Era 07 · Electronics · season 42

1991

McLaren won 8 races out of 16, and the world title went to Ayrton Senna.

The title was decided in round 15 – Japanese Grand Prix.

In 1991 Ayrton Senna won the first four races in a row, but Williams, with their new semi-automatic gearbox, gradually caught up with McLaren: Nigel Mansell won five races and Riccardo Patrese two.

Senna wrapped up his third title with a race to spare at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he handed the win to team-mate Gerhard Berger on the final lap, while Mansell went off the track. Michael Schumacher made his debut for Jordan at the Belgian Grand Prix, and the season finale in Adelaide was stopped in torrential rain after 14 laps.

Written from the facts · checked by our editors
Drivers’ standings · championship points
01Ayrton SennaMcLaren96
02Nigel MansellWilliams72
03Riccardo PatreseWilliams53
04Gerhard BergerMcLaren43
05Alain ProstFerrari34
06Nelson PiquetBenetton26.5
07Jean AlesiFerrari21
08Stefano ModenaTyrrell10
09Andrea de CesarisJordan9
10Roberto MorenoBenetton8
11Pierluigi MartiniMinardi6
12JJ LehtoDallara4
13Bertrand GachotJordan4
13Michael SchumacherBenetton4
15Satoru NakajimaTyrrell2
15Mika HäkkinenLotus2
15Martin BrundleBrabham2
18Aguri SuzukiLola1
18Julian BaileyLotus1
18Emanuele PirroDallara1
18Éric BernardLola1
18Ivan CapelliLeyton House1
18Mark BlundellBrabham1
24Gianni MorbidelliMinardi0.5
Constructors’ championship
01McLaren139
02Williams125
03Ferrari55.5
04Benetton38.5
05Jordan13
06Tyrrell12

The season’s 16 races

Senna 7Mansell 5Patrese 2Berger 1Piquet 1