Season · 16 rounds, all run
1988 FIA Formula One World Championship
McLaren MP4/4 won 15 of 16 races — the most dominant single season by win rate. Prost scored more gross points (105 to 94) but lost on dropped scores.
- Rounds
- 16all run
- Drivers' champion
- Ayrton Senna90 points
- Constructors' champion
- McLaren199 points
- Margin
- 3over Alain Prost
How the title was decided
Ayrton SennaAlain ProstGerhard Berger
The three drivers who finished highest, tracked from the opening round. Before 1991 only a driver's best few results counted, so a line can rise by less than they scored that weekend.
The numbers behind this chart, How the title was decided
| Driver | After round | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Ayrton Senna | 2 | 9 |
| Ayrton Senna | 3 | 9 |
| Ayrton Senna | 4 | 15 |
| Ayrton Senna | 5 | 24 |
| Ayrton Senna | 6 | 33 |
| Ayrton Senna | 7 | 39 |
| Ayrton Senna | 8 | 48 |
| Ayrton Senna | 9 | 57 |
| Ayrton Senna | 10 | 66 |
| Ayrton Senna | 11 | 75 |
| Ayrton Senna | 12 | 75 |
| Ayrton Senna | 13 | 76 |
| Ayrton Senna | 14 | 79 |
| Ayrton Senna | 15 | 87 |
| Ayrton Senna | 16 | 90 |
| Alain Prost | 1 | 9 |
| Alain Prost | 2 | 15 |
| Alain Prost | 3 | 24 |
| Alain Prost | 4 | 33 |
| Alain Prost | 5 | 39 |
| Alain Prost | 6 | 45 |
| Alain Prost | 7 | 54 |
| Alain Prost | 8 | 54 |
| Alain Prost | 9 | 60 |
| Alain Prost | 10 | 66 |
| Alain Prost | 11 | 72 |
| Alain Prost | 12 | 72 |
| Alain Prost | 13 | 81 |
| Alain Prost | 14 | 84 |
| Alain Prost | 15 | 84 |
| Alain Prost | 16 | 87 |
| Gerhard Berger | 1 | 6 |
| Gerhard Berger | 2 | 8 |
| Gerhard Berger | 3 | 14 |
| Gerhard Berger | 4 | 18 |
| Gerhard Berger | 5 | 18 |
| Gerhard Berger | 6 | 18 |
| Gerhard Berger | 7 | 21 |
| Gerhard Berger | 8 | 21 |
| Gerhard Berger | 9 | 25 |
| Gerhard Berger | 10 | 28 |
| Gerhard Berger | 11 | 28 |
| Gerhard Berger | 12 | 37 |
| Gerhard Berger | 13 | 37 |
| Gerhard Berger | 14 | 38 |
| Gerhard Berger | 15 | 41 |
| Gerhard Berger | 16 | 41 |
Final drivers' standings
| Pos | Driver | Wins | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ayrton Senna | 8 | 90 | — |
| 2 | Alain Prost | 7 | 87 | 3 |
| 3 | Gerhard Berger | 1 | 41 | 49 |
| 4 | Thierry Boutsen | 0 | 27 | 63 |
| 5 | Michele Alboreto | 0 | 24 | 66 |
| 6 | Nelson Piquet | 0 | 22 | 68 |
| 7 | Ivan Capelli | 0 | 17 | 73 |
| 8 | Derek Warwick | 0 | 17 | 73 |
| 9 | Nigel Mansell | 0 | 12 | 78 |
| 10 | Alessandro Nannini | 0 | 12 | 78 |
| 11 | Riccardo Patrese | 0 | 8 | 82 |
| 12 | Eddie Cheever | 0 | 6 | 84 |
| 13 | Mauricio Gugelmin | 0 | 5 | 85 |
| 14 | Jonathan Palmer | 0 | 5 | 85 |
| 15 | Andrea de Cesaris | 0 | 3 | 87 |
| 16 | Satoru Nakajima | 0 | 1 | 89 |
| 16 | Pierluigi Martini | 0 | 1 | 89 |
A driver with points and no position was excluded from the classification: the points stand, the position does not. Wins are counted from the race records, and a shared drive is a win for both of its drivers. The gap is to the highest points total classified, so the leader's own is an em dash; before 1991 it is a difference of net totals, dropped scores and all.
Final constructors' standings
| Pos | Constructor | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McLaren honda | 199 | — |
| 2 | Ferrari ferrari | 65 | 134 |
| 3 | Benetton ford | 39 | 160 |
| 4 | Team Lotus honda | 23 | 176 |
| 5 | Arrows megatron | 23 | 176 |
| 6 | March judd | 22 | 177 |
| 7 | Williams judd | 20 | 179 |
| 8 | Tyrrell ford | 5 | 194 |
| 9 | Rial ford | 3 | 196 |
| 10 | Minardi ford | 1 | 198 |
The gap is to the highest points total classified, so the leader's own is an em dash; before 1991 it is a difference of net totals, dropped scores and all. The championship is contested by a chassis–engine pair, so one name can appear more than once with different engines.
