1991 Formula One Season

The was the 42nd edition of the Formula One World Championship, organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. A sixteen round calendar saw Ayrton Senna take seven wins on his way to a third World Championship, after a mid-season challenge by Nigel Mansell. won the Constructors' Championship through Senna and Gerhard Berger's efforts, although it was widely acknowledged that the Williams FW14 was the stronger car.
Senna's title came through his early form, as he won the first four races from pole while the Williams cars suffered numerous issues with their experimental semi-automatic gearboxes. Riccardo Patrese and Mansell then began a run of form to challenge the McLarens, with Mansell ultimately bettering Patrese in pace, although luck was in short supply for both. Yet, Senna remained largely untouchable, taking a further three wins to keep Mansell at bay before claiming the title with a race to spare at the 1991 Japanese Grand Prix.
It was an unusual season in weather terms too, as almost all of the race weekends were affected by rain in at least one session. This ultimately resulted in a record breaking race at the Australian Grand Prix, as a storm caused the race to stop after only fourteen laps, making it the shortest ever F1 level race. It was also one of only three times in F1 history where half points were awarded.
The race also saw the emergence of a new generation of drivers and teams, including two future World Champions. Finn started the season at Team Lotus, and scored his first points in his third start, although numerous issues prevented him from scoring again. Jordan Grand Prix also made a name for themselves during their début year, claiming fifth place and getting involved in a legal battle over the other débuting future star, Michael Schumacher. Also joining the F1 fray were the Modena Team, who used Lamborghini built cars and engines, although they did not score any points.
The closing stages of the season also saw casualties and retirements among the old guard, most notably by Nelson Piquet, who retired with three World Championships, and 204 Grand Prix starts. AGS also withdrew their entries near the end of the season, while Satoru Nakajima called time on his career. Alain Prost, meanwhile, was fired by Ferrari for his year of complaining, and opted to take a break from F1 in 1992.
==Teams and Drivers==
===Entry List===
The full entry list for the 1991 Formula One Season is shown below, sorted by car number:
===Driver Changes===
The biggest driver change in the winter of 1990 was the return of Nigel Mansell to Williams and "Red Five", partnering Riccardo Patrese. He left Ferrari, who drafted in Sicilian Jean Alesi to replace him, while the Championship winners McLaren retained Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. Team Lotus, meanwhile, signed up rookie and Julian Bailey as their main drivers, after a severe injury to Martin Donnelly at the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix ruled him out for the season.
====Pre-season Chan​ges*====
The winter saw five drivers leave Formula One to be replaced by five débutantes. There were also two returning drivers, as well as eight inter-team changes in the four months between the Australian and US Grand Prix.
Inter-team / returning:
*Jean Alesi:  → 
*Julian Bailey: World Sportscar Championship → 
*Thierry Boutsen:  → 
*Martin Brundle: World Sportscar Championship → 
*Andrea de Cesaris:  → 
*Bertand Gachot:  → 
*Nicola Larini:  → 
*Stefan Johansson: / reserve → 
*Nigel Mansell:  → 
*Stefano Modena:  → 
Débutantes:
*Mark Blundell: World Sportscar Championship → 
*Pedro Chaves: British F3000 → 
*: International Formula 3000 → 
*: British Formula Three → 
*Eric van de Poele: International Formula 3000 → 
Left Formula One:
*Philippe Alliot:  → World Sportscar Championship
*David Brabham:  → World Sportscar Championship
*Yannick Dalmas:  → World Sportscar Championship
*Martin Donnelly:  → Sabbatical
*Derek Warwick:  → World Sportscar Championship
* This list is based on the teams as they were entered for the 1990 Australian Grand Prix.
