F1 Blog

36 Days Until the 2008 Australian GP

Between 1989 and 1997, Japanese engine manufacturer Yamaha scored 36 points in Formula One. Yamaha made their F1 debut with the German Zakspeed team in 1989 but they only managed to qualify twice. In all the other races the team failed to even pre-qualify.

After the disastrous 1989 season Yamaha took a year off and returned to Formula One in 1991. This time with another team on their way down and out of F1: Brabham. In the Belgian Grand Prix that year, Mark Blundell gave Yamaha their first points by finishing in sixth position. For 1992 Yamaha teamed up with Jordan and for a long time it looked like it would be a year without points. In the last race of the season, however, Stefano Modena finished in sixth position and scored one point. For the next four years Yamaha supplied engines to the Tyrrell team.

1993 was another year without points but things improved in 1994. Ukyo Katayama and Mark Blundell scored a total of 13 points including a third position by Mark Blundell at the Spanish Grand Prix. The Tyrrell-Yamaha combination scored 12 more points in the following season bringing Yamaha’s total to 25. In 1997 Yamaha supplied engines to the Arrows team who had signed World Champion Damon Hill to drive for them. Hill finished in the points twice, including a second place in the Hungarian Grand Prix. His teammate Pedro Diniz finished in fifth position in the Luxembourg Grand Prix. With Diniz Yamaha scored their final points in F1, bringing their total to 36.

Tags: team points, yamaha