1993 Portuguese Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher won the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix, but Alain Prost had the greater prize to celebrate. Second place secured Alain Prost‘s fourth World Championship, while Damon Hill recovered from a start-line problem to complete the podium.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Damon Hill	Williams
Pole time	1:11.494
Fastest lap	Damon Hill	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:14.859 on lap 68
First	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Second	Alain Prost	Williams
Third	Damon Hill	Williams

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
24 September 1993	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
24 September 1993	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
25 September 1993	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
25 September 1993	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
26 September 1993	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
26 September 1993	Race	Start time unconfirmed

All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.

Championship background

Alain Prost arrived at round 14 leading the 1993 F1 World Championship on 81 points, with Damon Hill on 58. Williams headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 139 points.

Alain Prost announced during the weekend that he would retire at the end of the season. With a fourth title within reach, Estoril offered the chance to complete his comeback year with the championship secured before the final two races.

Race entries

Häkkinen replaced Michael Andretti at McLaren, and Emanuele Naspetti took over the second Jordan from Apicella. Pedro Lamy made his first home Grand Prix appearance for Lotus. Scuderia Italia was preparing for its final race before withdrawing from the remaining overseas rounds.

Friday Free Practice

Alain Prost led Friday practice, but Häkkinen immediately attracted attention by narrowly beating Ayrton Senna to second. The Finn had spent the season testing for McLaren and now had a race seat in which to show his progress. Elsewhere, Lotus struggled with rear grip, making the home weekend a demanding one for Pedro Lamy.

Friday Practice Classification

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 24 September 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:13.040	—
2	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.817s	—
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+0.828s	—
4	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+1.135s	—
5	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.701s	—
6	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+2.114s	—
7	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+2.249s	—
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.387s	—
9	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+2.796s	—
10	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+2.940s	—
11	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+3.052s	—
12	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+3.252s	—
13	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+3.254s	—
14	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+3.473s	—
15	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+3.937s	—
16	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+4.048s	—
17	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+4.183s	—
18	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+4.221s	—
19	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+4.400s	—
20	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+4.427s	—
21	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	+4.680s	—
22	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+4.774s	—
23	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+4.831s	—
24	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+4.854s	—
25	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+5.556s	—
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	+6.011s	—

Friday Qualifying

Alain Prost headed Friday qualifying from Damon Hill. Ayrton Senna beat Häkkinen by only 0.002 seconds, an immediate indication that McLaren‘s new pairing would be closely matched. Michael Schumacher was fifth, ahead of Jean Alesi.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix first qualifying session, 24 September 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:11.683	12
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:12.290	12
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:12.954	11
4	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:12.956	12
5	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:13.403	12
6	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:13.682	12
7	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:14.159	12
8	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:14.206	12
9	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:14.591	12
10	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:14.779	12
11	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	1:14.978	12
12	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:15.016	12
13	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:15.200	12
14	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:15.479	12
15	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:15.831	8
16	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:15.942	12
17	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:15.968	12
18	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:16.072	12
19	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:16.417	12
20	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:16.651	12
21	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:16.655	12
22	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:16.777	12
23	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:17.198	11
24	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:17.778	12
25	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	1:17.845	11
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:19.064	12

Saturday Free Practice

Alain Prost was quickest again on Saturday morning, while Ayrton Senna moved ahead of Häkkinen. Ferrari lacked the sharpness it had shown at Monza: Jean Alesi wrestled with understeer and Gerhard Berger continued encountering suspension trouble. Benetton was also unsettled under braking, leaving Michael Schumacher with more to solve before the race than his eventual victory might suggest.

