After plans to hold an Asian Grand Prix at the Nippon Autopolis in Japan failed to materialise, the race at Donington Park was organised as the third round of the 1993 season. Donington Park had previously unsuccessfully bid to host the British Grand Prix. Video game company Sega sponsored the race and the logo could be seen throughout the Grand Prix and on the podium. Sega also had naming rights to the Grand Prix.
Ivan Capelli had agreed to part ways with the Jordan team after failing to qualify at the previous round in Brazil. He was replaced by veteran Belgian driver Thierry Boutsen.
The Williams cars were 1–2 in qualifying with Prost on pole ahead of Hill, Schumacher, Senna, Wendlinger and Andretti. At the start, it was damp and Schumacher blocked Senna and both lost time, allowing Wendlinger to take third. Senna quickly passed Schumacher at the third corner, then pursued Wendlinger, passing him through the Craner Curves with Schumacher and Andretti attempting to follow. Schumacher succeeded, but Andretti hit Wendlinger, eliminating both drivers and marking Andretti’s first retirement after failing to complete a racing lap in Formula One. Senna then overtook Hill at McLean's Corner, setting his sights on Prost and taking the lead at the Melbourne Hairpin. Going into the second lap, Senna led Prost, Hill, Rubens Barrichello, Jean Alesi, Schumacher and JJ Lehto.
As the track began to dry, teams began to pit for dry tyres. Lehto was fifth, having started from the pit lane, but he retired with handling problems on lap 14. Gerhard Berger took the place but he too retired with suspension problems six laps later. The rain returned and the leaders pitted for wets. Mark Blundell was forced off by Senna whilst battling Fittipaldi at the Esses and then spun off backwards into the gravel trap whilst attempting to rejoin the track. Schumacher stayed out and was leading but spun out on lap 23 as a result of being on the wrong tyres. The track began to dry and everyone pitted once again. Prost now led Senna, Hill, Barrichello, Derek Warwick and Johnny Herbert.
It began to rain and the two Williams stopped for wets while Senna stayed out, a decision that proved correct as the track dried again. The Williams cars stopped once more for dry tyres. Prost stalled in the pits during his stop and rejoined a lap behind in fourth place. Barrichello was now second but it rained and then stopped again. He pitted twice and by then Hill was second, albeit a lap down. Barrichello, third, had trouble with his fuel pressure and retired, giving the place to Prost. Senna set the fastest lap on lap 57, driving into the pit lane but aborting the pit stop, revealing a shortcut through the pit lane due to the Grand Prix configuration of Donington, where the pit entry is located before the final hairpin corner onto the start/finish straight.
Senna won from Hill and Prost, having made four pit stops in the wet-dry conditions compared to Prost's seven. Williams technical director Patrick Head explained: "Our active car maintained very low ride heights, just a few millimetres above the ground, and gained aerodynamic performance by this, but when the water was deeper than the ride height of the car, our drivers were 'surfing'". Herbert finished fourth for Lotus, stopping only once. Riccardo Patrese and Fabrizio Barbazza completed the top six. By the end, Senna had lapped the entire field except for Hill, who finished over a minute behind.
Qualifying: Prost, Hill, Schumacher, Senna, Wendlinger, Andretti.
Ayrton Senna was presented with a trophy depicting Sega’s mascot, Sonic the Hedgehog, holding a trophy with the Sega logo. After a photograph, he received the official award, which did not feature Sonic or the Sega logo. McLaren is still in possession of the Sega trophy; for a long time, it was thought to have been lost until McLaren's official Twitter account revealed it is in one of their storerooms. On 12 June 2020, McLaren put the trophy in a trophy case in McLaren Technology Centre.
Gallery · 4 related images
