1991 Brazilian Grand Prix

The Brazilian Grand Prix 1991 was held on 24 March in São Paulo and was the second race of the Formula 1 season 1991.

  • 3.1 qualifying
  • 3.2 race
  • 4.1 Drivers' Championship
  • 4.2 Constructors' Championship

Reports

Background

Without changes in the participants compared to the season opener in Phoenix joined the Formula 1 World Championship for the second round of the season in Brazil.

Training

Ayrton Senna the pole position secured before the two Williams drivers Riccardo Patrese and Nigel Mansell and his team mate Gerhard Berger. The Ferrari duo Jean Alesi and Alain Prost shared the third row in front of Nelson Piquet and Maurício Gugelmin, which, like Senna denied their home race.

Race

While Senna took the lead, Berger could not defend against Mansell, Patrese and Alesi due to a fire at the rear of his car. The fire was extinguished quickly, however, so that he could contest the race from then unaffected.

After several laps, could not go by Piquet, Prost hoped after an early pit stop with new tires to have an advantage. He fell through the first stop back to eleventh place. Piquet came in round 29 to the third place forward. However, Berger and Prost could overtake him before the 45th round.

In the 50th round Mansell had to see again his pit crew due to a puncture. With a gap of about half a minute behind the leader Senna, he returned as still runner-up back on the track. His comeback was ended by a gearbox failure on lap 59. Since Senna noticed signs of an impending gearbox failure in his car, he decided for safety's sake, during the last seven rounds carry no gear changes and to finish the race in sixth gear to an end. The following it competitors Patrese and Berger could unlock a result. However, since they also had to struggle with technical problems, no overtaking revealed.

Shortly before the end of the race it started to rain. Senna, Patrese, Berger, Prost, Piquet and Alesi crossed the finish line within 24 seconds. How stressful were particularly the last few laps in the rain without the possibility of a change of gear for Senna, was the fact that team members had to assist in getting out of his car to him.

For Ayrton Senna was the first of two victories on home soil.

Message list

Classifications

Qualifying

Race

WM stands after the race

The first six of the race were 10, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point (s).

Drivers' championship

Constructors' Championship

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