Suzuka 1992

The grid was settled on Friday as Saturday was ruined by torrential rain. It was a familiar story, however, with the Williams of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese ahead of the McLarens of Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. Michael Schumacher was fifth for Benetton.

At the end of the first lap Mansell was ahead of Patrese. Senna was third but soon disappeared with engine failure. Berger was still there but he pitted early and so dropped behind Schumacher and the two Lotus drivers. On lap 13 Schumacher went out with a gearbox failure. Herbert's gearbox failed shortly afterwards and so he lost third place.

At the end of lap 36 however Mansell pulled off the racing line. Patrese went into the lead. Mansell then speeded up again and began to hassle his team mate. This appeared to be a repeat of his performance in Italy. Mansell's second charade in three races ended with an engine failure. Patrese was delighted not to have to worry about Mansell playing behind him. Berger was second and, as Hakkinen had retired with an engine problem, Brundle was third.
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Pictures of Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992


pic 1: Jean Alesi in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Riccardo Patrese in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Riccardo Patrese in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Riccardo Patrese in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Michael Schumacher in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Michael Schumacher in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Riccardo Patrese in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Jyrki Järvilehto in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

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pic 1: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992
pic 2: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1992

source: click here

Suzuka 1991

There were signs of change in the paddock in Suzuka. The Leyton House team was struggling for money following the arrest of Akira Akagi and so Ivan Capelli was dropped and Karl Wendlinger took over, bringing financial support from Mercedes-Benz. AGS did not turn up, while Arrows announced that the adventure with Porsche was over and that the team would use Mugen-prepared Honda V10s in 1992 with Aguri Suzuki and Michele Alboreto driving. Minardi also announced a change of engines with plans to run Lamborghini V12s in 1992.

In qualifying World Championship favorite Ayrton Senna took pole for McLaren-Honda but his challenger Nigel Mansell was second in his Williams-Renault.

Berger led Senna into the first corner and then drove away leaving Senna holding up the two Williams-Renaults. As Mansell needed to win the race to keep his World Championship hopes alive he knew he had to react.

Mansell was beginning to look for a way to pass Senna when he went off at the start of the tenth lap. Senna was the World Champion. He then began to charge after Berger, who had sacrificed his tyres to help Senna. On lap 18 Ayrton took the lead. Senna and Berger traded fastest laps. As the race went on Schumacher went out with engine trouble. In the final laps Berger's engine began to misfire and he dropped back. Senna had agreed before the race that whoever led the opening laps of the race should win the race and so he backed off at the final corner and let Berger through to victory.
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Pictures from Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991


pic 1: Thierry Boutsen in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

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pic 1: Martin Brundle in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991
pic 2: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

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pic 1: Satoru Nakajim in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991
pic 2: Stefano Modena in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

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pic 1: Stefan Johansson in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991
pic 2: Gerhard Berger in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

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pic 1: Andrea de Cesaris in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991
pic 2: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

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pic 1: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991
pic 2: Jean Alesi in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1991

source: click here

Suzuka 1990

There were a number of big crashes in qualifying with Emanuele Pirro dislocating a finger when he crashed his Dallara and Jean Alesi hurting a neck muscle when the Tyrrell went off at the first corner, skipped the sandtrap and hit the wall head-on. He took no further part in the weekend. In a splendid qualifying showdown, McLaren's Ayrton Senna just beat his World Championship rival Alain Prost (Ferrari) to pole position.

Overnight there had been a political battle going on over pole position. McLaren wanted it to be changed so that Senna would be on a clean piece of track but the request was blocked. Senna saw it as collusion between Prost and the officials and it helped to decide him on a frightening course of action at the start. If his position proved to be a disadvantage Senna was not going to back off in the first corner. Prost made the better start (as expected) and as they went into the first corner he was half a car length ahead. Senna went for the gap and did not lift off. The two cars collided and spun into the sand trap. Senna was the World Champion. With once race left, Prost would not be able to get the points necessary to beat him.
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Pictures from Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990


pic 1: Satoru Nakajima in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

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pic 1: Nelson Piquet in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990
pic 2: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

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pic 1: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990
pic 2: Satoru Nakajima in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

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pic 1: Satoru Nakajima in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990
pic 2: Emanuele Pirro, the Scuderia Italia (Dallara) in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

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pic 1: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990
pic 2: Mauricio Gugelmin in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

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pic 1: Michele Alboreto in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990
pic 2: Nelson Piquet in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1990

source: click here

Suzuka 1989

Senna duly took pole position from the World Championship leader Alain Prost with the Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Nigel Mansell sharing the second row. At the start Prost made a good start and took the lead and for the first half of the race he chipped away to build up a lead. At the end of lap 46 Senna made his move at the chicane. Prost saw him coming and turned into his teammate's path. The two interlocked McLarens slid up the chicane escape road. Prost, thinking the World Championship was over, climbed out.

To separate the cars the marshals pushed Senna backwards on to the track. They put the car into a dangerous position and so had to push it forwards again. As they did so Senna bump-started the engine. He drove through the chicane and rejoined. The nose of his car was damaged and he had to pit but he rejoined only five seconds behind Nannini. Senna's chase was furious and merciless. On lap 50 Ayrton sliced past Nannini at the chicane to take the lead and won the race.

But it was Nannini who appeared on the podium. Senna had been excluded for missing the chicane. In the record books the win still belongs to Nannini but anyone who was there will remember it as one of Senna's greatest days. A day when, in equal machinery, the titans of the 1980s went up against each other - and Senna won the battle.
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Pictures from Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Thierry Boutsen in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Éric Bernard in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Nigel Mansell in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Olivier Grouillard in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Philippe Alliot in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: René Arnoux in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Satoru Nakajima in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Ivan Capelli in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Jean Alesi in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Mauricio Gugelmin in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Nelson Piquet in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Nicola Larini in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Alan Prost in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Alessandro Nannini in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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pic 1: Ayrton Senna in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989
pic 2: Eddie Cheever in Suzuka Japan Grand Prix 1989

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