Qualifying
Pat Symonds would later claim that following Benetton's front-row lockout, the head of BMW Motorsport , Paul Rosche , demanded to inspect the engine control unit chips installed in the team's engines to see if they had been tampered with in breach of contract (Benetton were using customer engines that were the original upright configuration rather than the special, tilted BMWs Brabham were using. Under the terms of their contract the team was not allowed to modify the engines or their ECUs in an... Derek Warwick in his lowline Brabham BT55 was the quickest car through the speed trap heading into the high speed Bosch Kurve being recorded during qualifying at 344 km/h (214 mph). The low line Brabhams with their factory BMW turbos were proving to be far more effective on the high speed Österreichring where the Hella-Licht chicane was the only really slow section of the track. Showing the difference in car set up (and it must be said, drivers'), Patrese, running more wing than his team mate wa...
Race
Warwick was a non-starter in bizarre circumstances. After the Englishman's car was repaired following a gearbox failure in the morning warm-up, the two Brabhams went to the grid, Patrese in the spare car following his qualifying crash. Then, as Patrese took his place on the grid, his own gearbox broke. As the Italian driver was six places ahead of Warwick, the decision was made on the grid to hand him Warwick's car for the rest of the race. Warwick later admitted that team owner Bernie Eccleston... Alan Jones was actually aided by a slipping clutch in his Lola - Ford as it meant much less wheelspin, thus he was able to complete the race (albeit 2 laps down on Prost) without having to stop to change his Goodyears . His 4th place and Tambay's 5th were cause for celebration in the Haas Lola camp as it was their first ever World Championship points and the first for the Cosworth designed and built Ford turbo engine . With the win, Prost moved from fourth to second in the Drivers' Championship and cut Mansell's lead to two points, 55 to 53, with Senna on 48 and Piquet on 47.
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 52 | 1:21:22.531 |
| 2 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 51 | + 1 Lap |
| 3 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 50 | + 2 Laps |
| 4 | 15 | Alan Jones | Lola-Ford | 50 | + 2 Laps |
| 5 | 16 | Patrick Tambay | Lola-Ford | 50 | + 2 Laps |
| 6 | 17 | Christian Danner | Arrows-BMW | 49 | + 3 Laps |
| 7 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton-BMW | 49 | + 3 Laps |
| 8 | 29 | Huub Rothengatter | Zakspeed | 48 | + 4 Laps |
| 9 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren-TAG | 47 | Electrical |
| 10 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier-Renault | 47 | + 5 Laps |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton-BMW | 1:26.421 | 1:23.549 |
| 2 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton-BMW | 1:25.638 | 1:23.743 |
| 3 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren-TAG | 1:23.956 | 1:23.903 |
| 4 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham-BMW | 1:26.648 | 1:24.044 |
| 5 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:24.346 | 1:25.285 |
| 6 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | 1:25.515 | 1:24.635 |
| 7 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams-Honda | 1:25.090 | 1:24.697 |
| 8 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | 1:26.650 | 1:25.249 |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.152 | 1:25.561 |
| 10 | 8 | Derek Warwick | Brabham-BMW | 1:26.892 | 1:25.726 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Let's examine the BMW M12 engine deployed in the Benetton – it's a fascinating piece of engineering, displacing 3. 5 liters and generating approximately 660 horsepower at the crankshaft. The differential, utilizing a limited-slip design, exhibited a crucial 0. 87g lockup ratio – a significant factor in Fabi's dominant qualifying pace. Considering the Austrian circuit's inherent gradients, optimizing tire temperature through precise engine mapping was paramount, suggesting a deliberate strategy to favor the rear wheel drive. The McLaren-TAG pairing, conversely, utilized a 2. 0-liter V6, showcasing a clear disparity in power delivery.
The Benetton's dominance in qualifying – Fabi's margin, a scant 0. 2 seconds, represents a statistical outlier. Considering the established hierarchy of the season, this wasn't simply a good lap; it underscored a fundamental shift in rear-wheel drive aerodynamics. Analyzing the relative speed of the frontrunners reveals a 0. 7 second gap between the top two cars – a figure demanding immediate investigation into tire pressures and differential settings. This disparity, coupled with Patrese's fourth-place qualifying position despite a crash, speaks volumes about the inherent volatility of the Österreichring's asphalt.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Berger's rear wing – observe the subtle angle of attack shift as he enters Turn 4. The BMW team's simulations predicted this, of course, but the real-time data… it's a delicate dance between aerodynamic loading and tire temperature. Fabi's pushing the boundaries, extracting every last millisecond. A marginal deviation in the suspension geometry, almost imperceptible, is amplifying the effect. The Austrian air itself isn't cooperating, a slight turbulence that's impacting the airflow. This isn't simply speed; it's exquisitely calibrated control.
Berger's helmet… always a meticulous shade of blue, isn't it? The BMW team's insistence on that specific hue, a subtle yet potent statement of intent. Observing Gerhard's focus during the warm-up, a slight tightening of the jaw as he wrestled with the rear-end balance – a familiar dance. The Austrian heat, predictably, exacerbated the inherent instability of the BMW's suspension. Fabi's margin over Rosberg wasn't merely a consequence of pace; it was a testament to a precisely calibrated differential. A delicate equilibrium, achieved through meticulous adjustments to the anti-roll bars. A truly remarkable display of engineering control.