| Race details | ||
|---|---|---|
| Race 15 of 16 in the 1988 Formula One season | ||
| Date | October 30, 1988 | |
| Official name | XIV Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix | |
| Location | Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan | |
| Course | Permanent racing facility 5.859 km (3.641 mi) |
|
| Distance | 51 laps, 298.829 km (185.670 mi) | |
| Weather | Cool and mainly dry, some rain toward the end | |
| Pole position | ||
| Driver | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda |
| Time | 1:41.853 | |
| Fastest lap | ||
| Driver | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda |
| Time | 1:46.326 on lap 33 | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda |
| Second | Alain Prost | McLaren-Honda |
| Third | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton-Ford |
The 1988 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Suzuka Circuit, Japan, on October 30, 1988. It was the fifteenth and penultimate race of the 1988 Formula One season.
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The all-McLaren front row was the 11th of the year, but its drivers had contrasting fortunes. Alain Prost led away from Gerhard Berger and Ivan Capelli, while Ayrton Senna stalled on the grid. However, Suzuka Circuit had the only sloping grid of the year and he was able to bump start his car into action, albeit in 14th place by then. Derek Warwick and Nigel Mansell collided and had to pit for a puncture and a new nosecone, respectively. Senna was trying very hard to make up for the lost positions, and had gained six places by the start of lap two. He then passed Riccardo Patrese, Thierry Boutsen, Alessandro Nannini and Michele Alboreto to take fourth place on lap four. Meanwhile, Capelli had not only set the fastest lap but also passed Berger – who was troubled with fuel consumption problems – on lap five to take second place. Alboreto spun out while he was in sixth place.
On lap 11 Piquet spun into the sand and was forced to retire. On lap 14 the weather started to come into contention as rain began on parts of the circuit, benefiting Senna. Ivan Capelli seized his chance on the following lap as he overtook Prost to take the lead, the first time a non-turbo car had led a Grand Prix for over four years. His lead only lasted for a few hundred metres, as the extra power of the Honda engine allowed Prost to regain the lead going into the next corner. Capelli made several further attempts to overtake Prost, who was struggling with a faulty gearbox, before retiring with an electrical failure.
By then Senna was catching Prost rapidly, and with traffic, Prost's malfunctioning gearbox, and a tricky wet and dry surface, conditions were favourable to the Brazilian. On lap 27, as they attempted to lap Andrea de Cesaris, Satoru Nakajima and Maurício Gugelmin, Senna managed to force his way through as Prost was delayed by the Italian's Rial. BBC commentator James Hunt famously called de Cesaris a "disgrace" for blocking Prost and publicly lambasted him during the commentary for his driving. Senna then put in a succession of fast laps, breaking the former lap record and building a lead of over three seconds, despite being delayed while lapping Nakajima.
With slick tyres on a track that was now wet, Senna was gesturing for the race to be stopped but this was not to be. The race ran out its entire distance and Senna led home from Prost; Honda was delighted with a 1-2 in their homeland. Boutsen took third place, whilst Berger recovered to fourth place after Alboreto held up Nannini, who had to settle for fifth. Patrese finished in sixth, and Nakajima was 7th.
With victory in the race, Senna clinched the World Championship. Due to the scoring system in 1989, Prost could only add three more points to his total even if he won in Australia, which would give him 87 points in total. If Senna then failed to score they would be equal on points, but Senna would still win the title, having taken more wins (8 to 7). Victory in Japan was also Senna's eighth win of the season, which beat the record for total wins in a single season, previously held by Jim Clark and Prost.
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 1:41.853 | — |
| 2 | 11 | Alain Prost | McLaren-Honda | 1:42.177 | +0.324 |
| 3 | 28 | Gerhard Berger | Ferrari | 1:43.353 | +1.500 |
| 4 | 16 | Ivan Capelli | March-Judd | 1:43.605 | +1.752 |
| 5 | 1 | Nelson Piquet | Lotus-Honda | 1:43.693 | +1.840 |
| 6 | 2 | Satoru Nakajima | Lotus-Honda | 1:43.693 | +1.840 |
| 7 | 17 | Derek Warwick | Arrows-Megatron | 1:43.816 | +1.963 |
| 8 | 5 | Nigel Mansell | Williams-Judd | 1:43.893 | +2.040 |
| 9 | 27 | Michele Alboreto | Ferrari | 1:43.972 | +2.199 |
| 10 | 20 | Thierry Boutsen | Benetton-Ford | 1:44.499 | +2.646 |
| 11 | 6 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams-Judd | 1:44.555 | +2.702 |
| 12 | 19 | Alessandro Nannini | Benetton-Ford | 1:44.611 | +2.758 |
| 13 | 15 | Maurício Gugelmin | March-Judd | 1:45.138 | +3.285 |
| 14 | 22 | Andrea de Cesaris | Rial-Ford | 1:45.558 | +3.705 |
| 15 | 18 | Eddie Cheever | Arrows-Megatron | 1:45.845 | +3.992 |
| 16 | 3 | Jonathan Palmer | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:45.916 | +4.063 |
| 17 | 23 | Pierluigi Martini | Minardi-Ford | 1:46.449 | +4.596 |
| 18 | 14 | Philippe Streiff | AGS-Ford | 1:46.486 | +4.633 |
| 19 | 30 | Philippe Alliot | Lola-Ford | 1:46.521 | +4.668 |
| 20 | 29 | Aguri Suzuki | Lola-Ford | 1:46.920 | +5.067 |
| 21 | 36 | Alex Caffi | Dallara-Ford | 1:46.982 | +5.169 |
| 22 | 24 | Luis Perez-Sala | Minardi-Ford | 1:47.134 | +5.281 |
| 23 | 25 | René Arnoux | Ligier-Judd | 1:47.193 | +5.340 |
| 24 | 21 | Nicola Larini | Osella | 1:47.547 | +5.694 |
| 25 | 10 | Bernd Schneider | Zakspeed | 1:47.599 | +5.746 |
| 26 | 4 | Julian Bailey | Tyrrell-Ford | 1:48.589 | +6.736 |
| DNQ | 26 | Stefan Johansson | Ligier-Judd | 1:48.716 | +6.863 |
| DNQ | 32 | Oscar Larrauri | Euro Brun-Ford | 1:49.265 | +7.412 |
| DNQ | 9 | Piercarlo Ghinzani | Zakspeed | 1:49.706 | +7.853 |
| DNQ | 33 | Stefano Modena | Euro Brun-Ford | 1:49.897 | +8.044 |
| DNPQ | 31 | Gabriele Tarquini | Coloni-Ford | 1:52.234 | +10.381 |
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| Previous race: 1988 Spanish Grand Prix |
FIA Formula One World Championship 1988 season |
Next race: 1988 Australian Grand Prix |
| Previous race: 1987 Japanese Grand Prix |
Japanese Grand Prix | Next race: 1989 Japanese Grand Prix |
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