Moreno had tested with the team here at Imola, and improved the car prior to the Grand Prix weekend,[1] and the result was that he was just 0.463 of a second behind Chiesa.

McCarthy drove his first seven laps in the car, with no windscreen and an ill-fitting seat,[2] and posted a time around 8.6 seconds slower than Moreno before stopping with a differential problem.

[3] In the main qualifying session the Lotus of Mika Häkkinen, the Fondmetal of Andrea Chiesa, and the Brabhams of Damon Hill and Eric van de Poele were eliminated.

Mansell took pole position by over a second from Williams team-mate Riccardo Patrese, who crashed at Tamburello corner two weeks before.

The top ten was completed by the Ferraris of Jean Alesi and Ivan Capelli, the Footwork of Michele Alboreto, and the Ligier of Thierry Boutsen.