The 1990 Formula One season was the 41st season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1990 FIA Formula One World Championship which commenced on March 11, 1990 and ended on November 4 after sixteen races
McLaren retained Ayrton Senna, who had won the title in 1988, now partnered by Gerhard Berger. Ferrari signed Alain Prost, Senna’s great rival and former team-mate, to partner Nigel Mansell. The other main team, Williams, retained their 1989 pairing of Thierry Boutsen and Riccardo Patrese. Benetton completed the signing of triple world champion Nelson Piquet, on a rumored incentive based contract of $100,000 per point scored following 2 disappointing years at Lotus, meaning he had to score points to actually be paid. His team-mate was Alessandro Nannini who was now entering his third year with the team.
Lotus, having lost Piquet, and experienced Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima to Tyrrell, signed Derek Warwick and young Irish driver Martin Donnelly and the cars would be powered by the V12 Lamborghini engine. Tyrrell retained Jean Alesi for his first full season of Formula 1, whilst Nakajima replaced the retired Jonathan Palmer. Brabham kept Italian Stefano Modena, but Martin Brundle left Formula 1 and returned to Sportscar racing with TWR and was replaced by Gregor Foitek, who lost his seat to David Brabham after just two races. Arrows boss Jackie Oliver had sold the majority of the team to the Japanese Footwork company while Italians Michele Alboreto and Alex Caffi replaced Warwick and Eddie Cheever.
During the off-season, Zakspeed had withdrawn from Formula One and returned to sports car racing while Rial had folded after two unsuccessful seasons in F1.
New team Life appeared on the grid, powered by their own unconventional W12 engine design and piloted by Gary Brabham, son of triple World Champion Sir Jack Brabham, and Bruno Giacomelli, returning to F1 for the first time since the 1983 South African Grand Prix.
At the start of the season, six teams needed to pre-qualify: two-car teams of Larrousse, AGS and EuroBrun along with single-car teams of Osella, Coloni and Life. (info from wikipedia)
| Grand Prix | Date | Winning Driver | Team | Laps | Time |
| United States | 11/03/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 72 | 1:52’32.829 |
| Brazil | 25/03/1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 71 | 1:37’21.258 |
| San Marino | 13/05/1990 | Riccardo Patrese | Williams-Renault | 61 | 1:30’55.478 |
| Monaco | 27/05/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 78 | 1:52’46.982 |
| Canada | 10/06/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 70 | 1:42’56.400 |
| Mexico | 24/06/1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 69 | 1:32’35.783 |
| France | 08/07/1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 80 | 1:33’29.606 |
| Great Britain | 15/07/1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 64 | 1:18’30.999 |
| Germany | 29/07/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 45 | 1:20’47.164 |
| Hungary | 12/08/1990 | Thierry Boutsen | Williams-Renault | 77 | 1:49’30.597 |
| Belgium | 26/08/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 44 | 1:26’31.997 |
| Italy | 09/09/1990 | Ayrton Senna | McLaren-Honda | 53 | 1:17’57.878 |
| Portugal | 23/09/1990 | Nigel Mansell | Ferrari | 61 | 1:22’11.014 |
| Spain | 30/09/1990 | Alain Prost | Ferrari | 73 | 1:48’01.461 |
| Japan | 21/10/1990 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton-Ford | 53 | 1:34’36.824 |
| Australia | 04/11/1990 | Nelson Piquet | Benetton-Ford | 81 | 1:49’44.570 |
Drivers Championship final standings
| Drivers | Points | |
| 1 | Ayrton Senna | 78 |
| 2 | Alain Prost | 71 |
| 3 | Nelson Piquet | 43 |
| 4 | Gerhard Berger | 43 |
| 5 | Nigel Mansell | 37 |
| 6 | Thierry Boutsen | 34 |
| 7 | Riccardo Patrese | 23 |
| 8 | Alessandro Nannini | 21 |
| 9 | Jean Alesi | 13 |
| 10 | Ivan Capelli | 6 |
Constructors Championship final standings
| Pos | Equipe | Motor | Pts |
| 1 | McLaren | Honda | 108 (121) |
| 2 | Ferrari | Ferrari | 107 (110) |
| 3 | Benetton | Ford Cosworth | 65 (71) |
| 4 | Williams | Renault | 54 (57) |
| 5 | Tyrrell | Ford Cosworth | 16 |
| 6 | Lola | Lamborghini | 11 |
| 7 | Leyton House | Judd | 7 |
| 8 | Lotus | Lamborghini | 3 |
| 9 | Arrows | Ford Cosworth | 2 |
| 10 | Brabham | Judd | 2 |