====Mid-season Changes====
There were also numerous mid-season changes in the new season, as various injuries, suspensions and sponsorship issues affected the ability for drivers to compete. The full list is shown below, broken up by each race change:
Brazil:
*Fabrizio Barbazza: International Formula 3000 → (Début)
*Stefan Johansson:  → Reserve
Canada:
*Julian Bailey:  → British Touring Car Championship
*Alex Caffi:  → Injured
*Johnny Herbert: Reserve → 
*Stefan Johansson: Reserve → 
Germany:
*Michael Bartels: International Formula 3000 →  (Début)
*Alex Caffi: Injured → 
*Johnny Herbert:  → Japanese Formula 3000
*Stefan Johansson:  → Reserve
Belgium:
*Michael Bartels:  → Reserve
*Bertrand Gachot:  → Suspended (Gaoled)
*Johnny Herbert: Japanese Formula 3000 → 
*Michael Schumacher: World Sportscar Championship →  (Début)
Italy:
*Michael Bartels: Reserve → 
*Johnny Herbert:  → Japanese Formula 3000
*Roberto Moreno:  → 
*Michael Schumacher:  → 
Portugal:
*Michael Bartels:  → Reserve
*Johnny Herbert: Japanese Formula 3000 → 
Spain:
*Michael Bartels: Reserve → 
*Pedro Chaves:  →  (Agreement for 1992)
*Olivier Grouillard:  → 
*Johnny Herbert:  → Japanese Formula 3000
*Roberto Moreno:  → Dropped
*Gabriele Tarquini:  → 
*Alex Zanardi: International Formula 3000 →  (Début)
Japan:
*AGS did not attend final two races of the season.
*Michael Bartels:  → Reserve
*Ivan Capelli:  → Team manager
*Naoki Hattori: Japanese Formula 3000 →  (Début)
*Johnny Herbert: Japanese Formula 3000 → 
*Karl Wendlinger: International Formula 3000 →  (Début)
Australia:
*: Larrousse → Injured
*Bertrand Gachot: None → Larrousse
*Gianni Morbidelli:  → 
*Roberto Moreno: None → 
*Alain Prost:  → Sacked
===Team Changes===
==Calendar==
A sixteen race calendar for the 1991 was unveiled by FISA in the weeks prior to the start of the season, with the United States Grand Prix kicking off the new year in March. The season would go on until November, with the city of Adelaide hosting the final race of the season, the Australian Grand Prix. Trips to South America and Asia were also scheduled, along with the traditional European races dominating the mid season. There were two new circuits for the teams to negotiate, with the Spanish Grand Prix set to be held at the new Circuit de Catalunya after a visit to Magny-Cours in France in June.
===Schedule===
The complete schedule for the is outlined below:
===Changes===
There were no new additions to the calendar between the 1990 and 1991 seasons, with all of the races held in the exact same order. The only difference between the two calendars were the venues, where two new circuits replaced two future test venues. Magny-Cours was chosen to host the French Grand Prix, with Paul Ricard falling out of favour, while Jerez was deemed too dangerous by the FIA after Martin Donnelly crashed heavily at the circuit, replaced by the brand new Circuit de Catalunya.
==Season Review==
1991 proved to be one of the least controversial seasons in Formula One history, as Ayrton Senna won the Championship at a relative canter. The season also saw the election of a new president of FISA, as Max Mosley ousted Jean-Marie Balestre, a significant feat given that Mosley had been the legal advisor to FOCA during their dispute with FISA during the 1982 season.
===Pre-season===
The biggest news stories from the winter of 1990 surrounded two new entrants to the Championship, as well as a few high profile moves. As Nigel Mansell returned to Williams, Jordan Grand Prix and Team Modena joined the Championship, replacing three fallen teams, EuroBrun Racing, Onyx and Life. Eddie Jordan's team showed early promise, with Gary Anderson designing what was widely regarded as the prettiest car of 1991, while Modena hired Lamborghini to design a chassis and engine for them.
McLaren, meanwhile, looked on course to dominate the season, with engine partner Honda handing them their newest and strongest engine for the season. Ferrari hired a promising youngster in Jean Alesi to try to counter the British team, while Benetton retained the two Brazilians they had in Roberto Moreno and veteran Nelson Piquet. Elsewhere, Osella evolved into Fondmetal, Arrows were re-branded as Footwork, while Leyton House completed their three year take over of March.
