	—
11	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	+3.305s	—
12	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+3.332s	—
13	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	+3.425s	—
14	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	+3.549s	—
15	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+3.784s	—
16	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	+3.839s	—
17	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	+4.278s	—
18	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	+4.368s	—
19	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	+4.565s	—
20	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	+4.588s	—
21	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	+4.784s	—
22	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	+4.940s	—
23	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	+4.953s	—
24	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	+5.054s	—
25	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+5.155s	—
26	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	+5.184s	—

Friday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell took provisional pole with a 1:13.041 on Friday, ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Gerhard Berger. The Williams advantage remained substantial despite the champion’s earlier mechanical scare.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 25 September 1992

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:13.041	—
2	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	1:13.672	—
3	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	1:15.117	—
4	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:15.343	—
5	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:15.356	—
6	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	1:16.173	—
7	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	1:16.282	—
8	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:16.755	—
9	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	1:16.796	—
10	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:16.937	—
11	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	1:17.332	—
12	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:17.356	—
13	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:17.361	—
14	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	1:17.384	—
15	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	1:17.512	—
16	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	1:17.624	—
17	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	1:17.661	—
18	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	1:17.847	—
19	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	1:17.949	—
20	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	1:17.973	—
21	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	1:18.030	—
22	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	1:18.060	—
23	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	1:18.092	—
24	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	1:18.318	—
25	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:18.615	—
26	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	1:36.224	—

Saturday Free Practice

Heavy overnight rain washed grip from the circuit before Saturday’s running. Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese were again closely matched in practice, but the altered surface made comparisons with Friday less straightforward. Benetton continued searching for a satisfactory set-up, while Ferrari struggled with different balance problems in fast and slow corners. Ayrton Senna had also endured a rear-wing failure during Friday’s running.

Saturday Practice Classification

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 26 September 1992

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:13.635	—
2	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	+0.120s	—
3	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	+1.055s	—
4	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+1.641s	—
5	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.959s	—
6	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	+2.706s	—
7	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	+2.834s	—
8	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.237s	—
9	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	+3.479s	—
10	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+3.480s	—
11	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	+3.513s	—
12	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	+3.781s	—
13	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	+3.781s	—
14	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	+3.899s	—
15	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+3.957s	—
16	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	+4.070s	—
17	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+4.084s	—
18	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	+4.098s	—
19	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	+4.511s	—
20	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	+4.755s	—
21	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	+4.845s	—
22	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	+4.868s	—
23	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	+4.903s	—
24	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	+5.125s	—
25	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	+5.538s	—
26	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+5.898s	—

Saturday Qualifying

Nigel Mansell was fastest again on Saturday without improving his Friday time. Ayrton Senna moved ahead of Gerhard Berger to take third overall, behind the two Williams cars. Michael Schumacher and Martin Brundle filled row three. With only 26 entries, nobody was eliminated.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 26 September 1992

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:13.961	—
2	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:14.258	—
3	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	1:14.305	—
4	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	1:15.068	—
5	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:15.890	—
6	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	1:16.084	—
7	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	1:16.213	—
8	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:16.628	—
9	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:16.884	—
10	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	1:16.930	—
11	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	1:17.109	—
12	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:17.240	—
13	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	1:17.250	—
14	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	1:17.264	—
15	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	1:17.277	—
16	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	1:17.287	—
17	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	1:17.387	—
18	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	1:17.474	—
19	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	1:17.631	—
20	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:17.675	—
21	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	1:18.445	—
22	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	1:18.531	—
23	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	1:18.592	—
24	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	1:18.676	—
25	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:18.823	—
26	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	1:19.314	—

