1990 German Grand Prix

Race

Senna's win put him back into the championship points lead, four ahead of Ferrari driver Alain Prost .

Qualifying

The Hockenheim circuit had been given all-new pits facilities with a wider pit lane, and a wider start-finish straight.

Qualifying

Here at Hockenheim, Ligier were comfortably first and second in the one-hour session, with Philippe Alliot outpacing team-mate Nicola Larini in their Ford -powered JS33Bs . Third fastest was Olivier Grouillard in the Osella, and Yannick Dalmas was fourth in his AGS. It was Grouillard's eighth pre-qualification from nine events, and Dalmas' third.

Those missing out on pre-qualification included fifth-placed Gabriele Tarquini in the other AGS, a second slower than his team-mate, and Roberto Moreno , sixth in the EuroBrun. Coloni, having parted ways with Subaru and their uncompetitive flat 12 engine, appeared with the modified but untested C3C , powered by a customer Cosworth DFR V8 engine. Bertrand Gachot spun the car during the session and damaged it, failing to pre-qualify for the ninth consecutive time this season. Also ending his invol...

Qualifying

After three straight wins by Ferraris Alain Prost, McLaren - Honda showed that they were back on top in qualifying. Honda promised McLaren a more powerful V10 engine at Hockenheim and McLaren had done some modifications to the MP4/5B chassis. Both parties delivered with pole man Senna and second placed Berger (only 0.2 seconds slower) the only drivers to lap in the 1:40's and they did this during the first qualifying session- an indication of the McLaren-Honda car's superior pace at one of the f...

Rounding out the top 10 were Nelson Piquet ( Benetton - Ford ), Jean Alesi ( Tyrrell - Ford ), Alessandro Nannini (Benetton-Ford) who had a fiery crash during Friday qualifying at the Bremsschikane 2 after riding a kerb and hitting the barrier hard enough to throw the car into the air and back onto the track causing the session to be stopped. Nannini survived the crash with little more than bruised pride. The 10th fastest qualifier was Ivan Capelli in the Leyton House - Judd . Such was the sprea...

Race

The circuit's fast nature resulted in several engine failures, although the four big teams of the era took all six points-paying positions. The first driver to retire with an engine failure was Michele Alboreto on lap 11, he was then followed out by Mauricio Gugelmin and David Brabham 2 laps later along with Pierluigi Martini in the only Minardi by lap 21. Also involved with the engine failures were Nelson Piquet in the Benetton on lap 24 and Satoru Nakajima in the Tyrrell one lap later.

Berger got a stronger start off the line than Senna did but the Brazilian was able to hold on to the lead through the first corner. Senna lead the first lap ahead of Berger, Prost, Mansell, Patrese and Piquet. The order of the top 6 remained the same until the 11th lap when Piquet made an attempt to pass Patrese in the Williams , but had to take an escape road and was overtaken for 6th by teammate Nannini as a result. Meanwhile Mansell in the second Ferrari missed his braking point at the Ostkur...

Both Onyx Grand Prix teammates JJ Lehto and Gregor Foitek both got their renamed Monteverdi ORE-1Bs into the race, the last time either car would qualify for a race prior to the team's dissolution in August.

Quick Facts

1990 German Grand Prix Race 9 of 16 in the 1990 Formula One World Championship

1990 German Grand Prix nan

1990 German Grand Prix Race details

1990 German Grand Prix Date

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1990 German Grand Prix Course

1990 German Grand Prix Course length

1990 German Grand Prix Distance

1990 German Grand Prix Weather

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	26	Philippe Alliot	Ligier-Ford	1:45.513	—
2	25	Nicola Larini	Ligier-Ford	1:46.186	+0.673
3	14	Olivier Grouillard	Osella-Ford	1:46.828	+1.315
4	18	Yannick Dalmas	AGS-Ford	1:47.125	+1.612
5	17	Gabriele Tarquini	AGS-Ford	1:48.127	+2.614
6	33	Roberto Moreno	EuroBrun-Judd	1:48.983	+3.470
7	31	Bertrand Gachot	Coloni-Ford	1:50.460	+4.947
8	34	Claudio Langes	EuroBrun-Judd	1:50.897	+5.384
9	39	Bruno Giacomelli	Life	2:10.786	+25.273

