Date 14 June 1992 | Course length 4.430 km (2.763 mi) | |
Location Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Course Temporary street circuit Distance 69 laps, 305.670 km (190.686 mi) Weather Dry with temperatures reaching up to 25 °C (77 °F); wind speeds up to 14 kilometres per hour (8.7 mph) | ||
The 1992 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on 14 June 1992. It was the seventh round of the 1992 Formula One season. The 69-lap race was won by McLaren driver Gerhard Berger after he started from fourth position. Michael Schumacher finished second for the Benetton team and Ferrari driver Jean Alesi came in third.
Contents
Qualifying
Qualifying produced a surprise as Ayrton Senna took pole position in his McLaren while championship leader Nigel Mansell could only manage third, behind Williams team-mate Riccardo Patrese. This would turn out to be the only non-Williams pole of 1992, and one of only two not taken by Mansell that season. Rumours suggested that the English driver was under stress, as Williams were negotiating with Alain Prost for 1993.
Gerhard Berger took fourth in the other McLaren, followed by Michael Schumacher in the Benetton. Johnny Herbert impressed in the Lotus and took sixth, ahead of Martin Brundle in the second Benetton. The top 10 was completed by the Ferraris of Jean Alesi and Ivan Capelli, and Mika Häkkinen in the second Lotus.
Race
At the start Senna took the lead from the two Williams-Renaults with Mansell getting ahead of Patrese then Berger, Schumacher, Herbert and Brundle. For the first 13 laps the top 8 followed in close attention until next lap 14 Mansell tried to overtake Senna at the last chicane but the car ended off track and spun and came to a stop on the main straight. The Williams driver was out of the race and accusing Senna of pushing him off. As this was happening Berger had got Patrese to make it a McLaren 1-2. Lap 18 saw the exit of Capelli who crashed hard into the wall on the exit of turn 4. On lap 37 Senna retired from the lead with electrical problems. Berger had by now pulled a couple of seconds lead on Patrese who was being chased by Brundle after the Englishman had taken advantage of Schumacher getting stuck behind Morbidelli's Minardi while lapping him. A few laps later Patrese was out as his gearbox failed. Brundle now chased after Berger and set fastest lap but then was also forced to retire with transmission problems. Berger was in comfortable lead followed by Schumacher. Katayama was driving a good race but had to retire from 5th on lap 61 when his engine expired.