| Race details | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race 7 of 16 in the 1990 Formula One season | ||
 | ||
| Date | July 8, 1990 | |
| Location | Paul Ricard France | |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 3.813 km (2.369 mi) | |
| Distance | 80 laps, 305.04 km (189.543 mi) | |
| Weather | Hot, dry, sunny | |
| Pole position | ||
| Driver |  Nigel Mansell
|
Ferrari |
| Time | 1:04.402 | |
| Fastest lap | ||
| Driver | Nigel Mansell
|
Ferrari |
| Time | 1:08.012 on lap 64 | |
| Podium | ||
| First |  Alain Prost
|
Ferrari |
| Second |  Ivan Capelli
|
Leyton House-Judd |
| Third |  Ayrton Senna
|
McLaren-Honda |
The 1990 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 8, 1990. It was the seventh race of the 1990 Formula One season. It was the 68th French Grand Prix and the 14th and last to be held at Paul Ricard. It was held over 80 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 305 kilometres.
The race almost saw one of the most remarkable upsets in Formula One history with the Leyton House Racing team of Italian driver Ivan Capelli and Brazilian driver Mauricio Gugelmin running first and second for an extended period of the race in their Leyton House CG901s. French driver Alain Prost claimed the lead late in the race to take the win in his Ferrari 641 by eight seconds over Capelli. Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna finished third in his McLaren MP4/5B.
The win, Prost's third for the season, closed the gap to championship points leader Senna to just three points.
Report[]
Qualifying[]
Nigel Mansell took pole position from Gerhard Berger and Ayrton Senna being followed by Alain Prost, Alessandro Nannini fifth, Riccardo Patrese sixth, Ivan Capelli seventh followed by Thierry Boutsen in eighth, Nelson Piquet in ninth and Mauricio Gugelmin tenth.
Race[]
In one of the most remarkable turn arounds in Grand Prix history the Leyton House cars of Ivan Capelli and Maurício Gugelmin ran first and second for almost two-thirds of the race. Neither car had qualified for the previous race in Mexico, but on the smooth surface of Paul Ricard with its 1.1 km long Mistral Straight the team were able to exploit their highly efficient aerodynamic package, as well as being the only team to attempt to race without stopping for fresh tyres. Gugelmin stopped while second late in the race on whilst Capelli led until three laps from home when his engine encountered problems and dropped to second.
Berger took the lead at the start followed by pole sitter Mansell, Senna, Nannini, Patrese, Prost, Boutsen, Piquet and Jean Alesi. Later in the race when the leaders pitted, Capelli took the lead being followed by team mate Gugelmin. Prost overtook Gugelmin on lap 54 and Gugelmin's engine blew on lap 57. Prost overtook Capelli for the lead on lap 77 of 80 and went on to win in front of his home crowd at the last French Grand Prix held at Paul Ricard before the race was moved to Magny-Cours in 1991.
Prost's win was the 42nd of his career, his 3rd French Grand Prix in succession, his 4th French GP overall (and his 4th at Ricard), and the 100th Grand Prix victory for Ferrari. It would also prove to be the 3rd and last podium finish for Ivan Capelli and the only podium finish for the Leyton House Racing team.
