In , he made his breakthrough into F1, and raced a single season for the JPS Team Lotus. He was a late addition to the team, apparently as a result of Ayrton Senna not wanting Derek Warwick as a teammate. He competed in 15 Grands Prix for Lotus (not qualifying at Monaco), which used the turbocharged Renault engines and scored 3 championship points. During most of the season he was usually one of the midfield drivers, on par with the Tyrrell drivers Martin Brundle and Philippe Streiff. He was replaced for by the Japanese driver Satoru Nakajima as part of Lotus's deal to use Honda engines from that season onwards.