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	1:13.041	1:13.961	1:13.041	—
2	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	1:13.672	1:14.305	1:13.672	—
3	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:15.343	1:14.258	1:14.258	—
4	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	1:15.117	1:15.068	1:15.068	—
5	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:15.356	1:15.890	1:15.356	—
6	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	1:16.796	1:16.084	1:16.084	—
7	11	Mika Häkkinen	Lotus	1:16.173	1:16.213	1:16.173	—
8	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	1:16.282	1:17.109	1:16.282	—
9	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:16.755	1:16.628	1:16.628	—
10	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:16.937	1:16.884	1:16.884	—
11	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	1:17.332	1:16.930	1:16.930	—
12	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:17.356	1:17.240	1:17.240	—
13	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	1:17.624	1:17.250	1:17.250	—
14	26	Érik Comas	Ligier	1:17.384	1:17.264	1:17.264	—
15	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	1:17.512	1:17.277	1:17.277	—
16	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	1:18.030	1:17.287	1:17.287	—
17	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:17.361	1:17.675	1:17.361	—
18	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	1:17.973	1:17.387	1:17.387	—
19	21	JJ Lehto	Dallara	1:17.847	1:17.474	1:17.474	—
20	33	Maurício Gugelmin	Jordan	1:17.949	1:17.631	1:17.631	—
21	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	1:17.661	1:18.676	1:17.661	—
22	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	1:18.060	1:18.445	1:18.060	—
23	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	1:18.092	1:18.531	1:18.092	—
24	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	1:18.318	1:19.314	1:18.318	—
25	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	1:36.224	1:18.592	1:18.592	—
26	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:18.615	1:18.823	1:18.615	—

Sunday warm-up

Nigel Mansell led the warm-up with Riccardo Patrese close behind. Sunshine returned for the race build-up, and most drivers expected to stop for fresh tyres rather than attempt the whole distance on one set. Williams‘ immediate concern was completing a clean afternoon after its recent failures; for the chasing teams, timing a stop well offered a possible route around the faster cars.

Warm-up Classification

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix Warm-up, 27 September 1992

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	1:19.021	—
2	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	+0.386s	—
3	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	+0.564s	—
4	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	+0.799s	—
5	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	+1.423s	—
6	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+1.510s	—
7	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	+1.664s	—
8	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	+2.037s	—
9	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+2.326s	—
10	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+2.423s	—
11	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+2.497s	—
12	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	+2.507s	—
13	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	+2.602s	—
14	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	+2.834s	—
15	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+2.919s	—
16	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	+3.080s	—
17	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	+3.098s	—
18	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	+3.167s	—
19	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+3.245s	—
20	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	+3.347s	—
21	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	+3.776s	—
22	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	+3.835s	—
23	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	+4.281s	—
24	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	+4.930s	—
25	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+5.840s	—
26	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	+6.256s	—

What happened in the 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix?

Nigel Mansell retained the lead at the start and steadily pulled clear. Michael Schumacher had to begin from the back after stalling, leaving him with another recovery drive. Gerhard Berger emerged as a strong contender behind the leader while Ayrton Senna also remained in the podium fight.

Riccardo Patrese followed Gerhard Berger closely as the McLaren moved towards the pits. The Williams struck its rear wheel and was launched into the air before crashing heavily. Riccardo Patrese escaped serious injury, but debris caused further problems, including punctures and damage to Lehto’s Dallara.

Nigel Mansell completed his ninth win of the season, breaking the previous record. Gerhard Berger finished second and Ayrton Senna third, with Martin Brundle fourth, Häkkinen fifth and Michele Alboreto sixth. The champion’s 30th career victory was a commanding result, tempered by relief that Riccardo Patrese had walked away from his accident.

After the race, Nigel Mansell headed the drivers’ standings with 108 points, followed by Ayrton Senna on 50. Williams led the constructors’ table on 154, with McLaren on 83.

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix race results

The 1992 Portuguese Grand Prix was held on 27 September 1992, with a scheduled start of Start time unconfirmed local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	71	1:34:46.659	10
2	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	71	+ 37.533	6
3	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	70	+ 1 lap	4
4	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	70	+ 1 lap	3
5	11	Mika Häkkinen	Lotus	70	+ 1 lap	2
6	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	70	+ 1 lap	1
7	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	69	+ 2 laps	0
8	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	69	+ 2 laps	0
9	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	69	+ 2 laps	0
10	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	68	+ 3 laps	0
11	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	68	+ 3 laps	0
12	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	68	+ 3 laps	0
13	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	68	+ 3 laps	0
14	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	68	+ 3 laps	0
Ret	21	JJ Lehto	Dallara	51	Physical	0
Ret	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	48	Gearbox	0
Ret	26	Érik Comas	Ligier	47	Engine	0
Ret	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	46	Spun off	0
Ret	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	43	Collision	0
Ret	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	43	Puncture	0
Ret	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	34	Engine	0
Ret	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	27	Gearbox	0
Ret	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	25	Engine	0
Ret	33	Maurício Gugelmin	Jordan	19	Electrical	0
Ret	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	12	Spun off	0
Ret	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	2	Accident	0