Classification[]
Pre Qualifying[]
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 | Éric Bernard
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 1:05.165 | — |
| 2 | 30 |  Aguri Suzuki
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 1:06.505 | +1.340 |
| 3 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini
|
AGS-Ford | 1:07.232 | +2.067 |
| 4 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas
|
AGS-Ford | 1:08.151 | +2.986 |
| 5 | 14 | Olivier Grouillard
|
Osella-Ford | 1:08.219 | +3.054 |
| 6 | 33 | Roberto Moreno
|
EuroBrun-Judd | 1:09.885 | +4.720 |
| 7 | 34 | Claudio Langes
|
EuroBrun-Judd | 1:10.368 | +5.203 |
| 8 | 31 |  Bertrand Gachot
|
Coloni-Subaru | 4:02.465 | +2:57.300 |
| 9 | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli
|
Life | — | — |
Qualifying[]
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Nigel Mansell
|
Ferrari | 1:04.402 | 1:04.871 | — |
| 2 | 28 |  Gerhard Berger
|
McLaren-Honda | 1:05.350 | 1:04.512 | +0.110 |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna
|
McLaren-Honda | 1:04.549 | 1:08.886 | +0.147 |
| 4 | 1 | Alain Prost
|
Ferrari | 1:04.792 | 1:04.781 | +0.379 |
| 5 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini
|
Benetton-Ford | 1:05.670 | 1:05.009 | +0.607 |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese
|
Williams-Renault | 1:05.059 | 1:05.394 | +0.657 |
| 7 | 16 | Ivan Capelli
|
Leyton House-Judd | 1:06.384 | 1:05.369 | +0.967 |
| 8 | 5 | Thierry Boutsen
|
Williams-Renault | 1:05.446 | 1:06.394 | +1.044 |
| 9 | 20 | Nelson Piquet
|
Benetton-Ford | 1:05.640 | 1:05.744 | +1.238 |
| 10 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin
|
Leyton House-Judd | 1:05.818 | 1:06.446 | +1.416 |
| 11 | 29 | Éric Bernard
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 1:05.910 | 1:05.852 | +1.450 |
| 12 | 26 | Philippe Alliot
|
Ligier-Ford | 1:05.980 | 1:06.866 | +1.578 |
| 13 | 4 | Jean Alesi
|
Tyrrell-Ford | 1:06.084 | 1:06.200 | +1.682 |
| 14 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 1:06.100 | 1:06.158 | +1.598 |
| 15 | 3 | Satoru Nakajima
|
Tyrrell-Ford | 1:06.999 | 1:06.563 | +2.161 |
| 16 | 11 | Derek Warwick
|
Lotus-Lamborghini | 1:06.624 | 1:07.031 | +2.222 |
| 17 | 12 | Martin Donnelly
|
Lotus-Lamborghini | 1:06.647 | 1:07:248 | +2.245 |
| 18 | 9 | Michele Alboreto
|
Arrows-Ford | 1:06.847 | 1:07.239 | +2.445 |
| 19 | 25 | Nicola Larini
|
Ligier-Ford | 1:07.224 | 1:06.856 | +2.444 |
| 20 | 8 | Stefano Modena
|
Brabham-Judd | 1:06.937 | 1:06.943 | +2.535 |
| 21 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris
|
Dallara-Ford | 1:09.727 | 1:07.137 | +2.735 |
| 22 | 10 | Alex Caffi
|
Arrows-Ford | 1:07.496 | 1:07.207 | +2.805 |
| 23 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini
|
Minardi-Ford | 1:07.315 | 1:07.333 | +2.913 |
| 24 | 21 | Emanuele Pirro
|
Dallara-Ford | 1:07.687 | 1:07.692 | +3.285 |
| 25 | 7 |  David Brabham
|
Brabham-Judd | 1:07.733 | 1:08.532 | +3.331 |
| 26 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas
|
AGS-Ford | 1:08.630 | 1:07.926 | +3.524 |
| 27 | 24 | Paolo Barilla
|
Minardi-Ford | 1:08.008 | 1:08.592 | +3.606 |
| 28 | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini
|
AGS-Ford | 1:09.176 | 1:08.147 | +3.745 |
| 29 | 35 |  Gregor Foitek
