Introduced partway through the year and driven by Pierluigi Martini and Luis Perez-Sala, it scored several points finishes for the team.

Running on Pirelli tyres, it was powered by a Ford Cosworth DFZ V8,[1] the same type of engine that had been used the previous season in the Minardi M188.

[1] After making the car's debut in Mexico, Martini failed to complete the next three races but at the British Grand Prix not only finished, but scored two points for placing fifth.

[3] When the 1990 season began, Minardi's new car was still being completed so the M189 was updated to an M189B spec and pressed into service for the first two races of the year.

He placed ninth in the following race in Brazil, the car's last grand prix[1] before the Minardi M190 was introduced at San Marino.