The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix (formally the 50ème Grand Prix de Monaco) was a Formula One motor race held on 31 May 1992 at the Circuit de Monaco. It was the sixth race of the 1992 Formula One World Championship.
The 78-lap race was won by Ayrton Senna, driving a McLaren-Honda. Drivers' Championship leader Nigel Mansell took pole position in his Williams-Renault and led until lap 71, when he suspected he had a puncture and made a pit stop for new tyres. He emerged behind Senna, closed up to the Brazilian and tried to find a way past but without success, Senna holding on to win by 0.2 seconds. It was Senna's fifth Monaco Grand Prix win, equalling the record set by Graham Hill.
Mansell's teammate Riccardo Patrese was third, half a minute behind, with the top six completed by the Benettons of Michael Schumacher and Martin Brundle and the Larrousse of Bertrand Gachot.
Pre-race
After the first five races of the championship, Williams driver Nigel Mansell lead the Drivers Championship by 26 points having achieved five race wins in a row. Team-mate Riccardo Patrese was second with 24 points. The Williams team was leading the Constructors Championship with 74 points; second-placed Benetton had 20, with their driver Michael Schumacher in third place. Reigning World Champion Ayrton Senna of McLaren was only in fourth place, having accumulated eight points. However, the Monaco Grand Prix had only been won in the last eight years by either Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost, but Nigel Mansell was looking to achieve his first win at Monaco. There were no changes to the driver line-up from the previous race, however before the race Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo had to publicly announce Ivan Capelli's position within the Ferrari team was "safe" in response to criticism from the Italian Autosprint magazine about Capelli's recent performances. Autosport had also reported on the Thursday before the race that Capelli was "about to be replaced" according to "Italian rumours", highlighting the fact Gianni Morbidelli had carried out most of Ferrari's testing work at the Imola circuit before the Monaco race. Ferrari had released a statement in response to Morbidelli's testing of the Ferrari F92A saying Capelli had been "on holiday" but Capelli denied this was the case. The car had been "shaken down" at Hethel in Norfolk by Olivier Beretta before being taken to Monaco
Qualifying
Pre-qualifying report
The pre-qualifying session on the Thursday morning lasted for one hour and started at 8:00 local time, in warm and sunny weather conditions. Michele Alboreto was the fastest pre-qualifier in the Footwork for the second Grand Prix in succession. Bertrand Gachot also pre-qualified without drama for Larrousse, finishing second fastest, just over half a second slower than Alboreto. McCarthy drove three laps at the beginning of the session, still with his ill-fitting seat, before the Andrea Moda team ordered him back to the pits,
|}
Practice and qualifying report
Two practice sessions were held before the race; the first was held on Thursday morning, with the second held on Saturday morning. Both sessions lasted 1 hour and 45 minutes. The first practice session took place under warm and hazy weather conditions.thumb| left|[[Andrea Chiesa's Fondmetal spins in front of Karl Wendlinger's March during the Thursday practice session. Chiesa failed to qualify as he finished 29th fastest, 0.715 seconds slower than Moreno's Andrea Moda.]]
thumb|left|[[Riccardo Patrese finished Saturday qualifying second fastest despite being blocked by Bertrand Gachot in the final minutes of Saturday qualifying, resulting in a "paddock confrontation" between them.]]thumb|right|[[Michael Schumacher finished Saturday qualifying sixth fastest.]] Nigel Mansell was fastest in the first practice session, 0.883 seconds ahead of Ayrton Senna in second, with Gerhard Berger in third and Michael Schumacher fourth.
Mansell went even faster on Saturday with a 1:19.495 and took his sixth pole position of the season. He later described his time as a "totally clear lap". Patrese improved to qualify second fastest, however he was held up by Bertrand Gachot on one of his qualifying laps, and reacted by heading over to the Larrousse pit and trying to punch the Frenchman.
