1993 Australian Grand Prix

The 1993 Formula One season concluded on 7 November with the Australian Grand Prix, held over 79 laps on the Adelaide street circuit. This was the championship’s sixteenth and final round. Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna won the race for McLaren-Ford, marking his last appearance with the team before moving to Williams. Senna claimed pole position—his first since the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix—and led every lap except during pit stops.

Frenchman Alain Prost, competing in his final Grand Prix before retirement, finished second for Williams-Renault, followed by his British teammate Damon Hill in third. Several drivers ended their Formula One careers here. Riccardo Patrese retired after a then-record 256 Grands Prix, and Derek Warwick also stepped away. Senna’s victory was the 41st and last of his career; he would never again score points, finish a race, or stand on a podium, as he retired in Brazil and Japan the following season before his fatal crash at Imola.

This win also ended a drought for Brazilian drivers until Rubens Barrichello triumphed at the 2000 German Grand Prix. The race was the final Formula One event for a car powered by a Lamborghini V12 engine (the Larrousse LH93). It also marked the last Grand Prix without refuelling during the race until the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix, and the last for cars equipped with active suspension and electronic driver aids. The FIA banned these systems for the next seven seasons, though three electronic aids—fully-automatic gearboxes, launch control, and traction control—were eventually reintroduced at the 2001 Spanish Grand Prix after the governing body found it impossible to police a ban that teams were suspected of secretly violating.

By winning, McLaren surpassed Ferrari as the most successful constructor in Formula One history by total victories, a record they held until the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix. McLaren’s car, running in its Marlboro-sponsored livery, took its final pole and win for the team until the 1997 season. Williams competed with Canon sponsorship for the last time, and Benetton with Camel branding; both teams switched to Rothmans and Mild Seven, respectively, in 1994.

Senna ended a run of 24 consecutive poles for Williams, securing his first pole since the 1992 Canadian Grand Prix. Prost joined him on the front row, with Hill in the second Williams and Michael Schumacher in the Benetton on row two. Mika Häkkinen in the second McLaren and Gerhard Berger in the Ferrari lined up third. Berger lost his Saturday qualifying times after completing 18 laps, exceeding the 12-lap limit.

The top ten was completed by Jean Alesi (second Ferrari), Martin Brundle (Ligier), Patrese (second Benetton), and Aguri Suzuki (Footwork). Despite being fastest in qualifying, Senna’s Ford V8-powered McLaren was about 15 km/h slower on the 890-metre Brabham Straight than Hill’s Renault V10-powered Williams. Three attempts were needed to start the race. On the first, Brundle’s Ligier remained on the grid during the formation lap, and Ukyo Katayama stalled his Tyrrell, aborting the start.

Race

On the second attempt, Eddie Irvine missed his grid slot and stalled his Jordan, again aborting the start. Katayama and Irvine were sent to the back of the grid for the third, successful, start. The top four held position into the first corner, while Häkkinen made a poor start and fell behind Berger. Senna built a small lead as the two Williams cars and Schumacher remained close.

Schumacher pitted early on lap 15, rejoining fourth, but his engine failed on lap 20. Senna pitted on lap 24, allowing Prost to lead until his own stop five laps later. Häkkinen’s race worsened with a slow pit stop, allowing Alesi and Brundle past, before his brakes failed on lap 29. Senna made his second stop on lap 55, by which time the Williams cars had already completed their second stops, allowing the Brazilian to maintain a comfortable lead.

Alesi passed teammate Berger, and Patrese overtook Brundle. On lap 61, Hill attempted to surprise Prost for second place, but Prost moved over to block, causing Hill to spin and lose time, though he held position. Senna won by nine seconds over Prost, with Hill a further 24 seconds behind. Alesi and Berger finished fourth and fifth, one lap down.

Patrese was set for sixth in his final race, but fuel pressure dropped on the last lap, handing the final point to Brundle. Prost ended his career with his fourth Drivers’ Championship and 99 points. Senna’s win secured second in the standings with 73 points, ahead of Hill on 69. Schumacher was fourth with 52, followed by Patrese (20), Alesi (16), Brundle (13), Berger (12), Johnny Herbert (11), and Mark Blundell (10).

In the Constructors’ Championship, Williams finished with 168 points—four more than their 1992 total and double McLaren’s 84. Benetton were third with 72, while Ferrari (28) edged Ligier (23) for fourth. With Prost not defending his title, Williams cars would carry numbers 0 and 2 in 1994. On the podium, Senna surprised Prost by inviting him to the top step, marking the first easing of tensions in their rivalry.