1994 Pacific Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

Michael Schumacher made it two wins from two races at the inaugural Pacific Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna‘s challenge ended at the first corner, while Gerhard Berger finished second and Rubens Barrichello delivered a first podium for both himself and Jordan.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ayrton Senna	Williams
Pole time	1:10.218
Fastest lap	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Fastest-lap time	1:14.023 on lap 10
First	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Second	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari
Third	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
14 April 1994	Familiarisation testing	Start time unconfirmed
15 April 1994	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
15 April 1994	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
16 April 1994	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
16 April 1994	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
17 April 1994	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
17 April 1994	Race	Start time unconfirmed

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

Championship background

Michael Schumacher arrived at round 2 leading the 1994 F1 World Championship on 10 points, with Damon Hill on 6. Benetton headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 10 points.

Race entries

Nicola Larini replaced the injured Jean Alesi at Ferrari, while Aguri Suzuki took Eddie Irvine‘s Jordan seat for this race as Eddie Irvine began his suspension. Jos Verstappen continued to deputise for JJ Lehto. The new TI Circuit-Aida gave the field an unfamiliar challenge for the season’s second round.

Thursday familiarisation

A ninety-minute Thursday familiarisation session introduced the drivers to the new venue. Michael Schumacher was fastest by more than a second from Ayrton Senna, providing an early indication that Benetton‘s Brazilian victory was no isolated performance. The session also gave the teams time to learn the tight circuit before the normal programme began.

Friday Free Practice

Ayrton Senna responded to Thursday’s Benetton pace by heading Friday practice, while Erik Comas produced a striking third-fastest time for Larrousse. Teams brought high-downforce arrangements for the sequence of slow corners. McLaren had revised its cooling after Brazil, but controlling engine temperatures remained a concern as it sought a more competitive weekend.

Friday Practice Classification

1994 Pacific Grand Prix Practice, 15 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:10.223	21
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.000s	21
3	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+2.007s	19
4	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+2.100s	20
5	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.499s	21
6	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+2.604s	21
7	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+2.880s	20
8	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+2.929s	21
9	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+3.201s	21
10	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+3.400s	15
11	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.435s	21
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+3.534s	21
13	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+3.555s	21
14	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+3.713s	21
15	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+3.761s	18
16	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+3.924s	13
17	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.952s	17
18	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+4.030s	12
19	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+4.134s	21
20	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	+4.213s	21
21	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+4.523s	22
22	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+4.700s	20
23	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+4.762s	21
24	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+4.870s	11
25	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+5.549s	15
26	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	+6.708s	19
27	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+6.995s	13
28	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	+9.374s	3

Friday Qualifying

Ayrton Senna‘s Friday lap secured pole, with Michael Schumacher again alongside him. Damon Hill and Häkkinen formed the second row, ahead of Gerhard Berger and Martin Brundle. Most drivers found their quickest times on the opening day, before the circuit became slower in Saturday’s heat.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1994 Pacific Grand Prix first qualifying session, 15 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:10.218	11
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:10.440	9
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:10.771	10
4	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:11.683	9
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:11.744	8
6	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	1:12.351	11
7	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	1:12.372	10
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:12.409	10
9	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	1:12.554	11
10	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:12.686	4
11	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:12.866	10
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:13.013	11
13	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:13.013	11
14	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:13.111	10
15	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:13.169	11
16	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:13.342	11
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:13.529	7
18	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	1:13.613	8
19	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:13.855	11
20	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	1:14.036	10
21	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:14.101	11
22	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:14.106	9
23	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:14.538	11
24	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:14.657	11
25	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:14.946	11
26	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:16.927	10
27	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:18.671	11

Saturday Free Practice

Michael Schumacher led Saturday practice as hotter conditions made the surface more slippery. Tyre wear was becoming an important limitation, and outright speed had to be weighed against the rubber available for the race. Pacific‘s attempts to qualify were undermined by repeated engine failures across the weekend, leaving both drivers short of productive running.

Saturday Practice Classification

1994 Pacific Grand Prix Practice, 16 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:11.852	17
2	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	+0.215s	21
3	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.085s	21
4	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+1.169s	22
5	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.249s	21
6	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+1.371s	21
7	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+1.761s	21
8	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+1.839s	21
9	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+1.864s	20
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.967s	21
11	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+2.165s	21
12	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+2.264s	21
13	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+2.288s	12
14	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+2.471s	20
15	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+2.513s	4
16	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	+2.674s	21
17	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+2.686s	21
18	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+2.862s	21
19	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+2.954s	13
20	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+2.985s	20
21	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.110s	21
22	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.156s	13
23	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+3.756s	21
24	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+3.984s	21
25	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+4.094s	21
26	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	+4.437s	17
27	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	+6.684s	5
28	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+6.734s	11

Saturday Qualifying

Damon Hill headed Saturday qualifying, but his time could not challenge Friday’s benchmarks. The McLarens did not set times in the final session, preserving tyres. Both Simteks qualified, with Roland Ratzenberger securing his first start, while Bertrand Gachot and Paul Belmondo missed the cut for Pacific.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1994 Pacific Grand Prix second qualifying session, 16 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:12.048	5
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:12.184	11
3	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:12.444	11
4	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	1:12.681	11
5	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:12.751	10
6	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:12.797	12
7	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:13.016	9
8	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:13.090	11
9	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:13.172	2
10	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:13.411	11
11	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:13.550	10
12	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:13.756	11
13	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	1:13.932	11
14	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:14.163	10
15	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	1:14.204	7
16	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:14.271	9
17	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:14.424	9
18	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:14.667	7
19	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:14.748	11
20	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:15.146	9
21	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	1:16.356	7
22	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:17.450	7
23	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:18.571	5
24	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:19.304	4
25	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	5:32.428	2

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	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:10.218	1:19.304	1:10.218	15
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:10.440	no time	1:10.440	18
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:10.771	1:12.048	1:10.771	15
4	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:11.683	no time	1:11.683	18
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:11.744	1:12.184	1:11.744	19
6	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	1:12.351	no time	1:12.351	22
7	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	1:12.372	5:32.428	1:12.372	12
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	1:12.409	1:13.172	1:12.409	12
9	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:13.169	1:12.444	1:12.444	22
10	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	1:12.554	1:12.681	1:12.554	22
11	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:12.686	1:12.797	1:12.686	16
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:13.013	1:12.751	1:12.751	21
13	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:12.866	1:13.090	1:12.866	21
14	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:13.013	1:13.411	1:13.013	22
15	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:13.342	1:13.016	1:13.016	20
16	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	1:13.111	1:13.550	1:13.111	20
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:13.529	1:13.756	1:13.529	18
18	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	1:13.613	1:14.204	1:13.613	15
19	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:13.855	1:14.163	1:13.855	21
20	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	1:14.036	1:13.932	1:13.932	21
21	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:14.101	1:14.271	1:14.101	20
22	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:14.106	1:14.667	1:14.106	16
23	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:14.538	1:14.424	1:14.424	20
24	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:14.657	1:15.146	1:14.657	20
25	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:14.946	1:14.748	1:14.748	22
26	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	no time	1:16.356	1:16.356	18
DNQ	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:16.927	1:18.571	1:16.927	15
DNQ	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:18.671	1:17.450	1:17.450	18

Sunday warm-up

Ayrton Senna narrowly headed Damon Hill in the warm-up, giving Williams an encouraging final session. For the race, Martin Brundle and Rubens Barrichello chose harder tyres than most of their rivals, seeking a different balance between durability and pace. Häkkinen selected the spare McLaren with the older engine specification in the hope of greater reliability.

Warm-up Classification

1994 Pacific Grand Prix Warm-up, 17 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:12.872	10
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+0.044s	12
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+0.781s	17
4	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+0.793s	11
5	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.872s	8
6	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+0.953s	12
7	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+0.962s	10
8	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.224s	13
9	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+1.244s	18
10	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.276s	11
11	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+1.325s	12
12	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+1.363s	11
13	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+1.735s	14
14	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+1.765s	16
15	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+1.888s	6
16	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+1.896s	16
17	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+2.049s	11
18	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	+2.168s	16
19	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	+2.640s	3
20	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+2.911s	12
21	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.004s	11
22	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+3.311s	12
23	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+3.763s	6
24	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.892s	18
25	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+3.903s	16
26	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	+4.238s	10

What happened in the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix?

Michael Schumacher beat Ayrton Senna into the first corner. Häkkinen then struck the rear of the Williams, spinning Ayrton Senna into the path of Nicola Larini and eliminating both. Damon Hill‘s attempt to pass Häkkinen soon ended in a spin, leaving Michael Schumacher free to build a substantial lead.

Damon Hill recovered through the field and briefly reached second before a transmission failure ended his afternoon. Both McLarens also retired, Häkkinen with hydraulic trouble and Martin Brundle after running in podium contention. Michael Schumacher led every lap and completed another convincing victory.

Gerhard Berger took second, with Rubens Barrichello third on a landmark day for Jordan. Christian Fittipaldi, Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Erik Comas completed the points. Roland Ratzenberger finished eleventh in the Simtek, his only Grand Prix finish. Michael Schumacher now had twenty points, while Ayrton Senna remained without a score after two successive poles.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 20 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello on 7. Benetton led the constructors’ table on 20, with Ferrari on 10.

