1993 Brazilian Grand Prix
Senna's home win and McLaren's 100th victory in a rain-hit Brazilian Grand Prix.
The 1993 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on 28 March 1993. It was the second race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship.
Quick Facts
- Winner
- Ayrton Senna
- Constructor
- McLaren-Ford
- Circuit
- Interlagos (São Paulo)
- Significance
- Senna's emotional home win and McLaren's 100th victory
Lore & Background
The 71-lap race was won by local hero Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren-Ford, with Briton Damon Hill second in a Williams-Renault and German Michael Schumacher third in a Benetton-Ford. Senna's victory marked McLaren's 100th race win in Formula One. Senna was the last Brazilian driver to win his home race until Felipe Massa in 2006.
Reader's Guide
Qualifying: With just 26 cars now in the running after the March team withdrew from the World Championship, FISA decided to reduce the grid to 24 to keep some element of competition in qualifying. However on unanimous appeal by the teams, this was increased to 25 so that every team would have at least one car in the race. Brazil was Senna's home race but he was able to do nothing to prevent the Williams being 1–2 in qualifying with Prost on pole ahead of Hill. Senna was third ahead of Schumacher, Andretti and Patrese. The sole non-qualifier was Ivan Capelli, who was nearly 6 seconds off pole. After failing to qualify for the race, he left the Jordan team by mutual consent. He did not race in Formula One again. Race: At the start, Senna got ahead of Hill but Andretti hit Berger with both crashing hard in the tyre barrier in turn 1. Both of them along with Brundle and Fabrizio Barbazza's Minardi were out. The order was: Prost, Senna, Hill, a fast starting Jean Alesi, Schumacher, and Lehto. Schumacher passed Alesi on lap 2, but his teammate Patrese only lasted until the fourth lap when his suspension failed. While Prost built up a substantial lead, Senna was under pressure from Hill who took second on lap 11. On lap 25, Senna was issued a stop-go penalty for lapping a backmarker under yellow flags and dropped behind Schumacher. There was a heavy rain shower, and many drivers pitted for wet tyres, including Senna, Schumacher and Hill, while Prost stayed out on slick tyres. Several drivers spun, with both Ukyo Katayama and Aguri Suzuki crashing on the start–finish straight on lap 27, the Footwork partially blocking the circuit and bringing out the safety car – the second time this had been seen in Formula 1 following its trial at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix. Fittipaldi spun at the first corner on lap 30 with his car stopped in the middle of the track. With the rain coming down harder, Prost lost control and, unable to avoid Fittipaldi's car, crashed into him, taking them both out of the race. As the wreckage was cleared, the new safety car controlled the field, Hill led Senna, Schumacher (who had lost time during his pit stop because his car fell off the jack), Alesi, Johnny Herbert, and Lehto.
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