Having used the 1988 B188 for the first part of the 1989 season, the Benetton team was finally able to field the new B189 starting from the French GP. More compact and aerodynamic than the B188, the B189 had the new Ford HB V8 engine, moreover lighter than the DFR mounted on the 1988 car. The competitiveness of the B189 grew considerably in the final season, with Nannini third in England and then even first in Japan. . Johnny Herbert and Emanuele Pirro also drove the B189.