Qualifying classification
{|class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Q1 Time !! Q2 Time !! Gap
|-
! 1
| 5
| Nigel Mansell
| Williams-Renault
| 1:20.714
| 1:19.495
|
|-
! 2
| 6
| Riccardo Patrese
| Williams-Renault
| 1:22.309
| 1:20.368
| +0.873
|-
! 3
| 1
| Ayrton Senna
| McLaren-Honda
| 1:21.467
| 1:20.608
| +1.113
|-
! 4
| 27
| Jean Alesi
| Ferrari
| 1:22.942
| 1:20.895
| +1.400
|-
! 5
| 2
| Gerhard Berger
| McLaren-Honda
| 1:22.359
| 1:21.224
| +1.729
|-
! 6
| 19
| Michael Schumacher
| Benetton-Ford
| 1:23.150
| 1:21.831
| +2.336
|-
! 7
| 20
| Martin Brundle
| Benetton-Ford
| 1:23.872
| 1:22.068
| +2.573
|-
! 8
| 28
| Ivan Capelli
| Ferrari
| 1:23.813
| 1:22.119
| +2.624
|-
! 9
| 12
| Johnny Herbert
| Lotus-Ford
| 1:25.979
| 1:22.579
| +3.084
|-
! 10
| 4
| Andrea de Cesaris
| Tyrrell-Ilmor
| 1:23.552
| 1:22.647
| +3.152
|-
! 11
| 9
| Michele Alboreto
| Footwork-Mugen-Honda
| 1:23.774
| 1:22.671
| +3.176
|-
! 12
| 24
| Gianni Morbidelli
| Minardi-Lamborghini
| 1:24.567
| 1:22.733
| +3.238
|-
! 13
| 33
| Maurício Gugelmin
| Jordan-Yamaha
| 1:24.235
| 1:22.863
| +3.368
|-
! 14
| 11
| Mika Häkkinen
| Lotus-Ford
| 1:25.809
| 1:22.886
| +3.391
|-
! 15
| 29
| Bertrand Gachot
| Venturi-Lamborghini
| 1:23.606
| 1:23.122
| +3.627
|-
! 16
| 16
| Karl Wendlinger
| March-Ilmor
| 1:23.978
| 1:23.264
| +3.769
|-
! 17
| 23
| Christian Fittipaldi
| Minardi-Lamborghini
| 1:25.561
| 1:23.487
| +3.992
|-
! 18
| 22
| Pierluigi Martini
| Dallara-Ferrari
| 1:25.665
| 1:23.508
| +4.013
|-
! 19
| 10
| Aguri Suzuki
| Footwork-Mugen-Honda
| 1:24.340
| 1:23.641
| +4.146
|-
! 20
| 21
| JJ Lehto
| Dallara-Ferrari
| 1:25.050
| 1:23.862
| +4.367
|-
! 21
| 32
| Stefano Modena
| Jordan-Yamaha
| 1:23.890
| 1:23.909
| +4.395
|-
! 22
| 25
| Thierry Boutsen
| Ligier-Renault
| 1:25.222
| 1:23.909
| +4.414
|-
! 23
| 26
| Érik Comas
| Ligier-Renault
| 1:24.816
| 1:23.974
| +4.479
|-
! 24
| 3
| Olivier Grouillard
| Tyrrell-Ilmor
| 1:24.533
| 1:23.990
| +4.495
|-
! 25
| 15
| Gabriele Tarquini
| Fondmetal-Ford
| 1:25.614
| 1:24.479
| +4.984
|-
! 26
| 34
| Roberto Moreno
| Andrea Moda-Judd
| 1:25.185
| 1:24.945
| +5.450
|-
! 27
| 7
| Eric van de Poele
| Brabham-Judd
| 1:25.702
| 1:24.981
| +5.486
|-
! 28
| 8
| Damon Hill
| Brabham-Judd
| 1:26.889
| 1:25.394
| +5.899
|-
! 29
| 14
| Andrea Chiesa
| Fondmetal-Ford
| 1:27.140
| 1:25.660
| +6.165
|-
! 30
| 17
| Paul Belmondo
| March-Ilmor
| 1:26.501
| 1:25.750
| +6.255
|-
!colspan="7"|
Despite initial reports that Mansell incurred a puncture in the tunnel on lap 71 Goodyear later denied this was the case.
The 1992 Monaco Grand Prix turned out to be the only time the Andrea Moda team qualified for a Formula One race with Roberto Moreno retiring after 11 laps with engine problems. In an interview in 2011, Moreno declared qualifying the Andrea Moda S921 at Monaco was one of his greatest motor racing memories:
In a feature on the BBC's Formula 1 Website in 2009 former BBC Formula One commentator Murray Walker ranked the 1992 Monaco Grand Prix as one of the five "best ever" Formula 1 races due to what he described as the "absolute magic" battle for the lead in the last three laps between Senna and Mansell.
