1989 United States Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 5 of 16 in the 1989 Formula One season | |||
 |
|||
| Date | June 4, 1989 | ||
| Official name | XXVI Iceberg United States Grand Prix | ||
| Location |
Phoenix street circuit Phoenix, Arizona |
||
| Course | Temporary Street Course | ||
| Course length | 3.800 km (2.361 mi) | ||
| Distance | 75 laps, 285.00 km (177.075 mi) | ||
| Weather | Hot, sunny, 97°F | ||
| Attendance | 31,441 | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Time | 1:30.108 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Ayrton Senna
|
McLaren-Honda | |
| Time | 1:33.969 on lap 38 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Second | Williams-Renault | ||
| Third | Arrows-Ford | ||
The 1989 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on June 4, 1989, in Phoenix, Arizona.
In October 1988, city officials of Detroit Michigan refused to invest more money to bring the Detroit circuit up to new Formula 1 regulations, and an attempt to move the circuit to a new circuit on Belle Isle, an island in the middle of the Detroit River failed (although there was success for IndyCar's move to Belle Isle for 1992). This resulted in the cancellation of the Detroit race for the 1989 season. Phoenix, Arizona city officials were interested in hosting major sporting event to promote the dry desert city of Phoenix worldwide. A Formula 1 race came into play after a desperate attempt by Bernie Ecclestone not to lose the United States Grand Prix. On January 13, 1989 the Phoenix City Council approved a five-year contract with F1 to promote and run the race, with event date June 4. It was well known that Phoenix weather is very warm- around the 100's F (40 C) in June but no other slot was available because Phoenix got the race on a short notice. On the Thursday before qualifying, Formula Atlantic, the support category for the weekend, had the first practice session on the new track before the Formula One cars hit the circuit for pre-qualifying at 8 o'clock on Friday morning. The Atlantic session saw a couple of problems. A manhole cover was lifted and the track surface at turn 10 at the end of the back straight (Washington Street) had begun to break up in the same way Detroit and Dallas had done in the past. Overnight, quick-dry cement was used to patch up the broken surface and while dusty and bumpy, the cement held for the remainder of the weekend.
In qualifying on Friday, Ayrton Senna went progressively faster and faster, eventually posting a time 1.5 seconds ahead of McLaren team mate Alain Prost and the rest of the field. Senna's Friday time of 1:30.710 stood up through the second session and gave him his 34th career pole position, breaking Jim Clark's record of 33 which he had equalled in the previous race in Mexico.
The only American driver in the field, Phoenix native Eddie Cheever, qualified his Arrows-Ford in 17th place, some 3.1 seconds slower than pole man Senna.
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