1993 European Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Ayrton Senna produced one of Formula 1’s great wet-weather performances at the 1993 European Grand Prix. A breathtaking first lap put him in front at Donington Park, and sharp decisions in changing conditions carried him to victory over Damon Hill and Alain Prost.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Alain Prost	Williams
Pole time	1:10.458
Fastest lap	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
Fastest-lap time	1:18.029 on lap 57
First	Ayrton Senna	McLaren
Second	Damon Hill	Williams
Third	Alain Prost	Williams

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
8 April 1993	Familiarisation testing	Start time unconfirmed
9 April 1993	Practice 1	09:30–11:00
9 April 1993	Qualifying 1	13:00–14:00
10 April 1993	Practice 2	09:30–11:00
10 April 1993	Qualifying 2	13:00–14:00
11 April 1993	Warm-up	09:30
11 April 1993	Race	14:00

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 3 leading the 1993 F1 World Championship on 16 points, with Alain Prost on 10. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 16 points.

Race entries

Thierry Boutsen replaced Ivan Capelli at Jordan, joining Rubens Barrichello. Benetton introduced the B193B, while Footwork brought its new FA14. Donington Park hosted its first World Championship Grand Prix, with the European title returning to the calendar after an absence stretching back to 1985.

Thursday familiarisation

An additional Thursday session gave the drivers an opportunity to learn Donington Park before the competitive running. The circuit was new to the World Championship, and the extra track time helped teams establish their settings ahead of an unsettled weekend.

Friday Free Practice

Rain made Friday practice a difficult introduction to the weekend, with Ayrton Senna immediately finding speed in the McLaren. De Andrea de Cesaris crashed heavily, leaving Tyrrell with repair work and disrupting his preparation. Benetton was also learning its new car in conditions that offered little chance for straightforward comparisons with the previous model.

Friday Practice Classification

1993 European Grand Prix Practice, 9 April 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:26.774	—
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.555s	—
3	2	Alain Prost	Williams	+1.782s	—
4	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.798s	—
5	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	+2.055s	—
6	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+2.439s	—
7	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+2.520s	—
8	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+2.710s	—
9	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+3.311s	—
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+3.468s	—
11	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+3.868s	—
12	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+4.693s	—
13	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	+4.770s	—
14	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+4.895s	—
15	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.512s	—
16	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+5.692s	—
17	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	+5.940s	—
18	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+6.692s	—
19	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	+6.722s	—
20	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+6.971s	—
21	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+7.270s	—
22	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	+7.631s	—
23	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+7.801s	—
24	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+7.989s	—
25	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+14.061s	—
26	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+14.186s	—

Friday Qualifying

Ayrton Senna was fastest in Friday’s wet qualifying, narrowly ahead of Damon Hill, with Alain Prost third. Lehto impressed in fourth for Sauber. Those times would matter little if Saturday stayed dry, but they offered an early indication of Ayrton Senna‘s comfort in the conditions that ultimately shaped the race.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1993 European Grand Prix first qualifying session, 9 April 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:23.976	11
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:24.014	12
3	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:24.467	12
4	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	1:25.469	12
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:25.699	12
6	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:25.971	12
7	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:26.264	11
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:26.557	12
9	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:26.788	10
10	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:26.805	12
11	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	1:26.859	12
12	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:27.173	12
13	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:27.273	11
14	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	1:27.275	10
15	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:27.302	12
16	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:28.065	12
17	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:28.096	12
18	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:28.648	12
19	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	1:28.701	12
20	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	1:28.782	12
21	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:29.177	11
22	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:29.310	5
23	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:29.851	11
24	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:30.049	10
25	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:30.107	12
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:31.178	6

Saturday Free Practice

Dry weather on Saturday brought a dramatic reduction in lap times and put Alain Prost back on top. Karl Wendlinger lost useful running to brake trouble, then borrowed Lehto’s settings for qualifying. McLaren‘s dry-track balance proved less convincing than its wet performance, setting up a very different contest from the one seen on Friday.

