1991 Belgian Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 11 of 16 in the 1991 Formula One season | |||
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| Date | 25 August 1991 | ||
| Official name | XL Grand Prix de Belgique | ||
| Location | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 6.940 km (4.312 mi) | ||
| Distance | 44 laps, 305.360 km (189.741 mi) | ||
| Weather | Sunny and hot | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Time | 1:47.811 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Roberto Moreno
|
Benetton-Ford | |
| Time | 1:55.161 on lap 40 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Second | McLaren-Honda | ||
| Third | Benetton-Ford | ||
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The 1991 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 25 August 1991. It was the eleventh round of the 1991 Formula One season and the debut race of the future world champion Michael Schumacher.
The Jordan team dominated the headlines leading up to the Belgian Grand Prix. Driver Bertrand Gachot was in an English jail as a result of an altercation with a London taxi driver, so the team had decided to replace him with young German driver Michael Schumacher. Elsewhere Johnny Herbert had returned to Lotus after having missed the previous two races due to Formula 3000 commitments in Japan.
Honda had arrived at Spa with updated engines for McLaren, the team hoping to get the momentum back in their favour.
Ayrton Senna was fastest most of the weekend and duly took pole position, but Ferrari were right on his heels. Alain Prost qualified third on the road while Jean Alesi had set the fastest first and second sectors only to come across traffic at the end of the lap, resulting in a sixth place start, which would be elevated to fifth. Riccardo Patrese had originally qualified second, but after Saturday qualifying his car was found to not have a reverse gear as per the safety regulations and Patrese's Saturday times were wiped out, he had to start a disappointing seventeenth on the grid. Patrese's misfortune promoted Prost to second, with Nigel Mansell third, Gerhard Berger fourth, Alesi fifth, and Nelson Piquet sixth while the sensation of qualifying, Schumacher, was an amazing seventh for his first Grand Prix. The top ten was completed by Roberto Moreno in the second Benetton, Pierluigi Martini in a Minardi and the ever-impressive Stefano Modena in a Tyrrell.
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