1993 South African Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:South Africa
Flag Suffix:1982
Grand Prix:South African
Date:14 March
Year:1993
Official Name:Panasonic South African Grand Prix[1]
Race No:1
Season No:16
Location:Kyalami
Midrand, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:2.648
Course Km:4.261
Distance Laps:72
Distance Mi:190.632
Distance Km:306.792
Weather:Very hot and humid, with torrential thunderstorms. Air temp: 33°C
Pole Driver:Alain Prost
Pole Team:Williams-Renault
Pole Time:1:15.696
Pole Country:France
Fast Driver:Alain Prost
Fast Team:Williams-Renault
Fast Time:1:19.492
Fast Lap:40
Fast Country:France
First Driver:Alain Prost
First Team:Williams-Renault
First Country:France
Second Driver:Ayrton Senna
Second Team:McLaren-Ford
Second Country:Brazil
Third Driver:Mark Blundell
Third Team:Ligier-Renault
Third Country:United Kingdom

The 1993 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 14 March 1993. It was the first race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship.

The 72-lap race was won by Frenchman Alain Prost, driving a Williams-Renault. Prost, returning to Formula One after taking the season off, took pole position and led the last 49 laps, winning by over a minute from Brazilian Ayrton Senna in a McLaren-Ford. Briton Mark Blundell finished third in a Ligier-Renault.

This was the 33rd South African Grand Prix and, as of, the most recent Formula One race held on the continent of Africa. The race also marked the debut of the Swiss Sauber team, who scored their first points courtesy of Finn JJ Lehto's fifth-place finish.

This was the first time since 1974 that the first race of a season did not feature the defending Drivers' Champion in the field (in 1974, Jackie Stewart was missing as he had retired following the death of his teammate and close friend François Cevert in 1973). Defending 1992 champion Nigel Mansell had moved to race in CART for the season. Since there was no defending Drivers' Champion in the field this season, defending Constructors' Champion Williams could not use No. 1 on either of its cars. Therefore, this was the first race since the 1973 United States Grand Prix that number 0 was used.

Report

The season started off in Kyalami where Prost, in his first race with Williams, took pole ahead of Senna, Schumacher, Hill, Alesi and Lehto, impressing in Sauber's first Grand Prix. At the start, Prost was poor and Senna and Hill (who was already ahead of Schumacher) got ahead of him. Then, Hill spun in front of Prost and dropped well down the field, Prost being forced to back off and let Schumacher through to second. Senna led Schumacher, Prost, Lehto, Wendlinger and Alesi at the end of lap one.

Prost attacked Schumacher, took second on lap 13 and set off after Senna. Five laps later, he attacked into the first corner but Senna took the inside and defended. However, Senna could not do anything when Prost attacked on lap 25 with the inside line. He took the lead and motored off. Schumacher also passed Senna to take second soon after. Both of them pitted unlike Prost, but Senna was quicker and rejoined ahead.

Schumacher was in no mood to stay third and attacked Senna on lap 40. There was minor contact and Schumacher spun off into retirement. Patrese was third but he too spun off on lap 47, leaving Blundell's Ligier third and Fittipaldi's impressive Minardi in fourth. Prost won from Senna, Blundell, Fittipaldi, Lehto (who was lapped twice in early stages of the race) and Berger (he was out but was classified sixth).

