1994 San Marino Grand Prix: F1 Race, Qualifying & Winners

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was overshadowed by the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger in qualifying and Ayrton Senna during the race. Michael Schumacher won ahead of Nicola Larini and Mika Häkkinen, but the sporting result became secondary to a weekend that changed Formula 1’s approach to safety.

Result	Driver / Time	Team
Pole position	Ayrton Senna	Williams
Pole time	1:21.548
Fastest lap	Damon Hill	Williams
Fastest-lap time	1:24.335 on lap 10
First	Michael Schumacher	Benetton
Second	Nicola Larini	Ferrari
Third	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren

Weekend Schedule

Date	Session	Local Time
29 April 1994	Practice 1	Morning; start time unconfirmed
29 April 1994	Qualifying 1	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
30 April 1994	Practice 2	Morning; start time unconfirmed
30 April 1994	Qualifying 2	Afternoon; start time unconfirmed
1 May 1994	Warm-up	Morning; start time unconfirmed
1 May 1994	Race	14:00

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 3 leading the 1994 F1 World Championship on 20 points, with Rubens Barrichello on 7. Benetton headed the constructors’ standings after the preceding race with 20 points.

Race entries

JJ Lehto returned from injury to make his first race appearance for Benetton, replacing Jos Verstappen. Andrea de Cesaris took over the second Jordan while Eddie Irvine continued his suspension. Nicola Larini remained at Ferrari in place of the recovering Jean Alesi.

Friday Free Practice

Ayrton Senna led Friday morning practice despite a spin. Williams had revised the front suspension and aerodynamic arrangement in an effort to improve the FW16’s difficult handling. Ferrari also brought changes aimed at reducing understeer. The opening session was a conventional search for performance, before the afternoon’s serious accident to Rubens Barrichello transformed the mood.

Friday Practice Classification

1994 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 29 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:21.598	22
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+1.157s	15
3	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+1.250s	22
4	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.469s	21
5	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+1.897s	19
6	6	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Benetton	+2.468s	21
7	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+2.591s	15
8	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+2.830s	16
9	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+2.851s	17
10	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	+2.910s	20
11	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+2.993s	12
12	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+3.064s	16
13	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+3.073s	22
14	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+3.249s	19
15	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+3.425s	17
16	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+3.921s	13
17	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+3.951s	18
18	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+3.991s	7
19	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+4.072s	22
20	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+4.251s	17
21	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+5.405s	22
22	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+5.410s	3
23	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	+5.508s	10
24	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+5.652s	10
25	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+6.065s	21
26	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	+6.319s	17
27	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+6.403s	17
28	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	+7.182s	23

Friday Qualifying

Friday qualifying was interrupted by Rubens Barrichello‘s heavy accident at Variante Bassa. His Jordan was launched into the barriers and overturned; prompt medical treatment was followed by hospital checks. He survived but could not continue the weekend. Ayrton Senna‘s lap of 1:21.548 eventually stood as the fastest of the session.

Friday Qualifying Classification

1994 San Marino Grand Prix first qualifying session, 29 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:21.548	10
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:22.015	7
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:22.110	35
4	6	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Benetton	1:22.717	10
5	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	1:22.841	6
6	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:23.119	10
7	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:23.199	9
8	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:23.611	11
9	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:23.663	10
10	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:23.703	10
11	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:23.788	11
12	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:24.000	11
13	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:24.078	11
14	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:24.276	12
15	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	1:24.443	4
16	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:24.655	11
17	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	1:24.678	11
18	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:24.996	11
19	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:25.114	11
20	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	1:25.234	10
21	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:26.295	5
22	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:26.453	11
23	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:27.179	5
24	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:27.607	5
25	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	1:27.657	11
26	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:27.732	11
27	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:28.361	12
28	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	14:57.323	1

Saturday Free Practice

Ayrton Senna again headed Saturday morning practice, with Michael Schumacher much closer than on Friday. Rubens Barrichello was absent after his qualifying accident and would take no further part in the event. Roland Ratzenberger and David Brabham had a minor coming-together during the morning; the subsequent fatal accident in qualifying made the day’s earlier running a subject of scrutiny.

Saturday Practice Classification

1994 San Marino Grand Prix Practice, 30 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:22.083	19
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+0.117s	22
3	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+1.151s	20
4	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+1.163s	21
5	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+1.313s	16
6	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+1.513s	20
7	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.649s	18
8	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+1.659s	22
9	6	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Benetton	+1.664s	22
10	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+1.774s	22
11	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	+1.930s	22
12	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.009s	22
13	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+2.264s	18
14	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+2.636s	21
15	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+2.962s	22
16	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+3.009s	22
17	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+3.495s	16
18	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+3.500s	22
19	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.558s	20
20	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+3.841s	17
21	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	+3.909s	22
22	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+4.408s	19
23	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+4.548s	22
24	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+4.821s	4
25	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	+5.288s	21
26	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	+6.352s	13
27	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+6.639s	9

Saturday Qualifying

Roland Ratzenberger suffered a fatal accident at Villeneuve during Saturday qualifying after a front-wing failure. The session was stopped, then resumed, although several drivers did not return to the track. Ayrton Senna‘s Friday time remained pole, ahead of Michael Schumacher and Gerhard Berger. Roland Ratzenberger had recorded a time within the qualifying limit; his place would remain empty.

