McLaren was fighting back in the championship. The improvements promised for Senna’s and Berger’s cars would arrive in Montreal, bringing the team a little bit closer to Williams in terms of equipment.
In qualifying sessions, the first change in relation to what was seen that season was a pole position won by Ayrton Senna, earned with his time from Friday.
During the race, the driver led until the 37th lap, when his engine failed. Victory went to his teammate Berger, the second consecutive McLaren win.
After leaving the racetrack, Frank Williams invited Ayrton Senna for a chat, leaving everyone quite intrigued. The encounter lasted for almost an hour, but Senna summed it up with one phrase:
“He wanted my version of Mansell’s accident, but I didn’t know anything because our cars did not touch.”
Nigel Mansell, championship leader and master of six pole positions that year, couldn’t accept starting behind Senna. He tried to pass Senna any way he could until, on lap 14, he managed to do so, but forgot to brake at the corner.
“I think that when he perceived the problem he had created, he took his foot off the brake to accelerate again and cut the chicane. What happened, happened. His Williams flew through the air, landed on its nose in the gravel trap and pieces of the car were flying off as I negotiated the chicane.”
It seemed as though, finally, the English Lion had some competition that season.
CANADIAN GP
1º
Ayrton Senna
2º
R. Patrese
3º
N. Mansell
4º
G. Berger
5º
M. Schumacher
6º
J. Herbert
7º
M. Brundle
8º
J. Alesi
9º
I. Capelli
10º
M. Hakkinen
11º
U. Katayama
12º
K. Wendlinger
13º
G. Morbidelli
14º
A. de Cesaris
15º
P. Martini
16º
M. Alboreto
17º
S. Modena
18º
G. Tarquini
19º
B. Gachot
20º
T. Belmondo
21º
T. Boutsen
22º
E. Comas
23º
J. Lehto
24º
M. Gugelmin
25º
C. Fittipaldi
26º
O. Grouillard
69
turns
26
cars
12
leaving
1’22”325
fastest
lap
sunny weather
Podium
1º
G. Berger
2º
M. Schumacher
3º
J. Alesi
–
final position
4º
Championship position after the race
1º
Starting position
–
Points added to the Championship
1’23”728
BEST
LAP
He (Frank Williams) wanted my version of Mansell’s accident, but I didn’t know anything because our cars did not touch.
