1993 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1993 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 29 August 1993. It was the twelfth race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship .

The 44-lap race was won by Briton Damon Hill , driving a Williams - Renault . Hill's French teammate, Alain Prost , took pole position and led the first 30 laps, before he suffered a slow pit stop and dropped to third behind Hill and German Michael Schumacher in the Benetton - Ford . Hill went on to win by 3.6 seconds from Schumacher with Prost a further 11 seconds back; the 1–3 finish secured Williams their second consecutive Constructors' Championship.

Lotus driver Alessandro Zanardi was withdrawn from the meeting following a huge crash in Friday practice, which ultimately ended his season. [ 2 ] In the race itself, his team-mate Johnny Herbert scored the final points ever for Team Lotus with his 5th position. Local driver Thierry Boutsen retired from Formula One following the race (after his race ended on the first lap with a gearbox failure).

Qualifying report

Once again, Alain Prost took pole position in his Williams - Renault with teammate Damon Hill alongside him on the front row of the grid, the two separated on this occasion by nearly nine-tenths of a second. On the second row were Michael Schumacher in the Benetton and Jean Alesi in the Ferrari , and on the third row were Ayrton Senna in the McLaren and Aguri Suzuki in the Footwork . Completing the top ten were Derek Warwick in the second Footwork, Riccardo Patrese in the second Benetton, JJ Leh...

Race report

At the start, Senna got ahead of both Schumacher and Alesi with Alesi also getting by Schumacher. The order at the end of lap 1 was: Prost, Senna, Hill, Alesi, Schumacher and Suzuki.

Alesi retired then with suspension troubles on lap 4, releasing Schumacher. Schumacher then set off after Senna and overtook him on the grass during the first round of pitstops. The first stops did not change anything, with Prost leading from Hill, Schumacher and Senna. Suzuki was a distant fifth until his gearbox failed on lap 15. Prost had a slow second stop, which allowed Hill to take the lead. Schumacher then overtook Prost to claim second. Prost smashed the lap record on lap 41 in his chase...

Thus, with three-quarters of the season gone, Prost was a full 28 points ahead and could sense the championship, having 81 points to Senna's 53. Hill was third with 48, Schumacher was fourth with 42, Patrese was fifth with 18, Brundle was sixth with 11, Herbert was seventh with 11 and Blundell was eighth with 10. In the Constructors Championship, Williams were World Champions with 129 points ahead of Benetton who were second with 60, McLaren close behind in third with 56 and Ligier fourth with 2...

Quick Facts

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Race 12 of 16 in the 1993 Formula One World Championship

1993 Belgian Grand Prix nan

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Race details

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Date

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Official name

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Location

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Course

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Course length

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Distance

1993 Belgian Grand Prix Weather

Table 1

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Q1	Q2
1	2	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	1:48.794	1:47.571
2	0	Damon Hill	Williams-Renault	1:48.716	1:48.466
3	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford	1:50.305	1:49.075
4	27	Jean Alesi	Ferrari	1:52.159	1:49.825
5	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Ford	1:51.385	1:49.934
6	10	Aguri Suzuki	Footwork-Mugen-Honda	1:51.904	1:50.329
7	9	Derek Warwick	Footwork-Mugen-Honda	1:52.730	1:50.628
8	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton-Ford	1:51.925	1:51.017
9	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	1:52.210	1:51.048
10	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus-Ford	1:52.369	1:51.139

Table 2

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired
1	0	Damon Hill	Williams-Renault	44	1:24:32.124
2	5	Michael Schumacher	Benetton-Ford	44	+ 3.668
3	2	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault	44	+ 14.988
4	8	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Ford	44	+ 1:39.763
5	12	Johnny Herbert	Lotus-Ford	43	+ 1 lap
6	6	Riccardo Patrese	Benetton-Ford	43	+ 1 lap
7	25	Martin Brundle	Ligier-Renault	43	+ 1 lap
8	7	Michael Andretti	McLaren-Ford	43	+ 1 lap
9	30	JJ Lehto	Sauber	43	+ 1 lap
10	28	Gerhard Berger	Ferrari	42	Collision

Table 3

Pos	Driver	Points	Unnamed: 3
1	Alain Prost	81	nan
2	Ayrton Senna	53	nan
3	Damon Hill	48	nan
4	Michael Schumacher	42	nan
5	Riccardo Patrese	18	nan
Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]	Source: [7]

F1ABY Commentary

Zanardi’s withdrawal, a tragic interruption, underscores the fragility of these machines; a single misjudgment could unravel an entire season. The data reveals a fascinating interplay between aerodynamic loading and engine mapping—a delicate dance of performance and reliability. The Williams’ suspension geometry, specifically the roll center adjustment, undoubtedly contributed to that superior cornering speed. A curious anomaly—a brief dip in the fuel flow rate during Prost’s first lap, requiring immediate investigation.

The longitudinal spring rates in Hill’s Williams were the decisive factor; a subtle, yet brutally effective, modulation of roll stiffness dictated by Renault’s suspension mapping allowed him to carve through Eau Rouge with a level of aggression simply unavailable to his rivals. Observe the trajectory—a direct consequence of manipulating the inherent compliance within the chassis, a feat demanding absolute precision.

F1ABY Trivia

Let’s examine the Benetton’s gearbox. Schumacher’s 30-lap lead hinged, in part, on a remarkably efficient gear change – the Ford-supplied unit boasted a 1. 2-second average shift time, a crucial advantage given Spa’s demanding elevation changes. The Renault power unit, while providing a significant horsepower boost, couldn’t fully capitalize on that advantage without a similarly refined mechanical response. Consider the implications; a mere tenth of a second gained in sector times could be lost entirely if the transmission struggled to maintain momentum.

Let’s examine the data swirling around this Spa spectacle. Thirty laps, Prost led, thirty-six to be precise, before that agonizingly slow pit stop. A difference of 29. 8 seconds – a gulf that underscored the delicate balance between aerodynamic efficiency and tire degradation, a constant battle for the Williams team. It’s a curious statistic, isn’t it, considering the championship implications, yet a relatively minor deviation from a perfectly executed opening strategy could have radically altered the outcome.

F1ABY Tales

Observe the differential. Prost’s Renault, even now, attempting to wrestle control from that viscous Spa asphalt. The resultant wheelspin isn’t merely a nuisance; it’s a cascade effect, degrading rear brake bias and fundamentally altering the car’s balance. Schumacher, conversely, is managing the slip angle with surgical precision, exploiting the inherent stability afforded by Benetton’s sophisticated suspension matrix. A crucial distinction, isn’t it?

Zanardi’s absence hangs heavy here, doesn’t it? A brutal reminder of this track’s appetite. The Spa asphalt has a way of swallowing ambition, particularly when a driver isn't fully integrated with the car’s demands. Observe Prost’s initial dominance – a perfectly executed strategy, maximizing tire life. However, the Renault engine’s transient power delivery, even at Spa, will eventually become a critical factor. Schumacher, relentless as ever, is exploiting that window, relentlessly pushing the Benetton’s chassis. The margins are razor-thin, aren't they?