Pre-qualifying was to become a key feature of the weekend, as the FIA deemed that only 30 cars could use any circuit at any time. Therefore, the two newest teams in Jordan and Modena would join Dallara, Coloni and Fondmetal in a one off session before each race weekend to determine who would be able to enter the qualifying session. The entry for pre-qualifying would be based on performance over the last half-season, with a review scheduled after the 1991 British Grand Prix.
There were also changes to the points scoring system, as a win was now made to be worth ten points, rather than nine as it had traditionally been. This created a four point gap to second to encourage more battles for the win, while there were also changes to the Championship scoring system. Since 1985, the best eleven results of each driver were taken into account, but from 1991 onwards, all their results would come into account, as the FIA attempted to avoid the calculated manoeuvres that had dominated the conclusion of the previous two championships in Japan.
===Round 1: 1991 United States Grand Prix===
It was an electric start from Ayrton Senna, as the all conquering Brazilian took pole and victory in Phoenix to begin his title defence perfectly. Having qualified a second quicker than his arch rival Alain Prost, Senna made a perfect start and remained untroubled in the two hour race, with the Frenchman taking second, and Nelson Piquet claiming third. The two s claimed fourth and fifth, Stefano Modena ahead of Satoru Nakajima, while Aguri Suzuki claimed the final point in sixth, a lap down.
The race had seen action early on provided by Riccardo Patrese, who had battled everyone from team mate Nigel Mansell in third to Gerhard Berger in sixth. But the Williams FW14 had been fitted with an innovative new semi-automatic gearbox, which had not completed a session in race conditions, and would ultimately leave both Patrese and Mansell on the side lines.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: UNITED STATES GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999),http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr501.html, (Accessed 31/07/2015) Patrese's car was left abandoned in the middle of the track, before Roberto Moreno collected it a lap later, putting both cars over to one side of the track.
===Round 2: 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix===
It was almost a case of deja-vu in Brazil, as Ayrton Senna completed another dominant weekend to take both pole and the win, the first time he had triumphed at his home race. An emotional Senna claimed his first Brazilian Grand Prix on his eighth attempt, despite a late shower and gearbox issues affecting his McLaren in the late stages of the race. Nigel Mansell looked to be on the verge of beating him for a time, until he was stabbed in the back by his gearbox instead.
Riccardo Patrese could also have snatched the victory away from Senna, although the timing of the rain was enough to halt Patrese's charge on the ailing McLaren in the closing stages, leaving the Italian a frustrated second.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: BRAZILIAN GP, 1991',grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr502.html, (Accessed 01/08/2015 Gerhard Berger claimed the final podium spot from the two Ferraris, with Alain Prost asserting his dominance over Jean Alesi early on, as Nelson Piquet forced his Benetton between them late on to take fifth.
===Round 3: 1991 San Marino Grand Prix===
Ayrton Senna almost suffered a shock in qualifying, as his 55th career pole was nearly snatched away by Riccardo Patrese in the dying seconds of the session. But, it was the Brazilian's day, and on Sunday another dominant display earned him his third win of the season, after benefitting from a misfire in the Italian's car which ultimately ended his race. The race had started in wet conditions, which had also benefitted Senna personally when arch rival Alain Prost slid of the track on the formation lap.
As Senna claimed another victory, Gerhard Berger made it a one-two for the first time in 1991, while the field was stunned by JJ Lehto, who put the Dallara on the podium. It had been a late race charge by the Finn, who benefitted from retirements as well as a brilliant move on Roberto Moreno to take his podium. Pierluigi Martini claimed fourth for Minardi after a quiet race, while secured two points in only his third race. It was also a good day for Julian Bailey in the second , as he claimed the first point of his F1 career, despite he and team mate Hakkinen using the uncompetitive Lotus 91.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: SAN MARINO GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999),http://www.manipef1.com/results/1991/sanmarino/race/, (Accessed 09/08/2015)
===Round 4: 1991 Monaco Grand Prix===
The title of Mr. Monaco had been earned by Ayrton Senna through his three previous victories in the principality, and his fourth victory on the streets of Monte Carlo was assured virtually from the start.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: MONACO GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999),http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr504.html, (Accessed 03/08/2015) The Brazilian, starting as ever from pole, cleared the first corner to pull well ahead of second placed Stefano Modena, while Gerhard Berger and Nelson Piquet came to blows. Modena ran in second until an infamous incident with Pierluigi Martini put him down the order, ultimately allowing Nigel Mansell and Jean Alesi to take the podium.
