Grand Prix 2 World Championship - 1990

## World Championship

Mika Hakkinen took a surprise rookie title with Martini Brabham

Pierluigi Martini claimed the GoBobby.UK Cup title

The 1990 Grand Prix 2 World Championship was the first world championship to be run under the RRML. It featured the 1990 GP2 World Championship for Drivers and the 1990 GP2 World Championship for Constructors, which was contested over a 16-race series that commenced in Phoenix, United States of America, and ended in Adelaide, Australia, with a non-championship round seeing out the season.

With the aim of rewriting history, team managers were able to make their own driver changes and potentially shake up the established order by taking a chance on rookies, pairing together proven race winners or going all-out random with their ideas.

Changes could also be made to engine and tyre suppliers as well as title sponsors, but post-race scrutineering was an ever-present threat with no team safe from the pitfalls of trying to get away with an illegal turbo or irregular fuel mix, just to name a couple.

The Birmingham Superprix was added to the Grand Prix calendar, but as a special event for only the GoBobby.UK Cup teams. Victory in the special event went to Eric Bernard and the Monteverdi team, their first of the season.

After an enthralling season with multiple race winners, Martini Brabham rookie Mika Hakkinen surprised the field by taking the World Championship in his debut Grand Prix season while Burger King McLaren claimed the constructors' crown. Riccardo Patrese ended the season as vice-champion despite having not taken a victory all year.

Pierluigi Martini, driving for Glenfiddich Minardi, did well enough across the course of the season to claim the inaugural GoBobby.UK Cup for pre-qualifying teams. Ultimately Martini would be the only GoBobby.UK Cup champion as 1991 saw it replaced with the Tom Pryce Trophy, with the Roger Williamson Cup also added as more teams joined the Grand Prix grid.

### Mid-season driver changes

* After a disappointing opening race, Olivier Grouillard was dropped by the Lego Osella team and replaced by F3000 star Mark Blundell.
* Eric Bernard was replaced at the Larrousse Lola squad after one race, with the team bringing in the experienced Bruno Giacomelli to help push the team forward.
* Scuderia Coloni swapped Bertrand Gachot with reserve driver Ukyo Katayama for round two in order to evaluate the Japanese in a race seat. After Katayama scored victory in his first GoBobby.UK Cup race, he was retained for the remainder of the season.
* Cadbury Reynard demoted Michael Andretti to the role of reserve driver following the Brazilian Grand Prix and secured a loan of Michael Schumacher from Canon Williams for the rest of the season. Pierre-Henri Raphanel was dropped from the team as a result.
* Roberto Moreno was stood down for the Monaco Grand Prix in order for Woolworths EuroBrun to evaluate reserve driver Cathy Muller in a race seat.
* Due to a injury sustained in the San Marino Grand Prix, Stefan Johansson was forced to sit out the next few races with Monteverdi reserve driver Andrea Chiesa stepping in.
* Alessandro Nannini picked up an injury in a big crash at Montreal, forcing him to sit out the next few races.
* Rial made a double sacking following the Canadian Grand Prix, with race driver Emanuele Pirro and reserve driver Fabrizio Barbazza departing the squad. Volker Weidler was drafted into the reserve role, while Converse BMS Scuderia loaned out reserve driver Eddie Irvine to Rial to make his Formula 1 race debut.
* Eric Bernard returned to the grid for the Mexican Grand Prix with Monteverdi, with Andrea Chiesa moving back to his reserve role.
* Rowntree's Benetton was forced to replace both drivers for the French Grand Prix as Nelson Piquet and Alessandro Nannini picked up one-race bans in Mexico. The team placed reserve driver Jan Lammers into a race seat while Kwik Fit Life loaned out Karl Wendlinger to fill the second seat.
* Red Bull Tyrrell gave Heinz-Harald Frentzen his Grand Prix debut in place of Rickard Rydell at the French Grand Prix, evaluating him for a possible full-time seat. After impressing with a fourth place finish on debut, Frentzen was given the seat for the rest of the season.
* Martin Donnelly switched to Woolworths EuroBrun ahead of the French Grand Prix, replacing Cathy Muller. His seat at Camel Team Lotus was taken by Andrea de Cesaris.
* Alain Prost sensationally walked out of Scuderia Ferrari following the French Grand Prix, frustrated with the team's results. He was picked up for the remainder of the season by Martini Brabham, while Stefano Modena went the other way and joined Scuderia Ferrari. As a result of the switch, the #1 and #2 car numbers went to Martini Brabham for the remainder of the season, while Scuderia Ferrari inherited the #7 and #8 car numbers that Martini Brabham initially had at the start of the season.
* Gerhard Berger received a three-race ban after the French Grand Prix for repeated offences in crashing into opponents. Burger King McLaren called upon reserve driver Giovanni Aloi to fill the vacant seat for the duration.
* Michael Schumacher missed the British Grand Prix after picking up a light foot injury in a crash with Yannick Dalmas at the French Grand Prix. Cadbury Reynard reserve driver Michael Andretti returned to the seat in his place.
* Yannick Dalmas sat out the British and German Grands Prix in the aforementioned crash with Michael Schumacher, having sustained an arm injury. As a result, AGS brought in reserve driver Roberto Guerrero for the duration.
* Mike Thackwell was dropped from Scuderia Coloni ahead of the British Grand Prix, with the team bringing in Bertrand Gachot to replace the Kiwi.
* Porsche driver Alain Menu picked up a light back injury in the British Grand Prix, forcing the Frenchman to miss the next two rounds. His seat was filled by reserve driver Paul Tracy.
* Cadbury Reynard driver Roland Ratzenberger sat out the German Grand Prix, with Michael Andretti getting a fourth outing of the season in his place.
* Piercarlo Ghinzani elected to call time on his career following the Portuguese Grand Prix, with Zakspeed promoting reserve driver Paolo Barilla into his place for the rest of the season.
* Willy T. Ribbs left the Rial team three races before the end of the season in order to focus on his 1991 BMW testing commitments while also preparing for his next assault on the Indianapolis 500. Volker Weidler took his race seat for the remainder of the season.
* After dropping out of contention for the drivers' title, Thierry Boutsen was stood down from Canon Williams for the last two races with the team bringing in reserve driver Michael Schumacher in his place. Boutsen joined Porsche in order to begin his relationship with new Team Principal Scott Woodwiss early.
* Eddie Cheever was dropped by Equipe Pringles Ligier following the Spanish Grand Prix, with Jean-Denis Deletraz taking his seat for the remainder of the season.
* Bertrand Gachot picked up an injury in a huge crash at the Japanese Grand Prix, ending his season early. His seat was taken by Mike Thackwell.
* Eric Bernard was banned from the Australian Grand Prix for his part in the injury-inducing collision with Bertrand Gachot, with Monteverdi giving Andrea Chiesa the nod for the season finale.

## Results and standings

### Grands Prix

1 The Birmingham Superprix was a special event for only the GoBobby.UK Cup teams. Points counted towards the GoBobby.UK Cup championship, but there was no Grand Prix for the top three teams to progress to.

### Scoring system

#### GoBobby.UK Cup

**Bold** indicates pole position.

*Italics* indicates fastest lap.

R indicates driver retired from the race.

D indicates driver disqualified from the race.

Drivers must complete 90% race distance to be classified and score points.

### World Drivers' Championship standings

1 Due to an unusually high attrition rate, the top ten finishers were allowed to score points despite P8 to P10 not completing 90% race distance.

### GoBobby.UK Cup

The GoBobby.UK Cup is awarded to the pre-qualifying driver who scores the most points within the qualifying races.

1 Due to an unusually high attrition rate, the top ten finishers were allowed to score points despite P7 to P10 not completing 90% race distance.

2 The Birmingham Superprix was a special event for only the GoBobby.UK Cup teams. Points counted towards the GoBobby.UK Cup championship, but there was no Grand Prix for the top three teams to progress to.