The calendar
- R1Brazilianrun
- R2San Marinorun
- R3Monacorun
- R4Mexicanrun
- R5Canadianrun
- R6Detroitrun
- R7Frenchrun
- R8Britishrun
- R9Germanrun
- R10Hungarianrun
- R11Belgianrun
- R12Italianrun
- R13Portugueserun
- R14Spanishrun
- R15Japaneserun
- R16Australianrun
The outline is F1DB’s, for every layout; the trace is OpenStreetMap’s, where it exists. F1DB, CC BY 4.0 · drawn by Jules Roy.
Two names in one cell is a shared drive: both drivers are classified in that position, and both are winners. Open any round for its full classification.
Who entered
| Constructor | Entered as | Chassis | Designs | Engines | Tyres |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGS | AGS | AGS JH23 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Arrows | Arrows Grand Prix International | Arrows A10B | 1 | Megatron M12/13 1.5 L4 T | Goodyear |
| Benetton | Benetton Formula | Benetton B188 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFR 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Coloni | Coloni | Coloni FC188, Coloni FC188B | 2 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Dallara | BMS Scuderia Italia | Dallara 3087, Dallara F188 | 2 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| EuroBrun | EuroBrun Racing | EuroBrun ER188 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Ferrari | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari F1/87/88C | 1 | Ferrari 033E 1.5 V6 T | Goodyear |
| Ligier | Ligier Loto | Ligier JS31 | 1 | Judd CV 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Lola | Larrousse Calmels | Lola LC88 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| March | Leyton House March Racing Team | March 881 | 1 | Judd CV 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| McLaren | Honda Marlboro McLaren | McLaren MP4/4 | 1 | Honda RA168E 1.5 V6 T | Goodyear |
| Minardi | Lois Minardi Team | Minardi M188 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Osella | Osella Squadra Corse | Osella FA1I, Osella FA1L | 2 | Osella 890T 1.5 V8 T | Goodyear |
| Rial | Rial Racing | Rial ARC1 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Team Lotus | Camel Team Lotus Honda | Lotus 100T | 1 | Honda RA168E 1.5 V6 T | Goodyear |
| Tyrrell | Tyrrell Racing Organisation | Tyrrell 017 | 1 | Ford Cosworth DFZ 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Williams | Canon Williams Team | Williams FW12 | 1 | Judd CV 3.5 V8 | Goodyear |
| Zakspeed | West Zakspeed Racing | Zakspeed 881 | 1 | Zakspeed 1500/4 1.5 L4 T | Goodyear |
Where an entrant ran more than one design, no source records which car raced which round — so those race results carry no chassis.
Photographs
From Wikimedia Commons, each shown with the photographer and licence its terms require.
McLaren MP4/4
McLaren MP4-4 front-right Honda Collection Hall · Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0
Ferrari F1/87
Ferrari F1-87 · Etienne (Li) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Arrows A10
Arrows A10 at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed · Matthew Lamb · CC BY-SA 2.0
Benetton B188
Benetton B188 Goodwood FoS 2009 2 · Brian Snelson · CC BY 2.0
EuroBrun ER188
Eurobrun ER188 Italian Grand Prix 2025 · Eustace Bagge · CC BY 4.0
Ligier JS31
Ligier JS31 - Rétromobile 2025 · Xavoun · CC BY-SA 4.06 more photographs
Lola LC88
Larrousse Lola LC88-Cosworth of Philippe Alliot at the 2025 Adelaide Grand Final - 05 · Yu Chu Chin · CC BY-SA 4.0
Lotus 100T
Sato Lotus 100T Suzuka 2010 · https://www.flickr.com/photos/temalive/ · CC BY-SA 2.0
Tyrrell 017
EMS 2023, Essen (P1160461) · Matti Blume · CC BY-SA 4.0 · unchecked
Williams FW12
Williams FW12B (Mansell) front-left 2017 Williams Conference Centre · Morio · CC BY-SA 4.0
AGS JH23
Rétromobile 2017 - AGS JH23 - 1989 - 001 · Thesupermat · CC BY-SA 4.0
Rial ARC1
F1 1988, Rial ARC1, Spa Francorchamps (55425564171) (cropped) · Original: Der Alf / Derivative work: Danyele · CC BY 4.0A photograph marked unchecked has a file name that does not name the car it is shown for. Most are still the right car, filed under the driver rather than the machine — but nobody has confirmed these one by one.
Where this comes from
- Team
- McLaren
- Runner-up
- Alain Prost — 87
- Engine formula
- 3.5 L naturally aspirated or 1.5 L turbocharged (boost limited)
- Tyres
- Goodyear (sole supplier)
- Entered
- 36 drivers, 18 constructors, 7 engine makers — counted from the entries, whether or not they started