Martini was being lapped by the Italian Modena at a time when the latter was underpressure from Riccardo Patrese, when the Minardi driver blocked the Tyrrell into the Nouvelle Chicane. Martini was handed a ten second stop-go penalty, the first ever to be awarded in a Formula One race, while Modena suffered an engine fire that ended both his, and Patrese's race when the Williams driver was unsighted by the smoke and hit the barrier. Mansell, meanwhile, made a classic move on Alain Prost for second, with the Frenchman going on to lose an almost certain podium place when he pitted to have a minor issue investigated.
===Round 5: 1991 Canadian Grand Prix===
The Canadian Grand Prix was a significant step in the 1991 Championship, as Ayrton Senna was defeated for the first time all season.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: CANADIAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999),http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr505.html, (Accessed 03/08/2015) Having been beaten by Riccardo Patrese in qualifying, the Brazilian retired with an alternator failure in the race, as Nelson Piquet snatched a late victory for Benetton. Nigel Mansell had looked set to win, until, on the final lap, the Brit allowed the revs of his engine drop too much while selecting a gear, causing him to stall just a few hundred metres from the finish.
Having missed out on a potential podium in Monaco, Stefano Modena claimed a career best second place, while Patrese finished third having lost a large amount of time mid race. A significant story also emerged at the Jordan Grand Prix team, as Andrea de Cesaris and Bertrand Gachot completed a double points finish for the new team. The five points scored were the first for the team, and put them in prime position to escape pre-qualifying after the review post-Britain.
===Round 6: 1991 Mexican Grand Prix===
The Mexican Grand Prix of 1991 saw Riccardo Patrese do a Senna and take pole and victory after a faultless display in the now dominant Williams FW14. Patrese had initially found himself down in fourth place, after Nigel Mansell beat him off the line, and Jean Alesi and Ayrton Senna dived down the inside of him into the first corner.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: MEXICAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr506.html, (Accessed 04/08/2015) A fightback by Patrese saw him take Alesi and Senna in quick succession, before running side-by-side with Mansell through the first sector to take the lead and, ultimately, victory.
Senna, meanwhile, ultimately claimed third, ahead of Andrea de Cesaris, who was left to push his Jordan 191 across the line for fourth having run out of fuel through the Peraltada on the last lap. He was initially disqualified from the race before the stewards recinded the punishment after judging the race to be over when he did so. Roberto Moreno and completed the points for their respective teams.
===Round 7: 1991 French Grand Prix===
The field was soon back in Europe, and it was Nigel Mansell who took up the sword against Championship leader Ayrton Senna with victory at a new venue for the Championship.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: FRENCH GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr507.html, (Accessed 07/08/2015) With the paddock gathered at Ligier's home circuit of Magny-Cours, Mansell battled his way from fourth to first in the opening stages to take victory in France, beating Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna, who were on the podium too.
It was a vintage move by Mansell to snatch the lead from Prost, as he used the slipstream produced by Prost and backmarker Andrea de Cesaris to close right on the back of the Ferrari, before darting to the inside of the braking zone of the hairpin. Prost was left sandwiched between the Williams and the Jordan, and although de Cesaris yielded, the Frenchman was left to run around the outside of Adelaide and conceed the lead. De Cesaris, for his part, would finish the race in sixth, behind Jean Alesi and Riccardo Patrese, who suffered from another poor start.
