Race details | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race 2 of 16 in the 1994 Formula One season | |||
Date | April 17, 1994 | ||
Official name | I Pacific Grand Prix | ||
Location | TI Circuit, Aida, Japan | ||
Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
Course length | 3.703 km (2.314 mi) | ||
Distance | 83 laps, 307.349 km (192.093 mi) | ||
Weather | Sunny | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Williams-Renault | ||
Time | 1:10.218 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Michael Schumacher | Benetton-Ford | |
Time | 1:14.023 on lap 10 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Benetton-Ford | ||
Second | Ferrari | ||
Third | Jordan-Hart |
The 1994 Pacific Grand Prix (formally the I Pacific Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 17 April 1994 at the TI Circuit, Aida. It was the second race of the 1994 Formula One season. The 83-lap race was won by Benetton driver Michael Schumacher after he started from second position. Gerhard Berger finished second for the Ferrari team and Jordan driver Rubens Barrichello came in third.
Ayrton Senna took pole during Friday's qualifying session, with slower track conditions on Saturday leaving most drivers unable to improve their times. During Saturday qualifying both Williams-Renault drivers spun at Revolver corner.
Ayrton Senna was overtaken by Schumacher before the first corner and was then hit from behind by Mika Häkkinen and spun off the track. Nicola Larini also went off the track and crashed into Senna, causing race-ending damage to both cars. Mark Blundell also spun on the same corner and stalled his car in the middle of the track. On lap 3 Damon Hill spun off trying to overtake Hakkinen, but rejoined and climbed back to second place before stopping with transmission failure on lap 49. Michael Schumacher won comfortably from Gerhard Berger and Rubens Barrichello. Roland Ratzenberger's 11th place would be the Austrian's only finish before his death during qualifying for the following Grand Prix at Imola.