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Home / Seasons / 1989 F1 World Championship Season / 1989 Japanese Grand Prix

1989 Japanese Grand Prix

Date
Winner
Pole position
Fastest lap
CircuitSuzuka, 53 laps
Round15 of 16
Race numbers

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was the:

  • 483rd World Championship race
  • 5th World Championship Japanese Grand Prix
  • 3rd World Championship race at Suzuka
  • 1989 Drivers’ title decider
More 1989 season
More Japanese Grands Prix

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Race result

PosDriverConstructorLapsTimePoints
DQ (BRA) Ayrton SennaMcLaren-Honda531hr 35m 03.980s 
1+5(ITA) Alessandro NanniniBenetton-Ford Cosworth531hr 35m 06.277s9
2+3(ITA) Riccardo PatreseWilliams-Renault53+11.904s6
3+4(BEL) Thierry BoutsenWilliams-Renault53+13.446s4
4+7(BRA) Nelson PiquetLotus-Judd53+1m 44.225s3
5+8(GBR) Martin BrundleBrabham-Judd52+1 lap2
6+19(GBR) Derek WarwickArrows-Ford Cosworth52+1 lap1
7+13(BRA) Mauricio GugelminMarch-Judd52+1 lap 
8+16(USA) Eddie CheeverArrows-Ford Cosworth52+1 lap 
9+6(ITA) Alex CaffiDallara-Ford Cosworth52+1 lap 
10+6(ITA) Andrea de CesarisDallara-Ford Cosworth51+2 laps 
R (FRA) Alain ProstMcLaren-Honda46DNF 
R (ITA) Stefano ModenaBrabham-Judd46DNF 
R (GBR) Nigel MansellFerrari43DNF 
R (JPN) Satoru NakajimaLotus-Judd41DNF 
R (FRA) Jean AlesiTyrrell-Ford Cosworth37DNF 
R (FRA) Philippe AlliotLola-Lamborghini36DNF 
R (AUT) Gerhard BergerFerrari34DNF 
R (ITA) Emanuele PirroBenetton-Ford Cosworth33DNF 
R (FRA) Olivier GrouillardLigier-Ford Cosworth31DNF 
R (ITA) Ivan CapelliMarch-Judd27DNF 
R (ITA) Nicola LariniOsella-Ford Cosworth21DNF 
R (GBR) Jonathan PalmerTyrrell-Ford Cosworth20DNF 
R (DEU) Bernd SchneiderZakspeed-Yamaha1DNF 
R (ITA) Paolo BarillaMinardi-Ford Cosworth0DNF 
R (ESP) Luis Perez-SalaMinardi-Ford Cosworth0DNF 

Notes

  • Ayrton Senna was disqualified for rejoining the track illegally after colliding with Alain Prost.
  • Alain Prost ended lap 46 as the race leader before retiring on the following lap.

Starting grid

PosDriverConstructor
1(BRA) Ayrton SennaMcLaren-Honda
2(FRA) Alain ProstMcLaren-Honda
3(AUT) Gerhard BergerFerrari
4(GBR) Nigel MansellFerrari
5(ITA) Riccardo PatreseWilliams-Renault
6(ITA) Alessandro NanniniBenetton-Ford Cosworth
7(BEL) Thierry BoutsenWilliams-Renault
8(FRA) Philippe AlliotLola-Lamborghini
9(ITA) Stefano ModenaBrabham-Judd
10(ITA) Nicola LariniOsella-Ford Cosworth
11(BRA) Nelson PiquetLotus-Judd
12(JPN) Satoru NakajimaLotus-Judd
13(GBR) Martin BrundleBrabham-Judd
14(ESP) Luis Perez-SalaMinardi-Ford Cosworth
15(ITA) Alex CaffiDallara-Ford Cosworth
16(ITA) Andrea de CesarisDallara-Ford Cosworth
17(ITA) Ivan CapelliMarch-Judd
18(FRA) Jean AlesiTyrrell-Ford Cosworth
19(ITA) Paolo BarillaMinardi-Ford Cosworth
20(BRA) Mauricio GugelminMarch-Judd
21(DEU) Bernd SchneiderZakspeed-Yamaha
22(ITA) Emanuele PirroBenetton-Ford Cosworth
23(FRA) Olivier GrouillardLigier-Ford Cosworth
24(USA) Eddie CheeverArrows-Ford Cosworth
25(GBR) Derek WarwickArrows-Ford Cosworth
26  
Started from the pit lane
 (GBR) Jonathan PalmerTyrrell-Ford Cosworth