===Round 8: 1991 British Grand Prix===
Only one man was allowed to win the British Grand Prix when the field gathered at Silverstone, and it was not the Brazilian who had dominated the first quarter of the season.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: BRITISH GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr508.html, (Accessed 07/08/2015) Indeed, Nigel Mansell, with over 50,000 fans backing him, took one of the most memorable victories in Formula One history, captured in an infamous image. He had had a race long battle with Ayrton Senna until, with less than a lap to go, the Brazilian ground to a halt having run out of fuel. As Mansell completed his victory lap, he stopped to allow Senna to climb onto the top of the Williams, giving his rival for the 1991 title a lift back to pits in one of the most heart warming images produced in F1 lore.
 Mansell later revealed that the final two laps had been completed in only one gear, as Senna, and his McLaren team mate Gerhard Berger closed in. Berger, meanwhile, was left to pick up Senna's second place, while Alain Prost completed the podium, with Senna finishing fourth. Nelson Piquet completed a late charge to take fifth from Bertrand Gachot, with the latter ultimately finishing sixth to keep Jordan's scoring run going. The result also ensured that Jordan escaped pre-qualifying for the rest of the season, joined by Dallara and Team Modena, despite the latter failing to score in any race so far. Brabham, AGS and Footwork replaced them, the trio often failing to qualify for races, let alone score any points.
===Round 9: 1991 German Grand Prix===
The Hockenheimring was famous for its highspeed layout, punctured by chicanes and the stadium section near the end of the lap, and with was the former which had concerned Ayrton Senna before the race.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: GERMAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr509.html, (Accessed 09/08/2015) The Brazilian, who would start from second, argued that the tyre barriers that lined the outside of the chicanes be replaced by cones, as the barriers could allow cars to bounce back and roll onto the circuit. FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre, who already had a chequred past with Senna, immediately rejected the idea, before the resolution was passed in Senna's favour after a vote by the drivers.
Yet, although he had won that battle, Senna was left red faced in the race, as he ran out of fuel on the final lap of a race once again. Nigel Mansell, meanwhile, had led the race virtually from the start to close the Championship gap ever closer, with team mate Riccardo Patrese second. Alain Prost had been in the hunt for third in the closing stages, until a sneaky move by Senna ultimately caused the Ferrari to stall, as Prost was forced to stop down an escape road after being pushed onto a white line by the Brazilian. Gerhard Berger claimed fourth in the other McLaren, having been unable to catch Jean Alesi in third, while the two Jordans claimed another double points finish to put them into the top five in the Constructors Championship. 
===Round 10: 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix===
Ayrton Senna made a stunning return to form in Hungary, as he took pole and victory for the fifth time in 1991. The Hungaroring had been criticised in the past for being a difficult place to overtake in 1990, and it was the same story in 1991. Riccardo Patrese had been unable to beat Senna off the start, and was ultimately told by Williams to release Nigel Mansell so the Brit could attack Senna. The top three remained in that order for the last two thirds of the race.
In a race that even saw a limited number of pitstops, and one of the lowest retirement figures of the season, the Hungarian Grand Prix of 1991 was not one to be remembered. Gerhard Berger, meanwhile, secured fourth, with Jean Alesi and Ivan Capelli completing the points, with Alesi the only man to be putting on a show having overtaken a couple of people after a rare tyre change.
===Round 11: 1991 Belgian Grand Prix===
The Belgian Grand Prix of 1991 would go down in history for one reason: the debut of a future legend Michael Schumacher for Jordan.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: BELGIAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr511.html, (Accessed 12/08/2015) It had been a shock announcement that Mercedes-Benz would pay a team £200,000 (£50,000 of which was paid by Schumacher) that was sponsored by Ford to obtain a drive for the German youngster. The rookie impressed on his debut, taking seventh in qualifying while using Bertrand Gachot's car (the Belgian having been gaoled in Britain for assault), although he would ultimately retire in the race.
Championship-wise, Ayrton Senna completed another dominant display to take his sixth pole and victory of 1991, as title rival Nigel Mansell suffered a complete electrical failure at the halfway mark while leading. This had handed the lead to Jean Alesi, as Senna had stopped for fresh tyres earlier, and duly swept past the Sicilian in the closing stages. Gerhard Berger and Nelson Piquet completed the podium, with Roberto Moreno slotting into fourth, as McLaren and Benetton filled the top four. Riccardo Patrese fought from the back of the field to finish fifth in the Williams, while Mark Blundell secured his first point of his eleven race old F1 career.
