The event was marked by significant driver market shifts and the conclusion of several careers. Ferrari terminated Alain Prost’s contract following his public criticism of the team, replacing him with test driver Gianni Morbidelli. Roberto Moreno, recently dropped by Jordan, took Morbidelli's vacated seat at Minardi. Nelson Piquet entered the weekend knowing Benetton would not renew his contract, making this his final Formula One appearance.
Other changes included the return of Bertrand Gachot, who replaced the injured Éric Bernard at Larrousse after completing a jail sentence in Britain. The Coloni team entered its final Grand Prix before being rebranded as Andrea Moda Formula for the 1992 season. In technical developments, Williams brought a "B"-spec version of the FW14 but chose not to utilize it for the race.
Pre-qualifying took place in dry conditions on Thursday afternoon. Martin Brundle led the session for Brabham, while Naoki Hattori failed to progress in the Coloni, ending his final opportunity at this level. In the main qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, McLaren secured a front-row lockout with Ayrton Senna taking his 60th career pole position alongside Gerhard Berger.
Nigel Mansell and Riccardo Patrese occupied the second row for Williams. Nelson Piquet out-qualified his teammate Michael Schumacher for the only time in 1991 to take sixth. Notable failures to qualify included Aguri Suzuki, who crashed heavily at turn 1, and Martin Brundle, who struggled despite his pace in pre-qualifying.
The race began in torrential rain that had persisted since an earlier support race. While the start was largely clean, conditions deteriorated rapidly. On lap 3, Gerhard Berger ran wide, allowing Nigel Mansell to move into second place and challenge Senna for the lead. However, the track soon became littered with wreckage. Nicola Larini crashed his Modena-Lamborghini on the Brabham Straight, and Jean Alesi’s Ferrari crashed shortly after. Mansell was forced to abandon an attempt to pass Senna on lap 6 to avoid Larini’s car.
By lap 10, Pierluigi Martini aquaplaned into the wall on the Brabham Straight, signaling an increase in the downpour. On lap 14, Mauricio Gugelmin suffered a heavy accident at the pit lane entrance while attempting to pass Stefano Modena, hitting the wall with enough force to become airborne and causing minor injuries to two marshals. Riccardo Patrese struggled during this period as a front wing from another car became lodged in his undertray.
The race reached a breaking point on lap 16. Mansell spun out of control on the Wakefield Road straight, and Berger spun twice, eventually going off at the end of the lap. Michele Alboreto also spun out, while Piquet and Modena survived high-speed spins. Senna, leading the field, gestured to officials to stop the race as he crossed the start/finish line. The race was red-flagged on lap 17.
Although officials initially displayed a 10-minute warning board for a restart, Senna and Patrese protested vehemently to the stewards. The race was officially abandoned, and results were declared based on the order at the end of lap 14. Senna was awarded the victory, with Mansell in second and Berger in third.
The podium ceremony was held without Mansell, who was hospitalized with a suspected concussion following his lap 16 crash. In the post-race press conference, Senna described the conditions as "impossible" and worse than the infamously wet 1989 Australian Grand Prix. He stated that the race should not have been started, though he noted that drivers shared responsibility with officials for choosing to compete. Mansell later criticized the event as a "complete joke," citing debris and the presence of a truck on the straight during the race.
Because the race did not reach seventy-five percent of its scheduled distance, only half the normal World Championship points were awarded. This was the first time half-points had been issued since the 1984 Monaco Grand Prix.
The result secured the 1991 World Constructors' Championship for McLaren, who defeated Williams by 14 points. This marked McLaren’s seventh constructors' title and their final championship with engine partner Honda. The race also served as the final Grand Prix for several drivers, including three-time champion Nelson Piquet, Satoru Nakajima, Naoki Hattori, Alex Caffi, and Emanuele Pirro. Additionally, it was the final race for Pirelli tyres in Formula One until 2011. Under modern regulations, it remains the shortest legally conducted World Championship race by duration.