Race
The Autodromo Dino Ferrari had received safety upgrades from the previous year, including slight track modifications after the Variante Alta chicane and extended runoff areas at the Rivazza complex.
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 60 | 1:32:28.408 |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams-Honda | 60 | + 7.645 |
| 3 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton-BMW | 59 | + 1 Lap |
| 4 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 59 | + 1 Lap |
| 5 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren-TAG | 58 | Out of Fuel |
| 6 | 7 | Riccardo Patrese | Brabham-BMW | 58 | Out of Fuel |
| 7 | 18 | Thierry Boutsen | Arrows-BMW | 58 | + 2 Laps |
| 8 | 3 | Martin Brundle | Tyrrell-Renault | 58 | + 2 Laps |
| 9 | 17 | Marc Surer | Arrows-BMW | 57 | + 3 Laps |
| 10 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 56 | Turbo |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | Lotus-Renault | 1:25.050 | 1:25.286 |
| 2 | 6 | Nelson Piquet | Williams-Honda | 1:25.890 | 1:25.569 |
| 3 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Honda | 1:26.752 | 1:26.159 |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost | McLaren-TAG | 1:26.273 | 1:26.176 |
| 5 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:26.428 | 1:26.263 |
| 6 | 2 | Keke Rosberg | McLaren-TAG | 1:26.956 | 1:26.835 |
| 7 | 28 | Stefan Johansson | Ferrari | 1:27.497 | 1:27.009 |
| 8 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier-Renault | 1:28.362 | 1:27.403 |
| 9 | 20 | Gerhard Berger | Benetton-BMW | 1:28.559 | 1:27.444 |
| 10 | 19 | Teo Fabi | Benetton-BMW | 1:29.328 | 1:27.538 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
Hold on! The air itself is thick with tension! Prost, a glacial machine of TAG power – 620 horsepower surging through the McLaren chassis – is pulling away! Just a heartbeat ago, the Renault engine in Senna's Lotus screamed with a desperate 619 ponies, a heartbreaking testament to the brutal fuel constraints of this circuit. The Rivazza complex, now softened by those recent safety enhancements, hasn't diminished the savage demands placed upon the Benetton's BMW powerplant, a beast of 585, pushing Mansell to the very brink.
Here we go. A shudder runs through the asphalt, a desperate ballet of fuel and fury! Alain Prost, a sculpted predator in his McLaren, is clawing at victory, a mere three corners from the finish line. The air crackles with the tangible weight of the championship, a brutal equation of attrition and calculated risk. Just look at those last few laps – a statistical anomaly, isn't it? The McLaren driver's dominance, a 68% win rate amongst TAG engines this season, suddenly threatened by the agonizing, desperate fuel conservation of a man on the precipice.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
Here we go! The air crackled, thick with the scent of burning rubber and desperation! Prost wrestled with the McLaren, a crimson blur against the grey asphalt – fuel was a phantom, a cruel trick of the engine. Just three corners from glory, the TAG screamed, a final, frantic dance as he fought to bleed every last drop. The Rivazza complex shimmered, a dangerous promise of oblivion, and the crowd held its breath. This wasn't just a race; it was a battle for survival, a brutal testament to the savage heart of Formula One!
The rain hammered down, a furious, insistent drumbeat against the asphalt – a fitting soundtrack to this brutal corner of Imola. Prost, a ghost in the McLaren, was a study in cold calculation, wasn't he? The tension radiating from the pit wall, palpable enough to cut with a knife, suggested a man utterly divorced from the chaos unfolding before him. He's a predator, a sculptor of speed, and this track… this track is his clay. A final, desperate maneuver, a frantic dance with the fuel pickup – a gamble, a prayer, a testament to the sheer will of a champion. Almost lost it there! The scent of burning rubber, the roar of the engine, the primal scream of a man pushing himself to the absolute limit. This is what F1 *is*.