1990 Japanese Grand Prix

Pre-race

Before the race, Brabham announced that they would use Yamaha engines for 1991, while Footwork announced a Porsche engine deal for 1991 and retained both their 1990 drivers, Alex Caffi and Michele Alboreto. Prior to the race, the Life Racing Engines and EuroBrun teams withdrew from the sport. EuroBrun's Roberto Moreno joined the Benetton team replacing the previous year's race winner Alessandro Nannini, who was unable to attend the race following a helicopter crash that also ended his Formula One career, one week after the Spanish Grand Prix. Jean Alesi did not start after suffering a neck injury during Friday's practice. As his grid position was left empty, this was the third consecutive race to have only 25 starters instead of the usual 26. Nigel Mansell also announced a U-turn on his decision to retire by making public his agreement to join Williams-Renault for two years from 1991 after being given assurances from Frank Williams, Patrick Head, and Renault that they could deliver him a car in which he could win a World Championship and that he would be the team's undisputed No. 1 driver. On Saturday, Soichiro Honda, the founder of Honda, met Ayrton Senna in the McLaren pit.

Qualifying

Qualifying report

After the withdrawal of the EuroBrun and Life teams, there was no need for a pre-qualifying session as only 30 cars remained in the event. The four drivers relieved of the necessity to pre-qualify, Yannick Dalmas, Gabriele Tarquini (both AGS), Olivier Grouillard (Osella) and Bertrand Gachot (Coloni) were ultimately the four drivers that failed to qualify for the race. Gachot crashed heavily in the Friday session. Roberto Moreno, who had left EuroBrun and joined Benetton, qualified easily in ninth position.

Qualifying classification

Race

Race report

Ayrton Senna qualified on pole but was unhappy with the dirty side of the track it was situated on, arguing that pole should always be on the racing line. He and Gerhard Berger then went to the Japanese stewards to request a change of position of pole to the cleaner left side of the track. The stewards initially agreed but an injunction by FISA president Jean Marie Balestre later that night rejected the decision and the original pole position remained on the dirtier right side of the track. In addition, the FIA had warned that crossing the yellow line of the pit exit on the right to better position oneself at the first corner would not be permitted, further infuriating Senna. At the start, Prost took the lead but Senna attempted to take the inside line into the first corner. The two drivers made contact, sending both off the track and into instant retirement. The crash meant that Senna had clinched the Drivers' Championship for a second time, as with one race left in the season, Prost could not overtake his points tally. Benetton-Ford's dominance of the podium prevented Ferrari from scoring enough points to stop McLaren clinching its sixth constructors' title. After the collision, the race proceeded with Gerhard Berger's McLaren MP4/5B leading and Nigel Mansell's Ferrari 641 second. On lap 2, Berger spun off at the first corner on sand thrown onto the track by the Senna/Prost collision, leaving Mansell to lead the race from the two Benettons of Nelson Piquet and Roberto Moreno. Anticipating that Benetton would follow their usual strategy of not making a pit stop, Mansell built up a gap until he pitted for tyres at the end of lap 26. After a quick stop, he left his box with heavy wheelspin, and a driveshaft failed. The Ferrari pulled over at the end of the pit lane and retired. Piquet inherited the lead and retained it until the chequered flag, with his teammate Moreno following closely, achieving Benetton's first one-two finish. Aguri Suzuki also drove a non-stop race, finishing third, the first Japanese driver to do so. The two Williams FW13B-Renaults of Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen finished fourth and fifth, while Satoru Nakajima finished sixth in a Tyrrell 019, the second Japanese driver in the points. Both Suzuki and Moreno achieved their only career podiums in Formula One.

Reaction

Prost and Senna discussed the event afterwards, with Senna claiming it was not how he wanted it but how it had to be. Prost was infuriated by this, and described the move as "disgusting" and Senna as "a man without value". He later said that he almost retired from the sport instantly after the incident.

After winning his third and final World Championship in 1991, Senna admitted that his move was deliberate, and that it was a payback for 1989. The pair went on to win one more championship each (Senna in 1991 and Prost in 1993) and eventually reconciled their differences on the podium in their final race together at the 1993 Australian Grand Prix.

In a discussion with his fellow Grand Prix commentator Murray Walker at the BBC in 1991, 1976 World Champion James Hunt defended Senna, stating that Senna had been improprerly blamed for not only last year's collision, but also this collision, and that Prost was at fault for not letting Senna have any room in both incidents:

Race classification

Championship standings after the race

• Bold text indicates World Champions. ;Drivers' Championship standings

;Constructors' Championship standings

• Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References

References

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2. (5 October 2022). "Formula 1 Honda Japanese Grand Prix 2022 – Media Kit". Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile.
3. (September 2023). ["Podium by one-two Brazil"](https://www.statsf1.com/en/statistiques/nation/podium/double-detail.aspx?idnation=7 https://www.statsf1.com/pt/statistiques/nation/podium/double-detail.aspx?idNation=7 Estatísticas Nações – Podiums – Por dobradinha – Brasil • STATS F1).
4. starrgarage. (2 May 2009). "Sankyūberimatchi nanbā 1! Nanbā 1!".
5. Walker, Murray. (1990). "Murray Walker's Grand Prix Year". Hazleton Publishing.
6. Galloway, James. (1 May 2014). "'The world saw him as a McLaren man' – Maurice Hamilton on his new Senna book".
7. Schuler, Oskar. (September 2004). "Alain Prost Grand Prix Homepage – Suzuka Special Part 3".
8. Tremayne, David. (7 July 2014). "The other side of Senna — his rage at Prost and Suzuka 1990".
9. Collantine, Keith. (21 October 2010). "Senna clinches second world championship by taking Prost out – RaceFans".
10. Tremayne, David. (2014-07-07). "Storms over Suzuka".
11. (2 June 1991). "Senna blows his top at Suzuka".
12. Collantine, Keith. (20 November 2015). "'If you no longer go for a gap which exists you are no longer a racing driver'".
13. Graham, Brett. (21 October 2020). "Why F1 legend fronted Aussie after 'disgusting' accident".
14. Guest, Spencer. (2002). "Adelaide 1993".
15. BBC, Sport. (1991). "James Hunt blames Alain Prost for 1990 Suzuka crash with Ayrton Senna".
16. (21 October 1990). "1990 Japanese Grand Prix".
17. (21 October 1990). "1990 Japanese Grand Prix – Race Results & History".
18. (21 October 1990). "Japan 1990 ".