1989 Japanese Grand Prix

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix (formally the XV Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 22 October 1989 at Suzuka Circuit. It was the 15th and penultimate round of the 1989 Formula One season. The 53-lap race was won by Alessandro Nannini for the Benetton team, from a sixth position start. Riccardo Patrese finished second for the Williams team, with Thierry Boutsen third. It was Nannini's only win.

The race is one of the most controversial in F1 history, as the culmination of Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna's tumultuous two-year rivalry as teammates at McLaren, which would end anyway, with Prost leaving for Ferrari. One race before the final Australian Grand Prix it was decided that the Frenchman would win his third Drivers' Championship in 1989. With Prost leading the championship by 16 points, Senna had to win both races to possibly defend the championship, and with Prost leading the race, too, on lap 47 of 53 the Brazilian tried to pass at the inside of the chicane. Senna failed to get ahead, failed to turn in, and made both cars go straight, with his front wheels always behind Prost's wheels. Both cars came to a stop next to each other at the entry of the escape road, both had missed the entry to the chicane. Prost abandoned his stalled car, while Senna got his restarted by marshals, weaved through the barriers, rejoined the track after the chicane, made a pit stop to change his front wing, and overhauled Alessandro Nannini to take the checkered flag. Following the race Senna was disqualified for getting an advantage by missing the chicane, handing the win to Nannini and the title to Prost.