1991 United States Grand Prix

1991 United States Grand Prix
Race 1 of 16 in the 1991 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date	March 10, 1991
Official name	XXVIII Iceberg United States Grand Prix
Location	Phoenix street circuit Phoenix, Arizona
Course	Temporary road course
Course length	3.721 km (2.312 miles)
Distance	81 laps, 301.401 km (187.272 miles)
Scheduled distance	82 laps, 305.122 km (189.584 miles)
Weather	Overcast 25 °C (77 °F)[1]
Pole position
Driver	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda
Time	1:21.434
Fastest lap
Driver	Jean Alesi	Ferrari
Time	1:26.758 on lap 49
Podium
First	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Honda
Second	Alain Prost	Ferrari
Third	Nelson Piquet	Benetton-Ford
Lap leaders

The 1991 United States Grand Prix (formally the XXVIII Iceberg United States Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on March 10, 1991 in Phoenix, Arizona. It was the first race of the 1991 Formula One World Championship. The 81-lap race was won from pole position by Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren-Honda, with Alain Prost second in a Ferrari and Nelson Piquet third in a Benetton-Ford.

The race marked the respective debuts of future double World Champion Mika Häkkinen and the Jordan team. It was also the first F1 World Championship race in which ten points were awarded for a win rather than nine, as part of a revised scoring system introduced for 1991. However, it was also to be the last United States Grand Prix until 2000, due to poor attendances.

In the two previous years, the championship had been decided when Senna and Prost tangled at Suzuka. In 1989, their collision as team-mates secured Prost's third World Championship; in 1990, with Prost driving for Ferrari and still in title contention, it handed Senna his second crown. Controversy regarding the nature of the 1990 incident had created great anticipation for the rematch.