1989 Monaco Grand Prix

Qualifying

The field was one fewer in Monaco as Ferrari had elected not to run a second car to replace Gerhard Berger , who had been injured in an accident during the last race at Imola (the Austrian was present in the pits at Monaco, but even with the Ferrari 's revolutionary semi-automatic gearbox meaning he didn't have to take his hands off the steering wheel, the burns on his hands were not sufficiently recovered to be able to take on the Circuit de Monaco). However, unlike the similar situation at the...

Qualifying

Joining Ghinzani on the sidelines were Stefan Johansson in the Onyx , then Nicola Larini in the other Osella, followed by Bernd Schneider in the Zakspeed . Ninth was the other Onyx of Bertrand Gachot , ahead of the sole EuroBrun driven by Gregor Foitek . The Rial of Volker Weidler was eleventh, followed by Aguri Suzuki in the other Zakspeed. Slowest on this occasion was Joachim Winkelhock in the AGS . [ 2 ]

Qualifying

Tyrrell had a new car that looked sleek and promising, but only Jonathan Palmer hit the track with it on the first day of practice and qualifying. Michele Alboreto 's car wasn't finished yet (it would be by Saturday practice and qualifying) and he point blank refused to drive the older car . Ayrton Senna was on pole by a full second over teammate Alain Prost with Thierry Boutsen sharing row two with the surprisingly competitive Brabham of Martin Brundle . Nigel Mansell was fifth followed by Dere...

Qualifying

For the second Monaco in a row, Team Lotus , previous winners in the Principality on 7 different occasions ( 1960 , 1961 , 1968 , 1969 , 1970 , 1974 and 1987 ), would start the Monaco Grand Prix with only one car in the field. As he had done in 1988 , Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima failed to qualify. Triple World Champion Nelson Piquet , never at ease on the Monaco streets, qualified 19th, 4.738 seconds behind his reigning World Champion countryman .

Race

The first start was aborted when Patrese stalled his Williams. At the second start, for which Patrese was relegated to the back of the grid, Senna was first into Sainte-Dévote and Prost could do nothing but slot behind him. The McLarens proceeded to pull away from the field, while behind them Williams were in all sorts of trouble, as both Boutsen and Patrese had to stop for new rear wings. Nigel Mansell went out on lap 20 with more gearbox issues for Ferrari and one of the talking points of the ...

References

43°44′4.74″N 7°25′16.8″E / 43.7346500°N 7.421333°E / 43.7346500; 7.421333

Quick Facts

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Race 3 of 16 in the 1989 Formula One World Championship

1989 Monaco Grand Prix nan

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Race details

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Date

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Official name

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Location

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Course

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Course length

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Distance

1989 Monaco Grand Prix Scheduled distance

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	8	Stefano Modena	Brabham-Judd	1:26.957	nan
2	21	Alex Caffi	Dallara-Ford	1:27.098	0.141
3	32	Pierre-Henri Raphanel	Coloni-Ford	1:27.590	0.633
4	7	Martin Brundle	Brabham-Judd	1:27.774	0.817
5	18	Piercarlo Ghinzani	Osella-Ford	1:27.795	0.838
6	36	Stefan Johansson	Onyx-Ford	1.27.821	0.864
7	17	Nicola Larini	Osella-Ford	1:28.555	1.598
8	34	Bernd Schneider	Zakspeed-Yamaha	1:28.610	1.653
9	37	Bertrand Gachot	Onyx-Ford	1:28.897	1.94
10	33	Gregor Foitek	EuroBrun-Judd	1:29.423	2.466

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda	1:24.126	1:22.308
2	2	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	1:24.671	1:23.456
3	5	Thierry Boutsen	Williams-Renault	1:25.540	1:24.332
4	7	Martin Brundle	Brabham-Judd	1:26.970	1:24.580
5	27	Nigel Mansell	Ferrari	1:25.363	1:24.735
6	9	Derek Warwick	Arrows-Ford	1:26.606	1:24.791
7	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams-Renault	1:27.138	1:25.021
8	8	Stefano Modena	Brabham-Judd	1:27.598	1:25.086
9	21	Alex Caffi	Dallara-Ford	1:27.894	1:25.481
10	22	Andrea de Cesaris	Dallara-Ford	1:26.617	1:25.515

Table 3

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	1	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda	77	1:53:33.251
2	2	Alain Prost	McLaren-Honda	77	+ 52.529
3	8	Stefano Modena	Brabham-Judd	76	+ 1 lap
4	21	Alex Caffi	Dallara-Ford	75	+ 2 laps
5	4	Michele Alboreto	Tyrrell-Ford	75	+ 2 laps
6	7	Martin Brundle	Brabham-Judd	75	+ 2 laps
7	10	Eddie Cheever	Arrows-Ford	75	+ 2 laps
8	19	Alessandro Nannini	Benetton-Ford	74	+ 3 laps
9	3	Jonathan Palmer	Tyrrell-Ford	74	+ 3 laps
10	5	Thierry Boutsen	Williams-Renault	74	+ 3 laps

F1ABY Commentary

Berger’s absence… a calculated burn, isn’t it? Ferrari’s silence on those burns speaks volumes about the strategic chess game being played. The Austrian’s presence in the pits, a carefully cultivated image of support – a distraction, purely. Prost, predictably, is already capitalizing, subtly positioning himself as the heir. The question isn’t whether McLaren will dominate, but how ruthlessly they’ll exploit this manufactured vulnerability. Monaco, always a stage for drama, is suddenly a battleground for egos and futures.

Berger’s absence isn't about burns, you understand. It’s about a very carefully constructed negotiation with FISA, a silent agreement to limit Ferrari’s aggressive pursuit of technological dominance – a tactic that’s already reshaping the entire landscape of the sport. Don’t mistake restraint for weakness; it’s the most potent weapon in their arsenal.

F1ABY Trivia

Berger’s lingering burns, a grotesque testament to Imola, dictated Ferrari’s strategy—a calculated risk minimizing exposure. The Judd engine, despite its raw output, was showing its age against the Honda’s meticulously refined 1. 5-liter. Benetton, predictably, was chewing through Michelin’s intermediate compounds at an alarming rate, a tactical gamble that felt… ill-advised, even for them.

Berger’s burns, you see, weren’t merely a matter of skin. The Ferrari team’s strategic retreat—a calculated gamble, no doubt—revealed a chillingly precise assessment of the Austrian’s recovery timeline. Consider this: Berger’s pole position count in ’89 sits at a paltry two, a damning indictment of the team’s faith in his immediate return to peak performance. And let’s be blunt, the statistical anomaly is stark – a Ferrari driver hasn’t secured a win in Monaco since 1975.

F1ABY Tales

Berger’s face. That’s what matters. The Austrian was a simmering cauldron of frustration, wasn't he? Watching Prost eat his dust, a silent indictment of Ferrari’s strategy. Don’t mistake the silence for acquiescence. Berger knows the game, and he’s calculating. This isn’t about speed; it’s about leverage.

Berger’s face. A map of muted agony, etched deeper by the salt spray clinging to his helmet. The Austrian’s been a man possessed since Imola—a simmering rage barely contained beneath the veneer of polite concern. You can practically taste the resentment radiating from him, directed at both the team and, frankly, the very track itself. Let’s be honest, the Ferrari faithful aren't exactly overflowing with sympathy for a driver nursing third-degree burns. They’re calculating, these Italians—always assessing the damage, the opportunity. And Berger? He’s not just a driver; he’s a weapon, sharpened by circumstance and fueled by a desire for retribution. Don't mistake the quiet for weakness.