Qualifying result

PosDriverConstructorTimeGap
1(BRA) Ayrton SennaMcLaren-Honda1:38.041 
2(FRA) Alain ProstMcLaren-Honda1:39.7711.730
3(AUT) Gerhard BergerFerrari1:40.1872.146
4(GBR) Nigel MansellFerrari1:40.4062.365
5(ITA) Riccardo PatreseWilliams-Renault1:40.9362.895
6(ITA) Alessandro NanniniBenetton-Ford Cosworth1:41.1033.062
7(BEL) Thierry BoutsenWilliams-Renault1:41.3243.283
8(FRA) Philippe AlliotLola-Lamborghini1:41.3363.295
9(ITA) Stefano ModenaBrabham-Judd1:41.4583.417
10(ITA) Nicola LariniOsella-Ford Cosworth1:41.5193.478
11(BRA) Nelson PiquetLotus-Judd1:41.8023.761
12(JPN) Satoru NakajimaLotus-Judd1:41.9883.947
13(GBR) Martin BrundleBrabham-Judd1:42.1824.141
14(ESP) Luis Perez-SalaMinardi-Ford Cosworth1:42.2834.242
15(ITA) Alex CaffiDallara-Ford Cosworth1:42.4884.447
16(ITA) Andrea de CesarisDallara-Ford Cosworth1:42.5814.540
17(ITA) Ivan CapelliMarch-Judd1:42.6724.631
18(FRA) Jean AlesiTyrrell-Ford Cosworth1:42.7094.668
19(ITA) Paolo BarillaMinardi-Ford Cosworth1:42.7804.739
20(BRA) Mauricio GugelminMarch-Judd1:42.8804.839
21(DEU) Bernd SchneiderZakspeed-Yamaha1:42.8924.851
22(ITA) Emanuele PirroBenetton-Ford Cosworth1:43.0635.022
23(FRA) Olivier GrouillardLigier-Ford Cosworth1:43.3795.338
24(USA) Eddie CheeverArrows-Ford Cosworth1:43.5115.470
25(GBR) Derek WarwickArrows-Ford Cosworth1:43.5995.558
26(GBR) Jonathan PalmerTyrrell-Ford Cosworth1:43.7575.716
Did not qualify
27(FRA) Rene ArnouxLigier-Ford Cosworth1:44.0305.989
28(ITA) Michele AlboretoLola-Lamborghini1:44.0636.022
29(FRA) Pierre-Henri RaphanelRial-Ford Cosworth1:47.1609.119
30(FRA) Bertrand GachotRial-Ford Cosworth1:47.2959.254
Did not pre-qualify
31(ITA) Piercarlo GhinzaniOsella-Ford Cosworth1:44.3136.272
32(BRA) Roberto MorenoColoni-Ford Cosworth1:44.4986.457
33(SWE) Stefan JohanssonOnyx-Ford Cosworth1:44.5826.541
34(JPN) Aguri SuzukiZakspeed-Yamaha1:44.7806.739
35(ARG) Oscar LarrauriEuroBrun-Judd1:45.4467.405
36(FIN) JJ LehtoOnyx-Ford Cosworth1:45.7877.746
37(ITA) Gabriele TarquiniAGS-Ford Cosworth1:46.7058.664
38(FRA) Yannick DalmasAGS-Ford Cosworth1:48.30610.265
39(ITA) Enrico BertaggiaColoni-Ford Cosworth– 

Championship standings

How the championship standings stood post-race.

Driver

PosDriverPoints
1(FRA) Alain Prost76
2(BRA) Ayrton Senna60
3(GBR) Nigel Mansell38
4(ITA) Riccardo Patrese36
5(BEL) Thierry Boutsen28
6(ITA) Alessandro Nannini26
7(AUT) Gerhard Berger21
8(BRA) Nelson Piquet12
9(FRA) Jean Alesi8
10(GBR) Derek Warwick7
11(ITA) Michele Alboreto6
=(USA) Eddie Cheever6
=(SWE) Stefan Johansson6
14(GBR) Johnny Herbert5
15(BRA) Mauricio Gugelmin4
=(ITA) Stefano Modena4
=(ITA) Andrea de Cesaris4
18(ITA) Alex Caffi4
19(ITA) Pierluigi Martini4
20(GBR) Martin Brundle4
21(DEU) Christian Danner3
22(FRA) Rene Arnoux2
23(GBR) Jonathan Palmer2
24(ITA) Gabriele Tarquini1
=(FRA) Olivier Grouillard1
=(ESP) Luis Perez-Sala1
=(FRA) Philippe Alliot1

Constructor

PosConstructorPoints
1McLaren-Honda141
2Williams-Renault64
3Ferrari59
4Benetton-Ford Cosworth31
5Tyrrell-Ford Cosworth16
6Arrows-Ford Cosworth13
7Lotus-Judd12
8Dallara-Ford Cosworth8
9Brabham-Judd8
10Onyx-Ford Cosworth6
11Minardi-Ford Cosworth5
12March-Judd4
13Rial-Ford Cosworth3
14Ligier-Ford Cosworth3
15AGS-Ford Cosworth1
=Lola-Lamborghini1

Statistics & milestones

Race debut
Paolo Barilla
Last start
Jonathan Palmer
Luis Perez-Sala (last Spanish driver to start a race until 1999)
Zakspeed
World Champion
3rd title for Alain Prost (6th driver to win three championships, 1st French driver; first French champion since 1986 and last until 1993)
Wins
1st and only for Alessandro Nannini (78th different winner, 13th Italian driver; first Italian winner since 1985)
2nd for Benetton (first since 1986)
Podiums
16th for Riccardo Patrese
11th for Thierry Boutsen
5th for Alessandro Nannini
109th & 110th for Williams
14th for Benetton
Poles
41st for Ayrton Senna
54th for McLaren
1-2 start
24th for McLaren
Fastest laps
32nd for Alain Prost (last for McLaren)
56th for McLaren
Front row starts
60th for Alain Prost (1st driver to achieve 60 front row starts, 1st French driver)
52nd for Ayrton Senna