Total de pilots participants: 36
Total d’equips participants: 18
Debutants: 7 (Julian Bailey, Maurício Gugelmin, Óscar Larrauri, Lluís Pérez-Sala, Pierre-Henri Raphanel, Bernd Schneider, Aguri Suzuki)
Última temporada: 3 (Adrián Campos, Jean-Louis Schlesser, Philippe Streiff)
Defuncions a la F1: 0
Defuncions en altres categories: 0
Defuncions en altres categories: 0
Defuncions no relacionades amb l’esport: 0
Retirats per lesions a la F1: 1 (Philippe Streiff)
Retirats per lesions a la F1: 1 (Philippe Streiff)
Retirats per lesions en altres categories: 0
Pilot més jove: Bernd Schneider, 23 anys i 319 dies, Mèxic
Pilot més vell: René Arnoux, 40 anys i 142 dies, Austràlia
| Entrant | Cotxe | Pneu. | Pilots |
| Camel Team Lotus Honda |
Lotus 100T-Honda | G | 1. Nelson Piquet 2. Satoru Nakajima |
| Tyrrell Racing Organisation |
Tyrrell 017-Ford | G | 3. Jonathan Palmer 4. Julian Bailey |
| Canon Williams Team | Williams FW12-Judd | G | 5. Nigel Mansell 5. Martin Brundle 5. Jean-Louis Schlesser 6. Riccardo Patrese |
| West Zakspeed Racing | Zakspeed 881 | G | 9. Piercarlo Ghinzani 10. Bernd Schneider |
| Honda Marlboro McLaren |
McLaren MP4/4-Honda | G | 11. Alain Prost 12. Ayrton Senna |
| Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives |
AGS JH22-Ford AGS JH23-Ford |
G | 14. Philippe Streiff |
| Leyton House March Racing Team |
March 881-Judd | G | 15. Maurício Gugelmin 16. Ivan Capelli |
| USF&G Arrows Megatron |
Arrows A10B-Megatron | G | 17. Derek Warwick 18. Eddie Cheever |
| Benetton Formula Ltd | Benetton B188-Ford | G | 19. Alessandro Nannini 20. Thierry Boutsen |
| Osella Squadra Corse | Osella FA1I Osella FA1L |
G | 21. Nicola Larini |
| Rial Racing | Rial ARC1-Ford | G | 22. Andrea de Cesaris |
| Lois Minardi Team SpA | Minardi M188-Ford | G | 23. Adrián Campos 23. Pierluigi Martini 24. Lluís Pérez-Sala |
| Ligier Loto | Ligier JS31-Judd | G | 25. René Arnoux 26. Stefan Johansson |
| Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC |
Ferrari F1/87/88C | G | 27. Michele Alboreto 28. Gerhard Berger |
| Larrousse Calmels | Lola LC88-Ford | G | 29. Yannick Dalmas 29. Aguri Suzuki 29. Pierre-Henri Raphanel 30. Philippe Alliot |
| Coloni SpA | Coloni FC188-Ford Coloni FC188B-Ford |
G | 31. Gabriele Tarquini |
| EuroBrun Racing | EuroBrun ER188-Ford | G | 32. Óscar Larrauri 33. Stefano Modena |
| BMS Scuderia Italia | Dallara 3087-Ford Dallara 188-Ford |
G | 36. Alex Caffi |