1993 South African Grand Prix

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1993 South African Grand Prix
Race 1 of 16 in the 1993 Formula One World Championship
Race details
Date	14 March 1993
Official name	Panasonic South African Grand Prix[1]
Location	Kyalami Midrand, Transvaal Province, South Africa
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	4.261 km (2.648 miles)
Distance	72 laps, 306.792 km (190.632 miles)
Weather	Very hot and humid, with torrential thunderstorms. Air temp: 33 °C (91 °F)
Pole position
Driver	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault
Time	1:15.696
Fastest lap
Driver	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault
Time	1:19.492 on lap 40
Podium
First	Alain Prost	Williams-Renault
Second	Ayrton Senna	McLaren-Ford
Third	Mark Blundell	Ligier-Renault
Lap leaders

The 1993 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 14 March 1993. It was the first race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship.

The 72-lap race was won by Frenchman Alain Prost, driving a Williams-Renault. Prost, returning to Formula One after taking the 1992 season off, took pole position and led the last 49 laps, winning by over a minute from Brazilian Ayrton Senna in a McLaren-Ford. Briton Mark Blundell finished third in a Ligier-Renault.

This was the 33rd South African Grand Prix and, as of 2024, the most recent Formula One race held on the continent of Africa. The race also marked the debut of the Swiss Sauber team, who scored their first points courtesy of Finn JJ Lehto's fifth-place finish.

This was the first time since 1974 that the first race of a season did not feature the defending Drivers' Champion in the field (in 1974, Jackie Stewart was missing as he had retired following the death of his teammate and close friend François Cevert in 1973). Defending 1992 champion Nigel Mansell had moved to race in CART for the season. Since there was no defending Drivers' Champion in the field this season, defending Constructors' Champion Williams could not use No. 1 on either of its cars. Therefore, this was the first race since the 1973 United States Grand Prix that number 0 was used.