1994 Pacific Grand Prix race results

The 1994 Pacific Grand Prix was held on 17 April 1994, with a scheduled start of Start time unconfirmed local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	83	1:46:01.693	10
2	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	83	+ 1:15.300	6
3	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	82	+ 1 lap	4
4	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	82	+ 1 lap	3
5	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	82	+ 1 lap	2
6	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	80	+ 3 laps	1
7	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	80	+ 3 laps	0
8	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	79	+ 4 laps	0
9	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	78	+ 5 laps	0
10	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	78	+ 5 laps	0
11	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	78	+ 5 laps	0
Ret	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	69	Engine/Spun off	0
Ret	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	69	Collision damage	0
Ret	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	69	Collision	0
Ret	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	67	Overheating	0
Ret	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	63	Spun off	0
Ret	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	54	Spun off	0
Ret	0	Damon Hill	Williams	49	Transmission	0
Ret	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	44	Steering	0
Ret	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	42	Engine	0
Ret	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	19	Gearbox	0
Ret	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	14	Electrical	0
Ret	31	David Brabham	Simtek	2	Electrical	0
Ret	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	0	Collision	0
Ret	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	0	Collision	0
Ret	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	0	Collision	0

1994 Pacific Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	10	1:14.023
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	45	1:14.348
3	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	54	1:14.684
4	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	8	1:14.697
5	6	Jos Verstappen	Benetton	49	1:15.257
6	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	24	1:15.931
7	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	44	1:15.994
8	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	64	1:16.061
9	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	3	1:16.120
10	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	51	1:16.239
11	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	32	1:16.304
12	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	40	1:16.482
13	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	56	1:16.639
14	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	27	1:16.651
15	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	2	1:16.795
16	15	Aguri Suzuki	Jordan	32	1:17.015
17	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	45	1:17.390
18	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	29	1:17.775
19	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	9	1:17.880
20	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	12	1:18.527
21	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	9	1:19.248
22	31	David Brabham	Simtek	2	1:19.401

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

1994 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings

Championship standings after the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix.

1994 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	20
2	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	7
3	Damon Hill	British	Williams	6
4	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	6
5	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	4
6	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Footwork	3
7	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	2
8	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	2
9	Érik Comas	French	Larrousse	1
10	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	1
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	0
–	Pedro Lamy	Portuguese	Lotus	0
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Ligier	0
–	Éric Bernard	French	Ligier	0
–	Roland Ratzenberger	Austrian	Simtek	0
–	David Brabham	Australian	Simtek	0
–	Gianni Morbidelli	Italian	Footwork	0
–	Ayrton Senna	Brazilian	Williams	0
–	Martin Brundle	British	McLaren	0
–	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Eddie Irvine	British	Jordan	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Benetton	0
–	Mark Blundell	British	Tyrrell	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Jordan	0
–	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	0
–	Olivier Beretta	Monegasque	Larrousse	0
–	Nicola Larini	Italian	Ferrari	0
–	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Pacific	0

1994 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Benetton	20
2	Ferrari	10
3	Jordan	7
4	Williams	6
5	Footwork	3
6	Sauber	3
7	Tyrrell	2
8	Larrousse	1
–	Lotus	0
–	Minardi	0
–	Ligier	0
–	Simtek	0
–	McLaren	0
–	Pacific	0

1994 Formula 1 Race Calendar

Round	Grand Prix	Circuit	Date
1	1994 Brazilian Grand Prix	Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo	27 March
2	1994 Pacific Grand Prix	TI Circuit-Aida, Aida	17 April
3	1994 San Marino Grand Prix	Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola	1 May
4	1994 Monaco Grand Prix	Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo	15 May
5	1994 Spanish Grand Prix	Circuit de Catalunya, Montmeló	29 May
6	1994 Canadian Grand Prix	Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, Montréal	12 June
7	1994 French Grand Prix	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Magny-Cours	3 July
8	1994 British Grand Prix	Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone	10 July
9	1994 German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring, Hockenheim	31 July
10	1994 Hungarian Grand Prix	Hungaroring, Mogyoród	14 August
11	1994 Belgian Grand Prix	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot	28 August
12	1994 Italian Grand Prix	Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza	11 September
13	1994 Portuguese Grand Prix	Autódromo do Estoril, Estoril	25 September
14	1994 European Grand Prix	Circuito de Jerez, Jerez de la Frontera	16 October
15	1994 Japanese Grand Prix	Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka	6 November
16	1994 Australian Grand Prix	Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide	13 November