1991 Japanese Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = F1
Grand Prix = Japanese
Country = Japan

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Official name = XVII Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix
Date = October 20
Year = 1991
Race_No = 15
Season_No = 16
Location = Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan
Course = Permanent racing facility
Course_mi = 3.643
Course_km = 5.864
Distance_laps = 53
Distance_mi = 193.033
Distance_km = 310.792
Weather = Dry, warm, cloudy
Pole_Driver = Gerhard Berger
Pole_Country = Austria
Pole_Team = McLaren-Honda
Pole_Time = 1:34.700
Fast_Driver = Ayrton Senna
Fast_Country = Brazil
Fast_Team = McLaren-Honda
Fast_Time = 1:41.532
Fast_L

First_Driver = Gerhard Berger
First_Country = Austria
First_Team = McLaren-Honda
Second_Driver = Ayrton Senna
Second_Country= Brazil
Second_Team = McLaren-Honda
Third_Driver = Riccardo Patrese
Third_Country = Italy
Third_Team = Williams-RenaultThe 1991 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka on October 20, 1991. It was the fifteenth round of the 1991 Formula One season.

Report

Formula One moved to Japan with the fight for the title still open; this was the fifth year in a row that the title would be decided at the Suzuka circuit. The organizers were hoping that the events of 1990 would not repeat themselves. Both championship contenders Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell knew exactly what they needed to do, Mansell had to win with help and Senna needed to beat Mansell. There were several changes to the driver lineup, the most notable being at Leyton House where Ivan Capelli had been replaced by young Austrian Karl Wendlinger. Elsewhere AGS had run out of money and did not make the voyage to Japan, while fellow stragglers Coloni had hired local driver Naoki Hattori, but he failed to pre-qualify.Johnny Herbert was back behind the wheel of the Lotus after having missed a few races in the second half of the season due to Japanese Formula 3000 commitments.

Qualifying saw many large accidents, including young sensation Michael Schumacher and Ferrari driver Jean Alesi. The biggest of these accidents was the one that befell Eric Bernard who broke his ankle and would not take any further part in the race. At the end of the qualifying sessions it was a McLaren front row with Gerhard Berger ahead of Ayrton Senna. Mansell was third followed by the unhappy Alain Prost, Riccardo Patrese, Jean Alesi, Pierluigi Martini, Gianni Morbidelli, Michael Schumacher, and Nelson Piquet. Senna was right where he wanted to be, while Mansell knew he had his work cut out for him.

At the start of the race Berger got away well and Senna blocked Mansell the way that Mansell had done to him in Portugal. Elsewhere Jean Alesi's day ended on the first lap in a cloud of smoke, his Ferrari engine having blown. At the end of lap 1 the order was Berger, Senna, Mansell, Patrese, and Prost. There was a huge accident on lap two when Andrea de Cesaris spun his Jordan while leading other cars, and the resulting accident took Wendligner, Pirro, and Lehto with him. At the front Berger pulled off into the lead while Mansell hounded Senna. It all ended on lap 10 when Mansell made a mistake on the first corner and spun off. His Williams was stuck in the gravel and Mansell was left to wonder about what might have been. With the news of Mansell's retirement, Senna and Berger both went off, with Berger waving his new world champion teammate through. The two ran in formation for the rest of the race with Senna letting Berger through on the last lap to win his first race for McLaren. Senna was second, Patrese third followed by Prost, Martin Brundle scoring the last points in the history of the Brabham team, and Stefano Modena in the Tyrrell. Senna had won his third world championship but the Brazilian put a damper on the celebrations in the post-race interview by making scathing comments about outgoing FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre.

Classification

Qualifying

* pre-qualified but injured during practice (broken leg)

Race

Notes

*This was the last points finish for the Brabham team.
*The Coloni team returned to racing and signed Japanese driver Naoki Hattori, replacing Pedro Chaves, who quit the team after the Portuguese Grand Prix. However, Hattori failed to pre-qualify on his debut run.
*Ayrton Senna won his third and final driver's world championship after Nigel Mansell retired from the race on lap 9.
*This was Gerhard Berger's only victory in 1991.
*Nelson Piquet qualified 10th but started from the back of the grid due to repairs.

References

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F1 race report
Name_of_race = Japanese Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1991
Previous_race_in_season = 1991 Spanish Grand Prix
Next_race_in_season = 1991 Australian Grand Prix
Previous_year's_race = 1990 Japanese Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1992 Japanese Grand Prix