|
Onyx-Ford | 1:08.794 | 1:08.232 | +3.830 |
| 30 | 36 |  JJ Lehto
|
Onyx-Ford | 1:08.954 | 1:08.487 | +4.085 |
Race[]
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Alain Prost
|
Ferrari | 80 | 1:33:29.606 | 4 | 9 |
| 2 | 16 | Ivan Capelli
|
Leyton House-Judd | 80 | + 8.626 | 7 | 6 |
| 3 | 27 | Ayrton Senna
|
McLaren-Honda | 80 | + 11.606 | 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 20 | Nelson Piquet
|
Benetton-Ford | 80 | + 41.207 | 9 | 3 |
| 5 | 28 | Gerhard Berger
|
McLaren-Honda | 80 | + 42.219 | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese
|
Williams-Renault | 80 | + 1:09.351 | 6 | 1 |
| 7 | 30 | Aguri Suzuki
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 79 | + 1 Lap | 14 | |
| 8 | 29 | Éric Bernard
|
Lola-Lamborghini | 79 | + 1 Lap | 11 | |
| 9 | 26 | Philippe Alliot
|
Ligier-Ford | 79 | + 1 Lap | 12 | |
| 10 | 9 | Michele Alboreto
|
Arrows-Ford | 79 | + 1 Lap | 18 | |
| 11 | 11 | Derek Warwick
|
Lotus-Lamborghini | 79 | + 1 Lap | 16 | |
| 12 | 12 | Martin Donnelly
|
Lotus-Lamborghini | 79 | + 1 Lap | 17 | |
| 13 | 8 | Stefano Modena
|
Brabham-Judd | 78 | + 2 Laps | 20 | |
| 14 | 25 | Nicola Larini
|
Ligier-Ford | 78 | + 2 Laps | 19 | |
| 15 | 7 | David Brabham
|
Brabham-Judd | 77 | + 3 Laps | 25 | |
| 16 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini
|
Benetton-Ford | 75 | Electrical | 5 | |
| 17 | 18 | Yannick Dalmas
|
AGS-Ford | 75 | + 5 Laps | 26 | |
| 18 | 2 | Nigel Mansell
|
Ferrari | 72 | Engine | 1 | |
| DSQ | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris
|
Dallara-Ford | 78 | Disqualified | 21 | |
| Ret | 3 | Satoru Nakajima
|
Tyrrell-Ford | 63 | Gearbox | 15 | |
| Ret | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin
|
Leyton House-Judd | 58 | Engine | 10 | |
| Ret | 23 | Pierluigi Martini
|
Minardi-Ford | 40 | Electrical | 23 | |
| Ret | 4 | Jean Alesi
|
Tyrrell-Ford | 23 | Differential | 13 | |
| Ret | 10 | Alex Caffi
|
Arrows-Ford | 22 | Suspension | 22 | |
| Ret | 5 | Thierry Boutsen
|
Williams-Renault | 7 | Engine | 8 | |
| Ret | 21 | Emanuele Pirro
|
Dallara-Ford | 7 | Brakes | 24 | |
| DNQ | 24 | Paolo Barilla
|
Minardi-Ford | ||||
| DNQ | 17 | Gabriele Tarquini
|
AGS-Ford | ||||
| DNQ | 35 | Gregor Foitek
|
Onyx-Ford | ||||
| DNQ | 36 | JJ Lehto
|
Onyx-Ford | ||||
| DNPQ | 14 | Olivier Grouillard
|
Osella-Ford | ||||
| DNPQ | 33 | Roberto Moreno
|
EuroBrun-Judd | ||||
| DNPQ | 34 | Claudio Langes
|
EuroBrun-Judd | ||||
| DNPQ | 31 | Bertrand Gachot
|
Coloni-Subaru | ||||
| DNPQ | 39 | Bruno Giacomelli
|
Life |
Standings after the race[]
|
|
- Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
References[]
- Unless otherwise indicated, all race results are taken from "The Official Formula 1 website". http://www.formula1.com/results/season/1990/221/. Retrieved 2007-08-05.
| Previous race: 1990 Mexican Grand Prix |
FIA Formula One World Championship 1990 season |
Next race: 1990 British Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 1989 French Grand Prix |
French Grand Prix | Next race: 1991 French Grand Prix |
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This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at 1990 French Grand Prix. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License. |