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	27	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda	1:40.198	1:46.843
2	28	Gerhard Berger	McLaren-Honda	1:40.434	1:46.628
3	1	Alain Prost	Ferrari	1:41.732	1:42.590
4	2	Nigel Mansell	Ferrari	1:42.313	1:42.057
5	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams-Renault	1:43.736	1:42.195
6	5	Thierry Boutsen	Williams-Renault	1:43.620	1:42.380
7	20	Nelson Piquet	Benetton-Ford	1:42.926	1:42.872
8	4	Jean Alesi	Tyrrell-Ford	1:43.255	1:44.652
9	19	Alessandro Nannini	Benetton-Ford	1:43.594	1:44.559
10	16	Ivan Capelli	Leyton House-Judd	1:45.025	1:44.349

Table 3

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	27	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda	45	1:20:47.164
2	19	Alessandro Nannini	Benetton-Ford	45	+ 6.520
3	28	Gerhard Berger	McLaren-Honda	45	+ 8.553
4	1	Alain Prost	Ferrari	45	+ 45.270
5	6	Riccardo Patrese	Williams-Renault	45	+ 48.028
6	5	Thierry Boutsen	Williams-Renault	45	+ 1:21.491
7	16	Ivan Capelli	Leyton House-Judd	44	+ 1 lap
8	11	Derek Warwick	Lotus-Lamborghini	44	+ 1 lap
9	10	Alex Caffi	Arrows-Ford	44	+ 1 lap
10	25	Nicola Larini	Ligier-Ford	43	+ 2 laps

F1ABY Commentary

The championship battle continues, but one senses a shift. Senna’s victory isn't just about speed; it’s about reclaiming the narrative, isn’t it? And frankly, the whispers about contractual obligations…they're growing louder.

The entire affair at Hockenheim was a calculated chess match, pure and simple. Senna’s victory wasn’t just about pace; it was about reminding everyone – particularly those Benetton strategists – that the crown wasn’t relinquished without a fight. Berger’s close second confirms the Austrian's unwavering commitment to the title, a silent declaration of intent that will undoubtedly fuel the next round’s battles.

F1ABY Trivia

The air in the garage smelled of burnt rubber and, frankly, desperation. Nannini’s Benetton was spitting blue smoke – a direct consequence of Ford’s aggressively high-revving V8, pushing the engine beyond its designed parameters. Berger, ever the pragmatist, was running a slightly lower RPM strategy, a calculated risk to preserve the unit, while Senna, predictably, was chasing every millisecond.

The air hangs thick with the scent of burning rubber and something else entirely – calculated disappointment. Senna’s victory, predictably, shifts the championship equation, but observe the pattern: McLaren’s pole position dominance—three out of four races—doesn’t translate into a corresponding win ratio. It’s a curious disconnect, isn’t it? Benetton, despite Nannini’s raw speed, continues to stumble, a frustrating statistical echo of their early-season promise.

F1ABY Tales

Berger’s face. A mask of barely contained fury. Nannini, of course, offered the Italian’s customary, almost bored, congratulations – a tactic honed over years of playing the game. Six seconds. That’s what it took to snatch the lead, to remind everyone that Senna still possessed a savage edge. The Benetton camp, predictably, was simmering. Contracts, whispers of contractual leverage, the usual dance. Don't mistake the polite smiles for genuine acceptance. This wasn’t a victory for McLaren; it was a statement.

Berger watches Senna celebrate. A flicker of something – not quite frustration, more a weary acknowledgement – crosses the Austrian’s face. You can practically smell the compromises he’s made, the concessions offered to the McLaren machine. Nannini, predictably, is apoplectic, pacing the Benetton garage, demanding explanations about the “strategic miscalculation. ” The Italian’s always been a volatile element, hasn’t he? It’s a curious tableau, isn’t it? Senna’s victory, of course, pushes him back into contention, but the real story here is the simmering tension between Berger and the team. Don’t mistake that for a simple case of a teammate losing a race.