The seasons 1984–⁠1994

He started 161 Grands Prix, for four teams, in 10 years and five weeks. The first season, 1984, was an apprenticeship with Toleman: three podiums, 9th in the championship, level on points with Nigel Mansell, one failure to qualify, at Imola, the only one of his career, and one race missed, at Monza, where Toleman stood him down for signing with Lotus without telling the team first.

With Lotus he took more pole positions than anyone in 1985 and 1986, seven and then eight, and won two races in each of his three seasons there. He was 4th, 4th and, in 1987, with Honda engines and computer-controlled active suspension, 3rd.

Then came six seasons at McLaren, with 35 wins and three world titles. Beside Alain Prost in 1988 he won eight races and took 13 poles, then a record for a season; in 1989 he took 13 poles again, won six races and was 2nd; in 1990, carrying number 27, he became the first driver to reach 50 pole positions; in 1991 he won seven races and, at 31, became the youngest driver yet to win three titles. In 1992, against the Williams FW14B, he won three races and was 4th; in 1993, with a Ford engine and, until July, a contract renewed race by race, he won five and was 2nd to Prost once more.

In 1994 he moved to Williams, and took pole at each of the three races he started. The third was the San Marino Grand Prix, at Imola.