Saturday Qualifying Classification

1994 San Marino Grand Prix second qualifying session, 30 April 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time	Laps
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:21.885	3
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:22.168	5
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:22.226	11
4	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	1:23.006	10
5	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	1:23.140	11
6	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:23.322	11
7	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:23.347	3
8	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:23.831	11
9	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	1:23.858	11
10	6	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Benetton	1:24.029	3
11	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:24.423	11
12	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:24.472	11
13	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:24.682	10
14	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:24.780	11
15	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1:24.852	11
16	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:25.141	12
17	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:25.160	5
18	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:25.295	11
19	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	1:25.872	10
20	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:25.991	9
21	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:26.817	5
22	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:27.143	10
23	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	1:27.584	5
24	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:27.881	12
25	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	1:40.411	4

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	1:21.548	no time	1:21.548	10
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	1:22.015	1:21.885	1:21.885	10
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	1:22.110	1:22.226	1:22.113	16
4	0	Damon Hill	Williams	1:23.199	1:22.168	1:22.168	14
5	6	JJ Lehto	Benetton	1:22.717	1:24.029	1:22.717	13
6	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	1:22.841	1:23.006	1:22.841	16
7	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	1:23.119	no time	1:23.119	10
8	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	1:23.611	1:23.140	1:23.140	22
9	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	1:24.000	1:23.322	1:23.322	22
10	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	1:23.788	1:23.347	1:23.347	14
11	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	1:23.663	1:24.682	1:23.663	20
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	1:23.703	1:23.831	1:23.703	21
13	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	1:24.443	1:23.858	1:23.858	15
14	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	1:24.078	1:24.423	1:24.078	22
15	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	1:24.276	1:24.780	1:24.276	23
16	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	1:24.655	1:24.472	1:24.472	22
17	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	1:24.678	1:40.411	1:24.678	15
18	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	1:26.295	1:24.852	1:24.852	16
19	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	1:24.996	1:25.160	1:24.996	16
20	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	1:25.114	1:25.141	1:25.114	23
21	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	1:25.234	1:25.872	1:25.234	20
22	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	1:26.453	1:25.295	1:25.295	22
23	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	1:27.179	1:25.991	1:25.991	14
24	31	David Brabham	Simtek	1:27.607	1:26.817	1:26.817	10
25	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	1:27.732	1:27.143	1:27.143	21
26	33	Paul Belmondo	Pacific	1:28.361	1:27.881	1:27.881	24
DNQ	14	Rubens Barrichello	Jordan	14:57.323	no time	14:57.323	1
WD	32	Roland Ratzenberger	Simtek	1:27.657	1:27.584	1:27.584	16

Paul Belmondo, the first alternate, was permitted to replace Ratzenberger. The entry was withdrawn out of respect to Ratzenberger before the race start.

Roland Ratzenberger suffered a fatal accident during qualifying, and the team withdrew the entry.

Sunday warm-up

Ayrton Senna set the fastest warm-up time on Sunday, while discussion among the drivers centred on safety after Roland Ratzenberger‘s death. Ayrton Senna, Gerhard Berger and others sought to revive collective representation through the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association. Concerns included the speed of safety-car running and the difficulty of maintaining tyre temperature before a restart.

Warm-up Classification

1994 San Marino Grand Prix Warm-up, 1 May 1994

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Time / Gap	Laps
1	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1:22.597	16
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams	+0.852s	14
3	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	+1.198s	9
4	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	+1.325s	11
5	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	+1.705s	13
6	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	+1.799s	14
7	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	+1.871s	13
8	6	Jyrki Jarvilehto	Benetton	+2.259s	6
9	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	+2.294s	11
10	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	+2.327s	16
11	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	+2.381s	12
12	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	+2.454s	13
13	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	+2.536s	8
14	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	+2.858s	12
15	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	+3.428s	14
16	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	+3.826s	12
17	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	+3.960s	12
18	31	David Brabham	Simtek	+4.283s	7
19	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	+4.309s	13
20	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	+4.483s	8
21	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	+5.026s	8
22	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	+5.793s	8
23	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	+6.177s	10
24	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	+20.390s	2

What happened in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix?

Lehto stalled at the start and was struck by Pedro Lamy‘s Lotus, with debris injuring spectators. The safety car led the field while the wreckage was cleared. Soon after racing resumed, Ayrton Senna crashed at Tamburello on lap seven. The race was stopped as he received treatment before being flown to hospital; his death was announced later that day.

The restarted race was decided on aggregate time from its two parts. Gerhard Berger briefly led on the road, but Michael Schumacher held the overall advantage and eventually controlled the contest. A further pit-lane accident occurred when a wheel detached from Michele Alboreto‘s Minardi and injured mechanics.

