Ayrton Senna claimed his third Drivers' Championship in the last F1 season won with a manual gearbox and a V12-powered car.
Key Facts
- Season races
- 16 races, 10 March – 3 November 1991
- Drivers' Champion
- Ayrton Senna (McLaren-Honda), 7 wins
- Constructors' Champion
- McLaren-Honda (4th consecutive title)
- Nigel Mansell wins
- 5 race wins for Williams in his return season
- Notable debuts
- Michael Schumacher and Mika Häkkinen
- Season number
- 45th FIA Formula One season
By the Numbers
Cause → Event → Consequence
McLaren-Honda entered 1991 as the dominant team following consecutive Constructors' titles, with Ayrton Senna seeking a third Drivers' Championship. Williams and Nigel Mansell posed the most significant opposition, while Ferrari struggled and Alain Prost found himself unable to mount a credible title challenge.
The 1991 Formula One World Championship ran over sixteen races. Senna won seven events to secure his third and final Drivers' title, while McLaren-Honda claimed a fourth straight Constructors' Championship. Mansell won five races for Williams. Prost was dismissed by Ferrari before the season concluded following an internal dispute.
The season marked several endpoints: the last championship won with a manual gearbox, a V12 engine, or a Honda-powered car until 2021. Future champions Schumacher and Häkkinen made their debuts, Nelson Piquet retired, and Brazil's status as a source of world champion drivers ended — a record that stood through at least 2025.