1989 Monaco Grand Prix - Race Summary

Race Summary

The field was one fewer in Monaco as Ferrari had decided not to run a second car to replace Gerhard Berger, who was injured in an accident at Imola. Elsewhere Tyrrell had new cars that looked promising. Ayrton Senna was on pole by a full second over teammate Alain Prost with Thierry Boutsen sharing row two with the surprisingly competitive Brabham of Martin Brundle. Nigel Mansell was fifth followed by Derek Warwick, Riccardo Patrese, Stefano Modena, Alex Caffi, and Andrea De Cesaris. The Coloni team got both its cars into a race for the only time, allowing driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel to make his Grand Prix debut.

At the start Senna got away brilliantly and Prost could do nothing but slot into second. The McLarens proceeded to pull away from the field as usual while behind them Williams were in all sorts of trouble, as both Boutsen and Patrese had to stop for new rear wings. Nigel Mansell went out on lap 20 with more gearbox issues for Ferrari and one of the talking points of the race came on lap 33 when De Cesaris attempted to pass Nelson Piquet at Loews Hairpin. The predictable accident occurred and some choice words were exchanged between the two drivers and a huge traffic jam was caused. Brundle was looking good until he had to stop for a new battery and dropped back to seventh. Senna continued to dominate, Prost having been slowed by the Piquet-De Cesaris incident and duly won his second Monaco Grand Prix from Prost. This was despite Senna losing first and second gear later in the race and disguising it to his best so Prost wouldn't react and push for the lead. Modena finished third, scoring his first points in Formula One and Brabham's last podium. Alex Caffi, Michele Alboreto, and Brundle, who was promoted to sixth on the final lap as a result of the retirement of Ivan Capelli, completed the pointscoring positions. Caffi achieved both his and Dallara's first points.