Saturday Practice Classification

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix Practice, 25 September 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:12.445	—
2	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+0.989s	—
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+1.020s	—
4	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.372s	—
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+2.003s	—
6	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.097s	—
7	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+2.310s	—
8	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+2.343s	—
9	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.440s	—
10	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+2.818s	—
11	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+2.990s	—
12	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+3.016s	—
13	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+3.042s	—
14	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+3.246s	—
15	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+3.250s	—
16	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.326s	—
17	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+3.396s	—
18	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.875s	—
19	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+3.968s	—
20	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+4.681s	—
21	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	+4.876s	—
22	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+5.059s	—
23	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+5.080s	—
24	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+5.511s	—
25	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	+5.584s	—
26	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	No time	—

Saturday Qualifying

Damon Hill took pole on Saturday, while Alain Prost retained second through his Friday time after an off disrupted his final session. Häkkinen beat Ayrton Senna by 0.048 seconds for third on his McLaren race debut. Jean Alesi and Michael Schumacher completed the third row.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix second qualifying session, 25 September 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:11.494	12
2	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:12.443	11
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:12.491	12
4	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:12.762	7
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:13.101	12
6	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:13.863	8
7	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:13.933	12
8	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:14.135	9
9	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:14.388	12
10	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:14.577	12
11	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:14.708	12
12	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	1:14.833	12
13	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:15.070	12
14	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:15.183	10
15	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:15.433	12
16	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:15.491	12
17	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:15.904	12
18	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:15.920	12
19	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:16.144	11
20	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:16.186	12
21	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:16.323	12
22	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	1:16.566	12
23	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:16.864	12
24	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:16.998	12
25	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:17.118	9
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:17.739	12

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	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:12.290	1:11.494	1:11.494	—
2	2	Alain Prost	Williams	1:11.683	1:12.762	1:11.683	—
3	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:12.956	1:12.443	1:12.443	—
4	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	1:12.954	1:12.491	1:12.491	—
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:13.682	1:13.101	1:13.101	—
6	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:13.403	1:14.135	1:13.403	—
7	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	1:14.206	1:13.863	1:13.863	—
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:14.159	1:13.933	1:13.933	—
9	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	1:15.200	1:14.388	1:14.388	—
10	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	1:14.591	1:14.577	1:14.577	—
11	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	1:14.779	1:14.708	1:14.708	—
12	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	1:14.978	1:14.833	1:14.833	—
13	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:15.016	1:15.070	1:15.016	—
14	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:15.831	1:15.183	1:15.183	—
15	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:15.479	1:15.433	1:15.433	—
16	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	1:15.968	1:15.491	1:15.491	—
17	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	1:16.072	1:15.904	1:15.904	—
18	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:17.198	1:15.920	1:15.920	—
19	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:15.942	1:16.323	1:15.942	—
20	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	1:16.777	1:16.144	1:16.144	—
21	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:16.655	1:16.186	1:16.186	—
22	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	1:16.417	1:16.998	1:16.417	—
23	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	1:17.845	1:16.566	1:16.566	—
24	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	1:16.651	1:16.864	1:16.651	—
25	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	1:17.778	1:17.118	1:17.118	—
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	1:19.064	1:17.739	1:17.739	—

Sunday warm-up

Damon Hill led the warm-up from Alain Prost, but Michael Schumacher remained unhappy with his race car’s behaviour and chose the spare with different settings. The race would take place in warm sunshine. That combination of setup decisions and tyre strategy would be important, with Benetton ultimately making a single tyre stop work against the Williams pair.

Warm-up Classification

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix Warm-up, 26 September 1993

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:15.773	—
2	2	Alain Prost	Williams	+0.241s	—
3	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	+0.720s	—
4	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	+0.987s	—
5	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+0.996s	—
6	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.019s	—
7	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+1.215s	—
8	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	+1.701s	—
9	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	+1.812s	—
10	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	+1.909s	—
11	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	+1.953s	—
12	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.977s	—
13	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	+2.000s	—
14	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	+2.216s	—
15	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+2.379s	—
16	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+2.898s	—
17	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	+2.913s	—
18	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+2.966s	—
19	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	+3.048s	—
20	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+3.133s	—
21	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+3.475s	—
22	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+3.605s	—
23	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	+4.624s	—
24	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	+4.791s	—
25	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	+5.060s	—
26	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	+5.947s	—

What happened in the 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix?

Damon Hill could not get away for the formation lap and had to start from the back. Jean Alesi made a superb start to lead the McLarens, with Alain Prost and Michael Schumacher behind. Damon Hill began an energetic recovery while the leaders pursued different tyre strategies.

Ayrton Senna retired with engine trouble, and Häkkinen’s promising debut ended in a crash. Michael Schumacher stopped once and emerged ahead of Alain Prost after the Williams stops. Alain Prost closed in during the final stages, but Michael Schumacher managed traffic well enough to preserve the lead.

Michael Schumacher won by less than a second, with Alain Prost‘s runner-up finish enough to confirm his fourth title. Damon Hill recovered to third, followed by Jean Alesi, Karl Wendlinger and Martin Brundle. For Alain Prost, the championship completed the purpose of his return; for Michael Schumacher, it was a second career victory.

After the race, Alain Prost headed the drivers’ standings with 87 points, followed by Damon Hill on 62. Williams led the constructors’ table on 149, with Benetton on 72.

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix race results

The 1993 Portuguese Grand Prix was held on 26 September 1993, with a scheduled start of Start time unconfirmed local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	71	1:32:46.309	10
2	2	Alain Prost	Williams	71	+ 0.982	6
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	71	+ 8.206	4
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	71	+ 1:07.605	3
5	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	70	+ 1 lap	2
6	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	70	+ 1 lap	1
7	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	69	+ 2 laps	0
8	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	69	+ 2 laps	0
9	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	69	+ 2 laps	0
10	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	69	+ 2 laps	0
11	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	68	+ 3 laps	0
12	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	68	+ 3 laps	0
13	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	68	+ 3 laps	0
14	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	68	+ 3 laps	0
15	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	63	Collision	0
16	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	63	Collision	0
Ret	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	61	Spun off	0
Ret	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	60	Spun off	0
Ret	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	51	Collision	0
Ret	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	38	Gearbox	0
Ret	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	35	Suspension/accident	0
Ret	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	32	Accident	0
Ret	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	27	Gearbox	0
Ret	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	19	Engine	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	12	Spun off	0
Ret	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	8	Engine	0

1993 Portuguese Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	68	1:14.859
2	2	Alain Prost	Williams	45	1:15.780
3	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	56	1:16.201
4	26	Mark Blundell	Ligier	47	1:16.793
5	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	51	1:16.806
6	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	39	1:17.114
7	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton	32	1:17.340
8	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier	40	1:17.638
9	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	40	1:17.694
10	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	59	1:17.758
11	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	31	1:17.992
12	30	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Sauber	47	1:18.069
13	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork	60	1:18.134
14	4	Andrea de Cesaris	Tyrrell	53	1:18.290
15	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren	17	1:18.365
16	23	Christian Fittipaldi	Minardi	68	1:18.581
17	19	Philippe Alliot	Larrousse	42	1:18.769
18	24	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	53	1:18.806
19	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	31	1:18.961
20	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	43	1:19.014
21	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	31	1:19.568
22	22	Luca Badoer	Lola	49	1:19.602
23	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork	22	1:20.446
24	21	Michele Alboreto	Lola	38	1:21.270
25	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	5	1:21.563
26	15	Emanuele Naspetti	Jordan	4	1:22.756

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 Portuguese Grand Prix.

1993 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Alain Prost	French	Williams	87
2	Damon Hill	British	Williams	62
3	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	McLaren	53
4	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	52
5	Riccardo Patrese	Italian	Benetton	20
6	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	13
7	Martin Brundle	British	Ligier	12
8	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	11
9	Mark Blundell	British	Ligier	10
10	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	10
11	Michael Andretti	American	McLaren	7
12	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	7
13	JJ Lehto	Finnish	Sauber	5
14	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Minardi	5
15	Derek Warwick	British	Footwork	4
16	Philippe Alliot	French	Larrousse	2
17	Fabrizio Barbazza	Italian	Minardi	2
18	Alessandro Zanardi	Italian	Lotus	1
19	Érik Comas	French	Larrousse	1
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	0
–	Luca Badoer	Italian	Lola	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Footwork	0
–	Thierry Boutsen	Belgian	Jordan	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Tyrrell	0
–	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	0
–	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Lola	0
–	Pedro Lamy	Portuguese	Lotus	0
–	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	0
–	Ivan Capelli	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Marco Apicella	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Emanuele Naspetti	Italian	Jordan	0

1993 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Williams	149
2	Benetton	72
3	McLaren	60
4	Ferrari	23
5	Ligier	22
6	Lotus	12
7	Sauber	12
8	Minardi	7
9	Footwork	4
10	Larrousse	3
–	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