Brazilian GP 1992

Brazilian GP, 1992

McLaren arrived in Brazil with no fewer than six cars for Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger: three new MP4/7s and three older MP4/6Bs as spares. There was also much interest in the Andrea Moda Formula garage where the team had two new drivers in Roberto Moreno and Perry McCarthy. The latter was then denied a superlicence by the FIA, which is necessary in order to drive in Formula 1, and so only Moreno took part in the pre-qualifying session. The team had worked two all-nighters to get the cars ready but Moreno did not pre-qualify.

The system of pre-qualifying was developed in response to the increasing number of teams competing in Formula 1. It was decided that 30 cars were the maximum safe limit to compete for 26 grid places. The cars which had to pre-qualify were decided at the beginning and the midpoint of each season. The 26 cars which had achieved the best results in the previous two-half seasons automatically entered official qualifying for the race. All the other cars had to pre-qualify for the 4 remaining slots available for official qualifying. Those that failed to pre-qualify just went home.

In qualifying Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese were again dominant in their Williams-Renaults, the pair ahead of Ayrton Senna's McLaren by almost two full seconds. Mansell had a silly accident at the end of qualifying when he did not need to be lapping quickly. Berger was fourth with Michael Schumacher fifth in his Benetton ahead of Jean Alesi's miserable Ferrari F92A, Martin Brundle's Benetton and the Dallara-Ferrari of Pierluigi Martini. The top 10 was completed by the March-Ilmor of Karl Wendlinger and the Ligier-Renault of Thierry Boutsen.

Before the parade lap Berger's McLaren failed to fire up and so he had to start the race from the pitlane. Mansell made a terrible start and Patrese took the lead while Nigel found himself holding off Schumacher and Senna. Mansell emerged ahead while Senna used an outside overtaking manoeuvre to keep the young German under control. Mansell had a look at taking the lead on the first lap but Patrese closed the door firmly. For the next few laps they battled as they pulled away from the rest of the field. It took Schumacher until 13 before he managed to get ahead of Senna and he then began to charge after the two Williams drivers. Senna soon dropped behind Brundle and Alesi as well and he disappeared with an electrical problem after 17 laps. Brundle also disappeared after a brush with Alesi.

In the midfield there was an embarrassing moment for Guy Ligier when both his drivers, Erik Comas and Thierry Boutsen, collided while battling Johnny Herbert's Lotus for seventh place.

The order was then set with Mansell leading home Patrese, Schumacher, Alesi, Ivan Capelli (Ferrari) and Michele Alboreto in the Footwork-Mugen.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
1 5 Nigel Mansell Williams-Renault  71 1h36m51.856s  1 
2 6 Riccardo Patrese Williams-Renault  71 1h37m21.186s  2 
3 19 Michael Schumacher Benetton-Cosworth  70  5 
4 27 Jean Alesi Ferrari  70  6 
5 28 Ivan Capelli Ferrari  70  11 
6 9 Michele Alboreto Footwork-Mugen Honda  70  14 
7 24 Gianni Morbidelli Minardi-Lamborghini  69  23 
8 21 JJ Lehto Dallara-Ferrari  69  16 
9 30 Ukyo Katayama Venturi Larrousse-Lamborghini  68  25 
10 11 Mika Hakkinen Lotus-Cosworth  67  24 
r 15 Gabriele Tarquini Fondmetal-Cosworth  62 Radiator 19 
r 16 Karl Wendlinger March-Ilmor  55 Clutch 9 
r 23 Christian Fittipaldi Minardi-Lamborghini  54 Gearbox 20 
r 3 Olivier Grouillard Tyrrell-Ilmor  52 Engine 17 
r 26 Erik Comas Ligier-Renault  42 Engine 15 
r 12 Johnny Herbert Lotus-Cosworth  36 Accident 26 
r 25 Thierry Boutsen Ligier-Renault  36 Accident 10 
r 33 Mauricio Gugelmin Jordan-Yamaha  36 Gearbox 21 
r 20 Martin Brundle Benetton-Cosworth  30 Accident 7 
r 22 Pierluigi Martini Dallara-Ferrari  24 Clutch 8 
r 29 Bertrand Gachot Venturi Larrousse-Lamborghini  23 Rear Suspension 18 
r 4 Andrea de Cesaris Tyrrell-Ilmor  21 Electrics 13 
r 1 Ayrton Senna McLaren-Honda  17 Electrics 3 
r 2 Gerhard Berger McLaren-Honda  4 Engine Overheating 4 
r 10 Aguri Suzuki Footwork-Mugen Honda  2 Oil System 22 
r 32 Stefano Modena Jordan-Yamaha  1 Gearbox 12 
nq 14 Andrea Chiesa Fondmetal-Cosworth    27 
nq 17 Paul Belmondo March-Ilmor    28 
nq 7 Eric van de Poele Brabham-Judd    29 
nq 8 Giovanna Amati Brabham-Judd    30 
npq 34 Roberto Moreno Andrea Moda-Judd    31