1988 Canadian Grand Prix - Qualifying

Qualifying

Formula One returned to Canada after a one year's absence from the calendar. In that time the pits and facilities of the Gilles Villeneuve circuit had been upgraded and moved further up the track and some modifications to the new pit straight as well. As usual, the qualifying session was to McLaren's benefit. Ayrton Senna collected his fifth consecutive pole from Alain Prost with a time of 1:21.681, this was 2.4 seconds faster than Nigel Mansell's pole time from 1986 when there were no restrictions on turbos. As expected the Ferraris of Gerhard Berger and Michele Alboreto filled the second row followed by Alessandro Nannini in 5th, the fastest of the atmo cars with a time of 1:23.968, 2.3 seconds slower than Senna.

Both Williams drivers were suffering from continuing problems with the FW12's reactive suspension leaving Mansell and Riccardo Patrese in 9th and 11th respectively with Mansell, 3.2 seconds slower than Senna's pole time and 0.8 slower than his own 1986 pole time set in the Williams-Honda.

Derek Warwick suffered a serious accident coming onto the new pit straight on the Saturday session when his car flew over the curbs after his Arrows A10B lost control in the braking area for the chicane on dirt kicked up moments before by the AGS of Philippe Streiff. Thierry Boutsen in the Benetton-Ford was following the AGS and seeing what happened he was able to avoid the dirt Streiff had kicked onto the track. Warwick was next through arriving moments later not knowing about the mess and under breaking the Arrows broke away at the rear as Warwick was turning into the right-left chicane. The Arrows bounced over the inside curb and became airborne. When it hit the ground the impact caused Warwick to black out. The car, still travelling at speed then became airborne again before landing and hitting what is now the "Mur du Québec" (Quebec Wall) or "The Wall Of Champions" opposite the new pits at unabated speed. In the Williams pit directly opposite was Nigel Mansell who had suffered a similar crash in practice for the 1987 Japanese Grand Prix. Knowing the best thing Warwick could do was not to move at that point he immediately jumped the pit fence onto the track and was the first on the scene to give aid to a now conscious Warwick, removing his helmet and instructing him to stay in the car until F1's on-track medical team headed by Prof. Sid Watkins arrived. Courageously, Warwick, who had injured his back in the accident and admitted in an interview on race morning to being very stiff and sore, would start from his 16th qualifying position the next day in the same car he crashed, the Arrows team having repaired it overnight.