In 1990, the collaboration between Lola Cars International Ltd., led by Eric Broadley, and the French team of Gérard Larrousse continued with the goal of producing a single-seater car to compete in the Formula 1 World Championship. French engineer Gérard Ducarouge remained as the team's technical director and, once again supported by chief designer Chris Murphy, updated the 1989 car into the “B” version, something commonly done by smaller teams with limited financial resources. The Lola-Larrousse LC89B was therefore the car used by the French team for the first two races of the 1990 season.
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| LOLA-LARROUSSE LC90, Eric Bernard Montréal, Canadian GP 1990 |
Having scored just one point in 1989, the Espo Larrousse F1 team was required to go through Friday pre-qualifying sessions. These sessions were passed without much difficulty by the team's two new drivers, Frenchman Éric Bernard and Japanese driver Aguri Suzuki, thanks in part to the latest evolution of the Lamborghini 3512 V12 engine. This 80° V12 now offered a maximum output of 650 hp, still no match for the top engines from Honda, Ferrari, and Renault, but at least comparable to the lighter and more economical Ford-Cosworth DFR V8.
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| LOLA-LARROUSSE LC90, Aguri Suzuki Monza, GP d'Italian GP 1990 |
From the third race of the season, the new LC90 made its debut, featuring a new chassis once again built by Lola but designed under Ducarouge’s direction and with Broadley’s cooperation. Despite the new chassis, the LC90 was essentially an evolution of the previous LC89, without any major technical breakthroughs. The car retained the sleek lines of its predecessor and, with its vibrant livery, was immediately recognizable on the crowded 1990 starting grid.
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| LOLA-LARROUSSE LC90, Aguri Suzuki Suzuka, Japanese GP 1990 |
Although it had a good chassis, considered by many to be one of the best of the season, its performance was again hindered by the heavy and underperforming Lamborghini engine. Nevertheless, the quality of the car allowed the French team to score 11 points and secure 6th place in the Constructors’ Championship, the best result in Larrousse's eight-year history. Already in its second race, the new LC90 showed its potential by finishing sixth at the Monaco Grand Prix with Bernard.
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| LOLA-LARROUSSE LC90, Eric Bernard Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1990 |
As the season progressed, pre-qualifying sessions became a mere formality, with the two LC90s consistently faster than their rivals and even regularly qualifying in the front half of the grid. At Silverstone, both cars finished in the points, Bernard fourth and Suzuki sixth. Two more sixth-place finishes followed in Hungary and Spain, but the highlight of the season came in Japan, where local hero Aguri Suzuki managed to climb onto the podium, helped, however, by numerous retirements among the top teams.
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