1992 Portuguese Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	66	1:16.272
2	5	Nigel Mansell	Williams	57	1:17.137
3	2	Gerhard Berger	McLaren	60	1:17.399
4	19	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	62	1:17.772
5	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams	33	1:18.349
6	20	Martin Brundle	Benetton	54	1:19.371
7	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	57	1:19.605
8	9	Michele Alboreto	Footwork	63	1:19.966
9	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	46	1:20.080
10	26	Erik Comas	Ligier	27	1:20.145
11	11	Mika Hakkinen	Lotus	30	1:20.187
12	25	Thierry Boutsen	Ligier	46	1:20.275
13	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	52	1:20.515
14	16	Karl Wendlinger	March	28	1:20.716
15	24	Gianni Morbidelli	Minardi	58	1:20.807
16	32	Stefano Modena	Jordan	37	1:20.889
17	30	Ukyo Katayama	Venturi	45	1:21.216
18	17	Emanuele Naspetti	March	32	1:21.314
19	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	9	1:21.638
20	28	Ivan Capelli	Ferrari	28	1:21.799
21	21	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Dallara	26	1:21.874
22	3	Olivier Grouillard	Tyrrell	24	1:21.906
23	22	Pierluigi Martini	Dallara	26	1:22.156
24	29	Bertrand Gachot	Venturi	11	1:22.394
25	33	Mauricio Gugelmin	Jordan	9	1:23.606
26	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1	1:58.788

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 Portuguese Grand Prix.

1992 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Nigel Mansell	British	Williams	108
2	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	McLaren	50
3	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	47
4	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Williams	46
5	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	McLaren	33
6	Martin Brundle	British	Benetton	30
7	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	13
8	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	Lotus	11
9	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Footwork	6
10	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Tyrrell	5
11	Érik Comas	French	Ligier	4
12	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	March	3
13	Ivan Capelli	Italian	Ferrari	3
14	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	2
15	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Dallara	2
16	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Venturi	1
–	JJ Lehto	Finnish	Dallara	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Footwork	0
–	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Ligier	0
–	Gianni Morbidelli	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Maurício Gugelmin	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Olivier Grouillard	French	Tyrrell	0
–	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Minardi	0
–	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Venturi	0
–	Paul Belmondo	French	March	0
–	Eric van de Poele	Belgian	Brabham / Fondmetal	0
–	Emanuele Naspetti	Italian	March	0
–	Damon Hill	British	Brabham	0
–	Stefano Modena	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Gabriele Tarquini	Italian	Fondmetal	0
–	Andrea Chiesa	Swiss	Fondmetal	0
–	Roberto Moreno	Brazilian	Andrea Moda	0
–	Alessandro Zanardi	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Perry McCarthy	British	Andrea Moda	0

1992 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams	154
2	McLaren	83
3	Benetton	77
4	Ferrari	16
5	Lotus	13
6	Footwork	6
7	Tyrrell	5
8	Ligier	4
9	March	3
10	Dallara	2
11	Venturi	1
–	Minardi	0
–	Jordan	0
–	Fondmetal	0
–	Brabham	0
–	Andrea Moda	0

1992 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1992 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami, Midrand	1 March
2	1992 Mexican Grand Prix	Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City	22 March
3	1992 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	5 April
4	1992 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	3 May
5	1992 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	17 May
6	1992 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	31 May
7	1992 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	14 June
8	1992 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	5 July
9	1992 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	12 July
10	1992 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	26 July
11	1992 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	16 August
12	1992 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	30 August
13	1992 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	13 September
14	1992 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	27 September
15	1992 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	25 October
16	1992 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	8 November