===Round 12: 1991 Italian Grand Prix===
Ayrton Senna was defeated for the first time from pole in 1991, as Nigel Mansell claimed victory from the Brazilian after a brilliant move through Ascari.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: ITALIAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr512.html, (Accessed 14/08/2015) Mansell had initially allowed team mate Riccardo Patrese through to attack Senna, with the Italian making the exact move Mansell pulled to get past, before spinning in the exact same place after a gearbox issue. The result closed the gap to 18 points between Championship leader Senna and Mansell in second, and ruled everyone else out of the title hunt.
Behind the two title rivals was Alain Prost, who had spent the last couple of weeks complaining about Senna, before accepting FISA's decision on their incident in Germany, with Gerhard Berger taking fourth. Michael Schumacher claimed his first Formula One points with fifth, after controversially shifting his colours to the Benetton team, a move which made both him and his new employers look bad publicly. Schumacher's new team mate Nelson Piquet had been unable to match the rookie German throughout the weekend, but ended the race in sixth.
===Round 13: 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix===
The Portuguese Grand Prix of 1991 was a battle fought in qualifying, as Riccardo Patrese took pole and victory, as the title battle shifted dramatically in Ayrton Senna's favour.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: PORTUGUESE GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr513.html, (Accessed 16/08/2015) Senna's advantage came after finishing second, in a race that saw his title rival Nigel Mansell disqualified and the Brazilian extend his lead to 24 points. Mansell, for his part, was the victim of a poor pitstop by Williams, which saw the right rear wheel of his car flick off his car a few metres away from the box, leaving Mansell stranded in the middle of the pitlane. His team managed to man-handle a replacement onto the axle, but FISA disqualified the car regardless for servicing the car outside of the pitbox.
Away from the title battle, Jean Alesi completed a good weekend to stand third on the podium, ahead of the of Pierluigi Martini. Ivan Capelli was running fifth until the closing stages, until the Italian lost the rear of his car and slammed into the wall, promoting Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher into fifth and sixth.
===Round 14: 1991 Spanish Grand Prix===
The Formula One paddock's first visit to Catalunya saw Nigel Mansell just keep his title hopes alive with victory, as Ayrton Senna only managed fifth.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: SPANISH GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr514.html, (Accessed 16/08/2015) The race had started in the wet, and Senna had initially seemed on his way to the title, having taken second from Mansell off the line. Michael Schumacher had also slung past the Brit off the line, but was soon passed by Mansell as the track dried, while a rare mistake by Senna caused him to spin at the final corner, dropping him down to seventh.
Gerhard Berger had led until that point, before retiring at the halfway mark with an engine failure, which promoted Mansell to victory, Alain Prost into second, and Riccardo Patrese to third. A quiet race had emerged after the Senna incident, as retirements spread the field thinly around the newest F1 venue, leaving Jean Alesi to claim fourth, and Schumacher, who also avoided the spinning Senna, sixth.
===Round 15: 1991 Japanese Grand Prix===
Nigel Mansell was finally out of the title fight in Japan, as Ayrton Senna claimed his third World Championship in Suzuka, finishing second in the race to team mate Gerhard Berger.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: JAPANESE GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr515.html, (Accessed 17/08/2015) Mansell had been a serious threat to Senna in the early stages, as the Brazilian allowed team mate Berger to sprint away to deny Mansell a potential victory should he have got past Senna. As it happened, Mansell cracked under his own pressure and threw himself out of the race while trying to pass, leaving Senna and Berger to try their hand at formation flying for the team until the end of the race.
 were still in the Constructors' Championship hunt, however, as Riccardo Patrese earned third place to keep Williams within 11 points of McLaren. McLaren would, regardless, arrive in Adelaide as favourites, as Ferrari confirmed their third place through Alain Prost's fourth. Martin Brundle secured his first points of the season in fifth, while Nelson Piquet claimed sixth.
===Round 16: 1991 Australian Grand Prix===
The 1991 edition of the Australian Grand Prix would go down in history as the shortest ever Grand Prix to be held as a World Championship race.'GRAND PRIX RESULTS: AUSTRALIAN GP, 1991', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 1999), http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr516.html, (Accessed 17/08/2015) The race lasted until the lap sixteen, although the chaos of the final two laps, caused by torrential rain, meant that the result was declared from the order of the cars on lap fourteen. Ayrton Senna therefore claimed victory to win McLaren the Constructors Championship, with Nigel Mansell and Gerhard Berger completing the podium.
Before the race weekend, Alain Prost had made the headlines after being sacked by Ferrari, having moaned almost continuosly throughout the year. Gianni Morbidelli was duly called up to replace him from Minardi, with the Italian securing the first points of his career by finishing sixth. It was only to half a point however, as Formula One rules meant that any race that failed to reach 75% of the scheduled distance could not have the full point score allocated. The remaining points went to Nelson Piquet and Riccardo Patrese, amid protests over the countback, with the original finishing order having been Senna, Piquet, Morbidelli, Andrea de Cesaris, Alex Zanardi and Stefano Modena.
===Post-season===
===Results===
==Final Standings==
The final standings are shown below with breakdowns of all of the statistics from the season
===Drivers' Championship===
Ayrton Senna therefore claimed his third World Title, having led the Championship from the first lap of the first race in the US. Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese managed to claim second and third, while Gerhard Berger completed an all Williams and McLaren top four. Alain Prost's first winless season since his début year resulted in fifth, while Nelson Piquet retired having finished his final season in sixth.
Pos.	Driver 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	Pts
Pos.	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts
 	Senna 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	96
 	Mansell 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	72
 	Patrese 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	53
4th 	Berger 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	43
5th 	Prost 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	34
6th 	Piquet 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	7th 	 	26.5
7th 	Alesi 	12th	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	21
8th 	Modena 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	7th 	13th	12th	 	 	 	16th	 	10th	10
9th 	de Cesaris 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	13th	7th 	8th 	 	 	8th 	9
10th	Moreno 	 	7th 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	8th 	 	 	10th	 	 	10th	8
11th	Martini 	9th 	 	 	12th	7th 	 	9th 	9th 	 	 	12th	 	 	13th	 	 	6
12th	Lehto 	 	 	 	11th	 	 	 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	12th	4
13th	Gachot 	10th	13th	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	4
14th	Schumacher 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	4
15th	Nakajima 	 	 	 	 	10th	12th	 	8th 	 	15th	 	 	13th	17th	 	 	2
16th	Häkkinen 	 	9th 	 	 	 	9th 	 	12th	 	14th	 	14th	14th	 	 	19th	2
17th	Brundle 	11th	12th	11th	 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	9th 	13th	12th	10th	 	 	2
18th	Pirro 	 	11th	 	 	9th 	 	 	10th	10th	 	8th 	10th	 	15th	 	7th 	1
19th	Blundell 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	 	 	12th	 	 	 	17th	1
20th	Capelli 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	17th	 	 	 	1
21st	Bernard 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1
22nd	Suzuki 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1
23rd	Bailey 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	1
24th	Morbidelli 	 	8th 	 	 	 	7th 	 	11th	 	13th	 	9th 	9th 	14th	 	 	0.5
 	Gugelmin 	 	 	12th	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	11th	 	15th	7th 	7th 	8th 	14th	0
 	Boutsen 	 	10th	7th 	7th 	 	8th 	12th	 	9th 	17th	11th	 	16th	 	9th 	 	0
 	Herbert 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	10th	14th	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	11th	0
 	Larini 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16th	 	16th	 	 	 	 	0
 	Comas 	 	 	10th	10th	8th 	 	11th	 	 	10th	 	11th	11th	 	 	18th	0
 	Tarquini 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	11th	 	0
 	Zanardi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	9th 	0
 	van de Poele	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Caffi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	15th	0
 	Grouillard 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Alboreto 	 	 	 	 	< 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15th	 	 	13th	0
 	Wendlinger 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20th	0
