Qualifying
Ayrton Senna took his eighth pole position of the season by nearly six-tenths of a second from McLaren teammate Alain Prost , with almost a further second back to Gerhard Berger in the Ferrari in third. The two Williams were fourth and fifth with Thierry Boutsen , in his home race, ahead of Riccardo Patrese , followed by Nigel Mansell in the second Ferrari. Alessandro Nannini was seventh in the Benetton , over two seconds behind Mansell, and the top ten was completed by Stefano Modena in the Bra... The major talking point, however, was the failure of both Nelson Piquet and Satoru Nakajima to qualify, the first time in the Lotus team's history that neither of its cars had qualified.
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 36 | Stefan Johansson | Onyx-Ford | 1:56.279 | — |
| 2 | 29 | Michele Alboreto | Lola-Lamborghini | 1:57.509 | +1.230 |
| 3 | 37 | Bertrand Gachot | Onyx-Ford | 1:57.720 | +1.441 |
| 4 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola-Lamborghini | 1:57.748 | +1.469 |
| 5 | 17 | Nicola Larini | Osella-Ford | 1:58.065 | +1.786 |
| 6 | 18 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Osella-Ford | 1:58.209 | +1.930 |
| 7 | 31 | Roberto Moreno | Coloni-Ford | 1:58.650 | +2.371 |
| 8 | 40 | Gabriele Tarquini | AGS-Ford | 1:59.432 | +3.153 |
| 9 | 34 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed-Yamaha | 2:00.713 | +4.434 |
| 10 | 35 | Aguri Suzuki | Zakspeed-Yamaha | 2:00.757 | +4.478 |
Qualifying
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 2:11.171 | 1:50.867 |
| 2 | 2 | Alain Prost | McLaren-Honda | 2:12.721 | 1:51.463 |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 2:11.102 | 1:52.391 |
| 4 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams-Renault | 2:13.030 | 1:52.786 |
| 5 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams-Renault | 2:12.581 | 1:52.875 |
| 6 | 27 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 2:12.042 | 1:52.898 |
| 7 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton-Ford | 2:14.117 | 1:55.075 |
| 8 | 8 | Stefano Modena | Brabham-Judd | 2:19.161 | 1:55.642 |
| 9 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March-Judd | 2:16.401 | 1:55.729 |
| 10 | 9 | Derek Warwick | Arrows-Ford | 2:13.005 | 1:55.864 |
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air at Spa hung thick with the scent of burnt rubber and suppressed ambition this morning. That Onyx, bless its persistent little heart, was running a 1. 5-liter Cosworth – a stonking 200 horsepower deficit to the Ferraris and McLarens out there. Don't let the size fool you; those Ford-backed teams are consistently squeezing every last drop of performance from their engines. A fascinating tactical battle brewing, isn't it?
The rain, a persistent, sullen guest, seemed determined to deny Spa its usual savage beauty. A curious thing, this dampness—it favored Prost, didn't it? The Frenchman, consistently, has been the only driver to truly thrive in conditions like these. Thirty-seven percent of wins at Spa-Francorchamps have been secured from pole position, a statistic that, frankly, suggests a certain deference to those who command the track's initial velocity. Don't be fooled by Mansell's podium; the numbers tell a different story.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The air in the McLaren garage hung thick with a different kind of oil – the scent of calculated frustration. Prost, meticulously adjusting his helmet, offered Senna a glacial glance. A point, a margin, a precarious dance. Don't mistake the quiet for contentment, my friend. The French titan knows precisely what a victory here, even a near miss, does to the championship equation. Hunt's absence, of course, was a convenient distraction, wasn't it? Let's just say, the whispers about Ferrari's own internal calculations were far more compelling than any BBC broadcast.
The rain hadn't bothered Senna, not a drop. He's always been a creature of instinct, a man who feels the track before he sees it. You could practically taste the arrogance radiating from him as he paced the grid, a silent declaration of dominance. Prost, predictably, was simmering, a low-grade resentment bubbling beneath the practiced smile. That rivalry. it's a constant, a dark current running beneath the surface of this sport. Hunt's absence was a palpable void, Murray struggling to fill the space with the usual breathless enthusiasm. Let's be honest, the man's a good technician, but he doesn't have Senna's spark.