1990 United States Grand Prix
The 1990 United States Grand Prix was the opening motor race of the 1990 Formula One World Championship held on March 11, 1990, in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the 32nd United States Grand Prix since the American Grand Prize was first held in 1908, and the 25th under Formula One regulations since the first United States Grand Prix was held at Sebring, Florida in 1959. It was the second to be held on the streets of Phoenix and ran over 72 laps of the 4 km-circuit.
| 1990 United States Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 16 in the 1990 Formula One World Championship | |||
| Race details | |||
| Date | March 11, 1990 | ||
| Official name | XXVII Iceberg United States Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Phoenix street circuit Phoenix, Arizona | ||
| Course | Temporary street circuit | ||
| Course length | 3.800 km (2.361 miles) | ||
| Distance | 72 laps, 273.60 km (169.992 miles) | ||
| Weather | Cloudy and cool with temperatures reaching up to 18 °C (64 °F) | ||
| Attendance | 10,000-15,000 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Time | 1:28.664 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver | Gerhard Berger | McLaren-Honda | |
| Time | 1:31.050 on lap 34 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Second | Tyrrell-Ford | ||
| Third | Williams-Renault | ||
|
Lap leaders | |||
The race was won by Brazilian Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren MP4/5B by eight seconds over French driver Jean Alesi in his comparatively under-funded Tyrrell 018. Throughout the race, the pair enthralled fans with some fabulous and daring passing for the lead.
It was Alesi's first podium finish, with Belgian driver Thierry Boutsen in a Williams FW13B coming home third.