1990 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1990 Australian motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 14–16 September 1990 at Phillip Island.

  1990 Australian Grand Prix

Race details
Race 15 of 15 races in the 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	16 September 1990
Official name	Drink/Drive Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
Location	Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit
Course	Permanent racing facility 4.445 km (2.762 mi)
500cc
Pole position Rider Mick Doohan Time 1:34.788 Fastest lap Rider Wayne Gardner Time 1:34.560 Podium First Wayne Gardner Second Mick Doohan Third Wayne Rainey
250cc
Pole position Rider John Kocinski Time 1:37.531 Fastest lap Rider John Kocinski Time 1:36.681 Podium First John Kocinski Second Helmut Bradl Third Luca Cadalora
125cc
Pole position Rider Hans Spaan Time 1:44.528 Fastest lap Rider Doriano Romboni Time 1:43.959 Podium First Loris Capirossi Second Bruno Casanova Third Doriano Romboni

500 cc race report

Cagiva sat out the last race, as the grid was headed by Mick Doohan, Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Eddie Lawson. The start went to the Rothmans Hondas, but by the hairpin Wayne Rainey was up to third. Exiting the hairpin, Gardner almost highsided, letting Rainey through.

Rainey took the lead from Doohan, with Gardner making it a trio away at the front. Rainey was passed by Doohan on the straight, but he re-took the lead by barging through the inside of the hairpin. Doohan passed on the straight again: the Yamaha was never beaten on straight-line speed. The trio became a quartet as Schwantz caught up, having set the fastest lap of the race.

Gardner's fairing came loose after his near-crash, but he managed to pass Rainey on the straight to take second spot, and again Rainey inelegantly pushed Gardner wide on the hairpin apex, which allowed Schwantz into third. With 7 laps to go, Doohan was out front down the straight, Schwantz in second and Gardner back into third as he passed Rainey into Turn One. He then passed Schwantz before the hairpin.

Gardner passed Doohan in Turn One, causing Doohan to nearly highside through the right-hander as Schwantz closed the gap that had been forming and then goes on to pass him. Rainey was still in fourth place. On the brakes into Turn One, Schwantz had a high-speed highside and crashed out of second. Gardner won the race in front of Doohan, with a small gap to Rainey in third.

500 cc classification

Pos.	Rider	Team	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Wayne Gardner	Rothmans Honda Team	Honda	47:45.053	20
2	Mick Doohan	Rothmans Honda Team	Honda	0.856	17
3	Wayne Rainey	Marlboro Team Roberts	Yamaha	2.739	15
4	Eddie Lawson	Marlboro Team Roberts	Yamaha	42.532	13
5	Niall Mackenzie	Lucky Strike Suzuki	Suzuki	54.520	11
6	Juan Garriga	Ducados Yamaha	Yamaha	1:00.539	10
7	Sito Pons	Campsa Banesto	Honda	1:05.231	9
8	Peter Goddard	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	1:30.221	8
9	Pierfrancesco Chili	Team ROC Elf La Cinq	Honda	1 Lap	7
10	Marco Papa	Team ROC Elf La Cinq	Honda	1 Lap	6
11	Eddie Laycock	Millar Racing	Honda	1 Lap	5
12	Cees Doorakkers	HRK Motors	Honda	1 Lap	4
Ret	Jean Philippe Ruggia	Sonauto Gauloises	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Tadahiko Taira	Tech 21	Yamaha	Retirement
Ret	Kevin Schwantz	Lucky Strike Suzuki	Suzuki	Retirement
Ret	Christian Sarron	Sonauto Gauloises	Yamaha	Retirement
DNQ	Nicholas Schmassman	Team Schmassman	Honda	Did not qualify
DNQ	Greg Drew		PRP	Did not qualify
DNQ	Craig Harwood		Yamaha	Did not qualify
DNQ	Scott Mitchell		Suzuki	Did not qualify
Sources: