1991 Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix was held in 1991 as the 16th and final race of the Formula 1 season 1991 at the Adelaide Street Circuit on November 3.
- 3.1 qualifying
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
- 4.2 Constructors' Championship
Reports
Background
After Alain Prost had particularly expressed during the second half of the season multiply negatively about the Scuderia Ferrari, it was announced that he would be, although it was still contractually bound in the 1992 season to the Italian tradition of racing, but to deny without race. The team was so angry that even the outstanding season finale would not let him compete, but Gianni Morbidelli took as short-term replacement driver under contract. Meanwhile, thereby freed-up space at Minardi was taken by Roberto Moreno, who thus went for the third time for another team in the 1991 season at the start.
As Éric Bernard could not compete due to its two weeks earlier during training for the Grand Prix of Japan suffered injuries, Gerard Larrousse agreed to let the few weeks earlier released from prison Bertrand Gachot compete in the final run for his team.
Training
The two drivers of the leading in the constructors' world championship teams McLaren dominated qualifying. The already identified as drivers' world champion Ayrton Senna secured the pole position ahead of Gerhard Berger. The second series was shared by the two Williams drivers Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese, who hoped to be able to achieve even the constructors' trophy for their team with a good race result at the same time bad performance of the McLaren rivals. The Benetton team-mate Nelson Piquet and Michael Schumacher were the third row before the two Ferrari of Jean Alesi and Gianni Morbidelli.
Race
The launch was initially postponed due to heavy rain, which began about an hour before the scheduled start time. When he subsided a little, the race was finally started and Senna went to Berger, Mansell and Schumacher in the lead. In the third round Mansell took second place by Berger.
When the two Benetton pilots collided in the fifth round, Schumacher turned and was rammed by Alesi, who could not escape in time. Thierry Boutsen, Satoru Nakajima, Nicola Larini and Pierluigi Martini also dropped out due to accidents.
After the rain had intensified until the 13th round again, Maurício Gugelmin crashed into the pit wall. Two marshals were doing slightly injured. As also Mansell and Berger had turned off due to hydroplaning, signaled, among other Senna the racing line that one should quit the race because of the difficult conditions. This was done after 16 rounds episode. However, the state was seen after 14 rounds. Thus, Senna was the winner ahead of Mansell, Berger, Piquet, Patrese and Morbidelli. Since significantly less than 75 percent of the planned race distance had been completed, only half of the points was awarded.
McLaren won the Constructors' World Championship in 1991.
With a distance of only about 53 kilometers, and a duration of less than 25 minutes of the Australian Grand Prix in 1991 is considered the shortest race in Formula 1 history.
Message list
Classifications
Qualifying
Race
WM stands after the race
The first six of the race were due to significantly shortened race distance, 5, 3, 2, 1.5, 1 and 0.5 point (s).