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Q1 Q2 Gap
12 Alain ProstWilliams-Renault1:16.804 1:15.696
28 Ayrton SennaMcLaren-Ford1:17.1521:15.784+0.088
35 Michael SchumacherBenetton-Ford1:17.5071:17.261+1.565
40 Damon HillWilliams-Renault1:17.7321:17.592+1.896
527 Jean AlesiFerrari1:18.7751:18.234+2.538
630 JJ LehtoSauber1:19.1201:18.664+2.968
76 Riccardo PatreseBenetton-Ford1:19.3411:18.676+2.980
826 Mark BlundellLigier-Renault1:19.6881:18.687+2.991
97 Michael AndrettiMcLaren-Ford1:18.9031:18.786+3.090
1029 Karl WendlingerSauber1:20.3651:18.950+3.254
1119 Philippe AlliotLarrousse-Lamborghini1:19.3501:19.034+3.338
1225 Martin BrundleLigier-Renault1:19.1381:19.457+3.442
1323 Christian FittipaldiMinardi-Ford1:19.8251:19.285+3.589
1414 Rubens BarrichelloJordan-Hart1:20.1181:19.305+3.609
1528 Gerhard BergerFerrari1:20.0661:19.386+3.690
1611 Alessandro ZanardiLotus-Ford1:20.1501:19.396+3.700
1712 Johnny HerbertLotus-Ford1:20.0091:19.498+3.802
1815 Ivan CapelliJordan-Hart1:20.8411:19.759+4.063
1920 Érik ComasLarrousse-Lamborghini1:21.0001:20.081+4.385
2010 Aguri SuzukiFootwork-Mugen-Honda1:21.3421:20.237+4.541
213 Ukyo KatayamaTyrrell-Yamaha1:20.4011:20.479+4.705
229 Derek WarwickFootwork-Mugen-Honda1:20.8211:20.402+4.706
234 Andrea de CesarisTyrrell-Yamaha1:20.7211:20.660+4.964
2424 Fabrizio BarbazzaMinardi-Ford1:20.9941:21.195+5.298
2521 Michele AlboretoLola-Ferrari1:22.8431:21.893+6.197
2622 Luca BadoerLola-Ferrari1:24.737+9.041
Sources:[2] [3] [4]

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
12 Alain ProstWilliams-Renault721:38:45.082110
28 Ayrton SennaMcLaren-Ford72+ 1:19.82426
326 Mark BlundellLigier-Renault71+ 1 lap84
423 Christian FittipaldiMinardi-Ford71+ 1 lap133
530 JJ LehtoSauber70+ 2 laps62
628 Gerhard BergerFerrari69Engine151
79 Derek WarwickFootwork-Mugen-Honda69Spun off22 
Ret25 Martin BrundleLigier-Renault57Spun off12 
Ret21 Michele AlboretoLola-Ferrari55Overheating25 
Ret20 Érik ComasLarrousse-Lamborghini51Engine19 
Ret6 Riccardo PatreseBenetton-Ford46Spun off7 
Ret5 Michael SchumacherBenetton-Ford39Spun off3 
Ret12 Johnny HerbertLotus-Ford38Fuel system17 
Ret29 Karl WendlingerSauber33Engine10 
Ret14 Rubens BarrichelloJordan-Hart31Gearbox14 
Ret27 Jean AlesiFerrari30Suspension5 
Ret19 Philippe AlliotLarrousse-Lamborghini27Spun off11 
Ret24 Fabrizio BarbazzaMinardi-Ford21Collision24 
Ret10 Aguri SuzukiFootwork-Mugen-Honda21Collision20 
Ret22 Luca BadoerLola-Ferrari20Gearbox26 
Ret0 Damon HillWilliams-Renault16Collision4 
Ret11 Alessandro ZanardiLotus-Ford16Collision16 
Ret7 Michael AndrettiMcLaren-Ford4Collision9 
Ret15 Ivan CapelliJordan-Hart2Spun off18 
Ret3 Ukyo KatayamaTyrrell-Yamaha1Transmission21 
Ret4 Andrea de CesarisTyrrell-Yamaha0Transmission23 

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Alain Prost10
2 Ayrton Senna6
3 Mark Blundell4
4 Christian Fittipaldi3
5 JJ Lehto2
Source: [5]
Constructors' Championship standings
PosConstructorPoints
1 Williams-Renault10
2 McLaren-Ford6
3 Ligier-Renault4
4 Minardi-Ford3
5 Sauber2
Source:

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Motor Racing Programme Covers: 1993 . The Programme Covers Project . 26 October 2017.
  2. Web site: Panasonic South African Grand Prix – Qualifying 1. Formula1.com. 5 January 2024.
  3. Web site: Panasonic South African Grand Prix – Qualifying 2. Formula1.com. 5 January 2024.
  4. Web site: 1993 South African Grand Prix Classification Qualifying. Motorsport Stats. 5 January 2024.
  5. Web site: South Africa 1993 - Championship • STATS F1 . statsf1.com . 20 March 2019.