 	Johansson 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Barbazza 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Bartels 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Chaves 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
 	Hattori 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Pos.	Driver 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	Pts
Pos.	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts
===Constructors' Championship===
Pos. 	Constructor	Driver 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	Pts
Pos. 	Constructor	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts
rowspan=2 	 	Senna 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	139
Berger 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	139
rowspan=2 	 	Mansell 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	129
Patrese 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	129
rowspan=3 	 	Prost 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	55.5
Morbidelli 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	55.5
Alesi 	 	12th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	55.5
4th 	 	Moreno 	 	7th 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	38.5
4th 	 	Schumacher	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	38.5
4th 	 	Piquet 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	7th 	 	38.5
5th 	 	Gachot 	10th	13th	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13
5th 	 	Schumacher	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	13
5th 	 	Moreno 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	13
5th 	 	Zanardi 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	9th 	 	9th 	13
5th 	 	de Cesaris	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	7th 	13th	7th 	8th 	 	 	8th 	13
6th 	 	Nakajima 	 	 	 	 	10th	12th	 	8th 	 	15th	 	 	13th	17th	 	 	12
6th 	 	Modena 	 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	7th 	13th	12th	 	 	 	16th	 	10th	12
7th 	 	Martini 	9th 	 	 	12th	7th 	 	9th 	9th 	 	 	12th	 	 	13th	 	 	6
7th 	 	Morbidelli	 	8th 	 	 	 	7th 	 	11th	 	13th	 	9th 	9th 	14th	 	 	6
7th 	 	Moreno 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	6
8th 	 	Pirro 	 	11th	 	 	9th 	 	 	10th	10th	 	8th 	10th	 	15th	 	7th 	5
8th 	 	Lehto 	 	 	 	11th	 	 	 	13th	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	 	12th	5
9th 	 	Häkkinen 	 	9th 	 	 	 	9th 	 	12th	 	14th	 	14th	14th	 	 	19th	3
9th 	 	Bailey 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	3
9th 	 	Herbert 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	10th	14th	 	 	7th 	 	 	 	 	11th	3
9th 	 	Bartels 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	3
10th 	 	Brundle 	11th	12th	11th	 	 	 	 	 	11th	 	9th 	13th	12th	10th	 	 	3
10th 	 	Blundell 	 	 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	 	 	12th	 	 	 	17th	3
11th 	 	Bernard 	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	2
11th 	 	Gachot 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	2
11th 	 	Suzuki 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	2
12th 	 	Gugelmin 	 	 	12th	 	 	 	7th 	 	 	11th	 	15th	7th 	7th 	8th 	14th	1
12th 	 	Capelli 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	8th 	17th	 	 	 	1
12th 	 	Wendlinger	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	20th	1
rowspan=2 	 	Boutsen 	 	10th	7th 	7th 	 	8th 	12th	 	9th 	17th	11th	 	16th	 	9th 	 	0
Comas 	 	 	 	10th	10th	8th 	 	11th	 	 	10th	 	11th	11th	 	 	18th	 	0
rowspan=2 	 	Larini 	7th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	16th	 	16th	 	 	 	 	0
van de Poele	 	 	 	9th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
rowspan=4 	 	Tarquini 	8th 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Grouillard 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Johansson 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Barbazza 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
rowspan=2 	 	Grouillard	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	 	 	 	 	 	0
Tarquini 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	12th	11th	 	 	0
rowspan=3 	* 	Alboreto 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	15th	 	 	13th	0
Caffi 	* 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	10th	15th	 	0
Johansson 	* 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
rowspan=3 	† 	Alboreto 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Caffi 	† 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Johansson 	† 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
rowspan=2 	 	Chaves 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Hattori 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	0
Pos. 	Constructor	Driver 	1 	2 	3 	4 	5 	6 	7 	8 	9 	10 	11 	12 	13 	14 	15 	16 	Pts
Pos. 	Constructor	Driver 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	Pts
* * Indicates the entry.
* † Indicates the entries from rounds 1-6
==References==
Category:Formula One Seasons
Category:Pages not using results table template