Race classification
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
! Pos !! No !! Driver !! Constructor !! Laps !! Time/Retired !! Grid !! Points
|-
! 1
| 1
| Ayrton Senna
| McLaren-Honda
| 78
| 1:50:59.372
| 3
| 10
|-
! 2
| 5
| Nigel Mansell
| Williams-Renault
| 78
| + 0.215
| 1
| 6
|-
! 3
| 6
| Riccardo Patrese
| Williams-Renault
| 78
| + 31.843
| 2
| 4
|-
! 4
| 19
| Michael Schumacher
| Benetton-Ford
| 78
| + 39.294
| 6
| 3
|-
! 5
| 20
| Martin Brundle
| Benetton-Ford
| 78
| + 1:21.347
| 7
| 2
|-
! 6
| 29
| Bertrand Gachot
| Venturi-Lamborghini
| 77
| + 1 Lap
| 15
| 1
|-
! 7
| 9
| Michele Alboreto
| Footwork-Mugen-Honda
| 77
| + 1 lap
| 11
|
|-
! 8
| 23
| Christian Fittipaldi
| Minardi-Lamborghini
| 77
| + 1 lap
| 17
|
|-
! 9
| 21
| JJ Lehto
| Dallara-Ferrari
| 76
| + 2 laps
| 20
|
|-
! 10
| 26
| Érik Comas
| Ligier-Renault
| 76
| + 2 laps
| 23
|
|-
! 11
| 10
| Aguri Suzuki
| Footwork-Mugen-Honda
| 76
| + 2 laps
| 19
|
|-
! 12
| 25
| Thierry Boutsen
| Ligier-Renault
| 75
| + 3 laps
| 22
|
|-
!
| 28
| Ivan Capelli
| Ferrari
| 60
| Spun off
| 8
|
|-
!
| 2
| Gerhard Berger
| McLaren-Honda
| 32
| Gearbox
| 5
|
|-
!
| 11
| Mika Häkkinen
| Lotus-Ford
| 30
| Gearbox
| 14
|
|-
!
| 27
| Jean Alesi
| Ferrari
| 28
| Gearbox
| 4
|
|-
!
| 33
| Maurício Gugelmin
| Jordan-Yamaha
| 18
| Gearbox
| 13
|
|-
!
| 12
| Johnny Herbert
| Lotus-Ford
| 17
| Spun off
| 9
|
|-
!
| 34
| Roberto Moreno
| Andrea Moda-Judd
| 11
| Engine
| 26
|
|-
!
| 4
| Andrea de Cesaris
| Tyrrell-Ilmor
| 9
| Gearbox
| 10
|
|-
!
| 15
| Gabriele Tarquini
| Fondmetal-Ford
| 9
| Engine
| 25
|
|-
!
| 32
| Stefano Modena
| Jordan-Yamaha
| 6
| Spun off
| 21
|
|-
!
| 3
| Olivier Grouillard
| Tyrrell-Ilmor
| 4
| Transmission
| 24
|
|-
!
| 16
| Karl Wendlinger
| March-Ilmor
| 1
| Gearbox
| 16
|
|-
!
| 24
| Gianni Morbidelli
| Minardi-Lamborghini
| 1
| Gearbox
| 12
|
|-
!
| 22
| Pierluigi Martini
| Dallara-Ferrari
| 0
| Spun off
| 18
|
|-
!
| 7
| Eric van de Poele
| Brabham-Judd
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 8
| Damon Hill
| Brabham-Judd
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 14
| Andrea Chiesa
| Fondmetal-Ford
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 17
| Paul Belmondo
| March-Ilmor
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 30
| Ukyo Katayama
| Venturi-Lamborghini
|
|
|
|
|-
!
| 35
| Perry McCarthy
| Andrea Moda-Judd
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="8"|
|}
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
!Pos
!Driver
!Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Nigel Mansell
|align="right"| 56
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 2
| Riccardo Patrese
|align="right"| 28
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 3
| Michael Schumacher
|align="right"| 20
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 4
| Ayrton Senna
|align="right"| 18
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 5
| Gerhard Berger
|align="right"| 8
|-
!colspan=4|Source:
|}
;Constructors' Championship standings
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
|-
!
! Pos
! Constructor
! Points
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1
| Williams-Renault
|align="right"| 84
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 2
| McLaren-Honda
|align="right"| 26
|-
|align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 3
| Benetton-Ford
|align="right"| 25
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 4
| Ferrari
|align="right"| 9
|-
|align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 5
| Footwork-Mugen-Honda
|align="right"| 5
|-
!colspan=4|Source: