The season saw several team changes. Jordan Grand Prix debuted in F1 after success in Formula 3000. Lotus returned to using Judd V8 power after a difficult 1990 with Lamborghini V12 engines. Lamborghini built their own chassis for the season, rebranding the team as Modena. Osella was sold to Fondmetal, resulting in the disappearance of the Osella name from F1. Arrows received investment and was renamed Footwork. EuroBrun, Onyx and Life withdrew before the season began.
Mid-season changes included Footwork switching engine suppliers from Porsche to Hart-prepared Cosworth engines after six races. AGS ran out of funding and closed its doors two races before the end of the season. Several driver changes also occurred. Nigel Mansell moved from Ferrari to Williams, replacing Thierry Boutsen, who joined Ligier. Ferrari replaced Mansell with Jean Alesi, after Alesi impressed while driving for Tyrrell in 1990. Jordan hired Bertrand Gachot and Andrea de Cesaris. Lotus hired British Formula 3 champion Mika Häkkinen. Lamborghini entered Formula 1 with a self-designed chassis, hiring Eric van de Poele and Nicola Larini. AGS replaced Yannick Dalmas with Stefan Johansson.
Michael Schumacher made his debut with Jordan in the Belgian Grand Prix, replacing Bertrand Gachot, who was given an 18-month prison sentence for assault. Eddie Jordan paid $150,000 to Mercedes-Benz, as Schumacher was under contract with their sports car team. Schumacher moved to Benetton after just one race with Jordan, with Roberto Moreno being paid off to make room. Moreno was then replaced after two races by Alessandro Zanardi, who later moved to Minardi. Gianni Morbidelli's services were required by Ferrari at the Australian Grand Prix after they fired Alain Prost. Julian Bailey was replaced at Lotus with Johnny Herbert before the Canadian Grand Prix, with Michael Bartels filling the seat on weekends Herbert was engaged in the Japanese F3000 series. Bertrand Gachot returned to F1 for the last race of the season, replacing Éric Bernard at Larrousse. Karl Wendlinger debuted at Leyton House during the Japanese Grand Prix, bringing funding with him. Olivier Grouillard and Gabriele Tarquini switched seats at Fondmetal and AGS, but AGS closed operations shortly after. Stefan Johansson drove two races for AGS before being replaced with Fabrizio Barbazza.
The 1991 season also featured regulation changes. The front wing was narrowed to 140 cm, the front overhang was reduced to 100 cm, and the rear overhang was reduced to 50 cm. The minimum weight without a driver was raised to 505 kg. In sporting regulations, the winning driver was awarded 10 points instead of 9, and points from all races would now count towards the drivers' championship.
At the United States Grand Prix, Ayrton Senna won from pole position, followed by Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet. Senna also won the Brazilian Grand Prix at Interlagos. At the San Marino Grand Prix, Senna won, followed by Berger, Lehto, Martini, Häkkinen and Bailey. Senna continued his winning streak at the Monaco Grand Prix, followed by Mansell and Alesi. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Piquet took his final career win after Mansell stalled on the last lap and was classified sixth. At the Mexican Grand Prix, Patrese won, with Mansell second in a Williams 1–2.
Mansell won the French Grand Prix, while at Silverstone), he won again, with Berger finishing second and Prost third. Mansell also won in Germany. Senna won the Hungarian Grand Prix, and then again at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Mansell won the Italian Grand Prix, followed by Senna, Prost, Berger, Schumacher and Piquet. Patrese won the Portuguese Grand Prix, followed by Senna, Alesi, Martini, Piquet and Schumacher. At the penultimate race in Japan, Berger won, while Senna secured his third World Championship. The season concluded with Senna winning the Australian Grand Prix, securing McLaren-Honda's fourth consecutive Constructors' Championship.
As of 2025, this is the last World Championship season to be won by a Brazilian racing driver. It was the last drivers' title won using a Honda-powered car until Max Verstappen in 2021 and the last constructors' title won by a Honda-powered car until the Red Bull Racing RB19 in 2023. This season was also the last time an F1 car with a manual gearbox won the championship, and the last V12-powered car to do so. It was also Pirelli's last season as Formula One's tyre supplier until 2011.
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