Date 30 August 1992 | Course length 6.940 km (4.312 mi) | |
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Official name L Grand Prix de Belgique Location Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Spa, Belgium Course Permanent racing facility Distance 44 laps, 305.341 km (189.730 mi) | ||
The 1992 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 30 August 1992. It was the twelfth round of the 1992 Formula One season. The race was won by Benetton's Michael Schumacher, the first of his record 91 Grand Prix wins. The Benetton B192's win also marks the last F1 win of Grand Prix car with an H-Pattern manual gearbox. Second and third for Williams drivers Nigel Mansell (who survived a collision with Jean Alesi at the first corner) and Riccardo Patrese secured for the team their first Constructor's title since 1987.
Eighteen cars finished, the highest number of finishers for the season, though Érik Comas was injured in a crash during practice and did not make the start. Coming across the stricken car Ayrton Senna stopped on the race track to help Comas and prevented a fire by cutting off the engine. Comas had been knocked unconscious but quickly came around. Emanuele Naspetti made his Grand Prix debut for the March team. Pre-qualifying was not held for the first time in 1992 after Brabham failed to arrive, bringing an end to the 30-year history of the team.
During the race, Senna had shown strong pace in the opening laps. However, he gambled that the rain would stop and therefore did not need to change to rain tyres. This strategy failing, he went to the pits to change his tyres, which dropped him to twelfth place and necessitated a subsequently famous overtaking move on Mika Häkkinen's Lotus from the outside for fifth on lap 43 (just as Michael Schumacher started his final lap).
Johnny Herbert retired his Lotus from eighth place due to an engine problem just 10 seconds before Michael Schumacher crossed the line for the first win of his career. Herbert was classified in thirteenth place.