1990 Spanish Grand Prix
| 1990 Spanish Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 14 of 16 in the 1990 Formula One World Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | 30 September 1990 | ||
| Official name | XXXI Gran Premio Tio Pepe de España | ||
| Location |
Circuito Permanente de Jerez Jerez de la Frontera, Spain | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 4.218 km (2.6209 miles) | ||
| Distance | 73 laps, 307.918 km (191.328 miles) | ||
| Weather | Dry, hot, sunny | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Time | 1:18.387 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Riccardo Patrese | Williams-Renault | |
| Time | 1:24.513 on lap 53 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Ferrari | ||
| Second | Ferrari | ||
| Third | Benetton-Ford | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The 1990 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jerez on 30 September 1990. It was the fourteenth race of the 1990 Formula One World Championship, and the fifth and last Spanish Grand Prix to be held at Jerez (though the circuit would host the European Grand Prix in 1994 and 1997).
The 73-lap race was won by Alain Prost, driving a Ferrari, with teammate Nigel Mansell second and Alessandro Nannini third in a Benetton-Ford. Prost's Drivers' Championship rival, Ayrton Senna, took the 50th pole position of his career in his McLaren-Honda, but retired with a failed radiator, allowing Prost to close to within nine points of him in the championship with two races remaining.
This would be the last Ferrari race win until the 1994 German Grand Prix and the last one-two victory until the 1998 French Grand Prix. Also for the all-time Grand Prix wins leader of the time in Prost, this would be his last win until the 1993 South African Grand Prix.
The event was marred by a serious incident during Friday practice, when Martin Donnelly crashed his Lotus 102 at the high-speed Turn 14. Donnelly was thrown from the wreckage, suffering serious injuries that ended his Formula One career. This also turned out to be the last F1 race and podium for Nannini, who severed his right arm in a helicopter crash the following week (though he would return to racing as a touring car driver), as well as the last race for the back-marking EuroBrun and Life teams.
Footage from Donnelly's practice crash was used to present a major plot point for the 2025 film F1.