Michael Schumacher finished ahead of Nicola Larini, who scored his first points and only podium, with Häkkinen third. Karl Wendlinger, Ukyo Katayama and Damon Hill completed the points after a total of 58 classified laps. The deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna, alongside the weekend’s other injuries, prompted urgent examination of car and circuit safety and lasting changes to the sport.

After the race, Michael Schumacher headed the drivers’ standings with 30 points, followed by Damon Hill on 7. Benetton led the constructors’ table on 30, with Ferrari on 16.

1994 San Marino Grand Prix race results

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was held on 1 May 1994, with a scheduled start of 14:00 local time.

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Laps	Time / Retired	Pts.
1	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	58	1:28:28.642	10
2	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	58	+ 54.942	6
3	7	Mika Häkkinen	McLaren	58	+ 1:10.679	4
4	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	58	+ 1:13.658	3
5	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	57	+ 1 lap	2
6	0	Damon Hill	Williams	57	+ 1 lap	1
7	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	57	+ 1 lap	0
8	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	57	+ 1 lap	0
9	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	56	+ 2 laps	0
10	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	56	+ 2 laps	0
11	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	56	+ 2 laps	0
12	25	Éric Bernard	Ligier	55	+ 3 laps	0
13	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	54	Brakes/Spun off	0
Ret	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	49	Spun off	0
Ret	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	44	Wheel	0
Ret	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	40	Engine	0
Ret	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	37	Spun off	0
Ret	31	David Brabham	Simtek	27	Spun off	0
Ret	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	23	Engine	0
Ret	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	17	Engine	0
Ret	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	16	Suspension	0
Ret	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	5	Fatal accident	0
Ret	20	Érik Comas	Larrousse	5	Withdrew due to Senna’s crash	0
Ret	6	JJ Lehto	Benetton	0	Collision	0
Ret	11	Pedro Lamy	Lotus	0	Collision	0

1994 San Marino Grand Prix Fastest Laps

Pos.	No.	Driver	Team	Lap	Time
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams	10	1:24.335
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton	43	1:24.438
3	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	11	1:25.040
4	30	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	Sauber	12	1:25.307
5	10	Gianni Morbidelli	Footwork	12	1:25.652
6	29	Karl Wendlinger	Sauber	54	1:25.727
7	7	Mika Hakkinen	McLaren	18	1:25.737
8	8	Martin Brundle	McLaren	54	1:25.774
9	27	Nicola Larini	Ferrari	18	1:25.825
10	9	Christian Fittipaldi	Footwork	11	1:25.954
11	3	Ukyo Katayama	Tyrrell	11	1:26.176
12	4	Mark Blundell	Tyrrell	25	1:26.259
13	23	Pierluigi Martini	Minardi	21	1:27.221
14	15	Andrea de Cesaris	Jordan	38	1:27.627
15	26	Olivier Panis	Ligier	16	1:27.908
16	24	Michele Alboreto	Minardi	21	1:27.995
17	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus	10	1:28.032
18	25	Eric Bernard	Ligier	23	1:28.091
19	31	David Brabham	Simtek	10	1:28.613
20	19	Olivier Beretta	Larrousse	10	1:28.891
21	34	Bertrand Gachot	Pacific	12	1:29.094
22	2	Ayrton Senna	Williams	1	1:44.068
23	20	Erik Comas	Larrousse	1	1:58.505

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 San Marino Grand Prix.

1994 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings

POS	Driver	Nationality	Car	PTS
1	Michael Schumacher	German	Benetton	30
2	Damon Hill	British	Williams	7
3	Rubens Barrichello	Brazilian	Jordan	7
4	Gerhard Berger	Austrian	Ferrari	6
5	Nicola Larini	Italian	Ferrari	6
6	Mika Häkkinen	Finnish	McLaren	4
7	Jean Alesi	French	Ferrari	4
8	Karl Wendlinger	Austrian	Sauber	4
9	Ukyo Katayama	Japanese	Tyrrell	4
10	Christian Fittipaldi	Brazilian	Footwork	3
11	Heinz-Harald Frentzen	German	Sauber	2
12	Érik Comas	French	Larrousse	1
–	Johnny Herbert	British	Lotus	0
–	Pedro Lamy	Portuguese	Lotus	0
–	Martin Brundle	British	McLaren	0
–	Pierluigi Martini	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Olivier Panis	French	Ligier	0
–	Mark Blundell	British	Tyrrell	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
–	Michele Alboreto	Italian	Minardi	0
–	Andrea de Cesaris	Italian	Jordan	0
–	Eddie Irvine	British	Jordan	0
–	Jos Verstappen	Dutch	Benetton	0
–	Bertrand Gachot	Belgian	Pacific	0
–	Aguri Suzuki	Japanese	Jordan	0
–	Olivier Beretta	Monegasque	Larrousse	0
–	JJ Lehto	Finnish	Benetton	0

1994 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings

POS	Car	PTS
1	Benetton	30
2	Ferrari	16
3	Williams	7
4	Jordan	7
5	Sauber	6
6	McLaren	4
7	Tyrrell	4
8	Footwork	3
9	Larrousse	1
–	Lotus	0
–	Minardi	0
–	Ligier	0
–	Simtek	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