Saturday Practice Classification

1993 European Grand Prix Practice, 10 April 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:10.716	—
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+0.459s	—
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+0.836s	—
4	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.931s	—
5	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+2.028s	—
6	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+2.295s	—
7	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	+2.378s	—
8	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+2.493s	—
9	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+2.506s	—
10	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+2.770s	—
11	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	+2.799s	—
12	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+2.800s	—
13	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.928s	—
14	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+3.050s	—
15	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+3.075s	—
16	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.294s	—
17	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+3.350s	—
18	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+3.442s	—
19	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	+3.488s	—
20	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+3.526s	—
21	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	+4.290s	—
22	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+4.611s	—
23	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+4.707s	—
24	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	+4.986s	—
25	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+5.116s	—
26	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+6.220s	—

Saturday Qualifying

Alain Prost took pole on the dry track on Saturday, beating Damon Hill by 0.304 seconds. Michael Schumacher edged Ayrton Senna for third, while Karl Wendlinger and Michael Andretti completed the first three rows. Luca Badoer failed to qualify the Lola. The grid was settled by dry-weather speed, although Sunday’s forecast promised another reset.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1993 European Grand Prix second qualifying session, 10 April 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:10.458	11
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:10.762	12
3	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:12.008	12
4	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:12.107	12
5	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:12.738	12
6	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	1:12.739	12
7	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	1:12.763	12
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:12.862	12
9	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:12.980	8
10	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:12.982	11
11	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:13.328	12
12	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:13.514	11
13	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	1:13.560	12
14	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:13.664	12
15	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:13.665	12
16	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:13.666	12
17	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:13.970	12
18	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:14.121	10
19	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	1:14.246	12
20	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	1:14.274	11
21	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:14.301	12
22	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:14.306	12
23	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:14.927	12
24	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:15.322	11
25	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:15.417	12
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:15.641	11

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	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:24.467	1:10.458	1:10.458	—
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:24.014	1:10.762	1:10.762	—
3	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:26.264	1:12.008	1:12.008	—
4	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:23.976	1:12.107	1:12.107	—
5	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:26.805	1:12.738	1:12.738	—
6	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	1:26.859	1:12.739	1:12.739	—
7	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	1:25.469	1:12.763	1:12.763	—
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:25.971	1:12.862	1:12.862	—
9	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:25.699	1:12.980	1:12.980	—
10	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:27.273	1:12.982	1:12.982	—
11	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:27.173	1:13.328	1:13.328	—
12	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:26.557	1:13.514	1:13.514	—
13	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	1:28.782	1:13.560	1:13.560	—
14	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:28.096	1:13.664	1:13.664	—
15	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:28.648	1:13.665	1:13.665	—
16	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:28.065	1:13.666	1:13.666	—
17	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	1:29.310	1:13.970	1:13.970	—
18	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:29.851	1:14.121	1:14.121	—
19	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	1:28.701	1:14.246	1:14.246	—
20	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	1:27.275	1:14.274	1:14.274	—
21	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:27.302	1:14.301	1:14.301	—
22	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:26.788	1:14.306	1:14.306	—
23	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:30.107	1:14.927	1:14.927	—
24	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:30.049	1:15.322	1:15.322	—
25	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:29.177	1:15.417	1:15.417	—
DNQ	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:31.178	1:15.641	1:15.641	—

Sunday warm-up

Rain returned for the warm-up and Damon Hill set the fastest time. The session gave drivers another chance to work on wet-weather balance after Saturday’s dry running. Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher concentrated on their settings, with the unstable weather leaving the teams to weigh outright speed against the grip and confidence needed on a soaked circuit.

Warm-up Classification

1993 European Grand Prix Warm-up, 11 April 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:29.208	—
2	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+0.843s	—
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+0.998s	—
4	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	+1.022s	—
5	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+2.071s	—
6	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.094s	—
7	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+2.326s	—
8	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+2.589s	—
9	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.255s	—
10	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	+3.541s	—
11	2	Alain Prost	Williams	+3.752s	—
12	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+3.927s	—
13	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+4.337s	—
14	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+4.660s	—
15	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+4.696s	—
16	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+4.912s	—
17	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.285s	—
18	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+5.562s	—
19	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+5.709s	—
20	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+6.135s	—
21	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+6.443s	—
22	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+6.600s	—
23	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+14.970s	—
24	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	+18.417s	—
25	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	+22.404s	—

What happened in the 1993 European Grand Prix?

Ayrton Senna slipped to fifth at the start but attacked immediately. He passed Michael Schumacher, swept around Karl Wendlinger through the Craner Curves, caught Damon Hill and overtook Alain Prost at the Melbourne Hairpin, ending the opening lap in the lead. Michael Andretti and Karl Wendlinger collided behind him, while Rubens Barrichello charged from 12th to fourth.

Repeated showers and drying spells produced a succession of tyre changes. Ayrton Senna judged the conditions more effectively than Williams, recovering even after a slow stop. Alain Prost made seven stops and lost time with a stall, while Damon Hill eventually secured second. Ayrton Senna‘s fastest lap came on a passage through the pit lane without stopping, which shortened his route past the final hairpin.

Ayrton Senna won by over a minute from Damon Hill, with Alain Prost third. Johnny Herbert‘s restrained approach to tyre changes earned fourth, ahead of Riccardo Patrese and Fabrizio Barbazza. Rubens Barrichello‘s outstanding drive ended with a fuel-pressure problem late on, costing Jordan a valuable finish after running as high as second.

After the race, Ayrton Senna headed the drivers’ standings with 26 points, followed by Alain Prost on 14. McLaren led the constructors’ table on 26, with Williams on 26.

1993 European Grand Prix race results

The 1993 European Grand Prix was held on 11 April 1993, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	76	1:50:46.570	10
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	76	+ 1:23.199	6
3	2	Alain Prost	Williams	75	+ 1 lap	4
4	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	75	+ 1 lap	3
5	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	74	+ 2 laps	2
6	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	74	+ 2 laps	1
7	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	73	+ 3 laps	0
8	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	72	+ 4 laps	0
9	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	72	+ 4 laps	0
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	70	Fuel pressure	0
11	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	70	+ 6 laps	0
Ret	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	66	Gearbox	0
Ret	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	61	Throttle	0
Ret	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	55	Gearbox	0
Ret	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	36	Gearbox	0
Ret	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	29	Gearbox	0
Ret	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	27	Collision	0
Ret	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	22	Spun off	0
Ret	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	20	Spun off	0
Ret	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	19	Suspension	0
Ret	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	13	Handling	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	11	Clutch	0
Ret	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	7	Spun off	0
Ret	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	0	Collision	0
Ret	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren	0	Collision	0

1993 European Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	57	1:18.029
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	55	1:19.379
3	2	Alain Prost	Williams	55	1:19.756
4	11	Alessandro Zanardi	Lotus	51	1:20.801
5	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	52	1:21.022
6	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	54	1:22.061
7	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	55	1:22.150
8	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	52	1:22.200
9	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	54	1:22.279
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	55	1:22.307
11	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	21	1:22.549
12	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	21	1:22.550
13	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	20	1:24.093
14	24	Fabrizio Barbazza	Minardi	21	1:24.703
15	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	19	1:25.078
16	15	Thierry Boutsen	Jordan	19	1:25.532
17	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	17	1:26.078
18	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	51	1:26.419
19	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	19	1:28.023
20	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	20	1:28.929
21	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	5	1:33.123
22	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	5	1:33.528
23	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	2	1:37.749

Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.

1993 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1993 European Grand Prix.

1993 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	McLaren	26
2	Alain Prost	French	Williams	14
3	Damon Hill	British	Williams	12
4	Mark Blundell	British	Ligier	6
5	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	6
6	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	4
7	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Minardi	3
8	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Benetton	2
9	JJ Lehto	Finnish	Sauber	2
10	Alessandro Zanardi	Italian	Lotus	1
11	Fabrizio Barbazza	Italian	Minardi	1
12	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	1
–	Derek Warwick	British	Footwork	0
–	Philippe Alliot	French	Larrousse	0
–	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	0
–	Érik Comas	French	Larrousse	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Lola	0
–	Luca Badoer	Italian	Lola	0
–	Martin Brundle	British	Ligier	0
–	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	0
–	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Jordan	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Tyrrell	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Footwork	0
–	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	0
–	Michael Andretti	American	McLaren	0
–	Ivan Capelli	Italian	Jordan	0

1993 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	McLaren	26
2	Williams	26
3	Lotus	7
4	Ligier	6
5	Benetton	6
6	Minardi	4
7	Sauber	2
8	Ferrari	1
–	Larrousse	0
–	Footwork	0
–	Jordan	0
–	Lola	0
–	Tyrrell	0

1993 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1993 South African Grand Prix	Kyalami, Midrand	14 March
2	1993 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	28 March
3	1993 European Grand Prix	Donington Park, Castle Donington	11 April
4	1993 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	25 April
5	1993 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	9 May
6	1993 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	23 May
7	1993 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	13 June
8	1993 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	4 July
9	1993 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	11 July
10	1993 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	25 July
11	1993 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	15 August
12	1993 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	29 August
13	1993 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	12 September
14	1993 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	26 September
15	1993 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	24 October
16	1993 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	7 November