Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

This weekend F1 arrives in the UK.

The British Grand Prix......the highlight of the racing calendar.

C4 has just shown an interview with Mr Mansell.

F1 Championship runner-up 3 times and finally World Champion in 92.

I remember being in Gran Canaria when, in the final race of the season(87), all he had to do was finish and he'd be world champ.

At 200 mph, on the last lap, he had a tyre blowout....losing out once again.

Told he had to go to the after race presentation he was informed by the race director that, had he driven into the wall the race would have been red flagged and he'd have won the championship.


In 92 he finally won the World Championship at the old age of 39(The same year he broke the Silverstone lap record an astonishing 11 times in one race).......only to be rewarded(by his team)with the sack, no drive for 93, no defending his championship.


A call from Paul Newman inviting him to race in the US Indy car series took him to America.

This enabled Mansell to become the only driver in history to hold both the Formula One and CART championships at the same time, because when he won the 1993 CART championship he was still the reigning F1 world champion, with the 1993 F1 championship not yet having been decided.

Personally, I think Mansell is the greatest British driver of all time.

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

Oh I don't know about the greatest British driver of all time ... he's got some stiff competition.
Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill, .. James Hunt (he had a nice bum) ..but Ayrton Senna's bum was even better. I'm, cheating, he was Brazilian, but he has to be the all-time great.

But I agree , a fabulous sportsman. Drove to win. Unlike drivers now who pansy around the circuit and it's so boring to watch. Whoever reaches the first corner first, invariably wins the race now.

I can remember that time when he was standing up in that back of a van or something and he whacked his head as it went under a bridge. That looked bloody painful.

Isn't he also a damn good golf player?

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

When he drove for Lotus, following his first win Colin Chapman(Lotus founder) asked why he wasn't over the moon..."Because my wife isn't with me"..."Why isn't she"? Chapman asked.

"Because she has to work two jobs so I can come racing"

Chapman immediately doubled Mansell's wage there and then.

Can you imagine a driver doing that these days?

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

No I couldn't, the insipid lot .... you could tell years back that all the drivers drove because they loved too .. they were determined and hungry to win ( and stuff team orders) .. and yes, sometimes took risks but often drove out of trouble as quick as they drove into it.
Often great personalities too.

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

like this photo of Mansell giving Senna a lift after he'd run out of fuel.....much to the Marshall's disgust.

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

Yea mansell one of the British greats, he always said the British fans at Silverstone were worth an extra second a lap, loved how he used to drive any f1 car by the scruff of its neck, today's cars are very different now too reliant on aerodynamics and such, should be ultimately down to driver ability

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

That's what he said in the interview....he'd rather be driving in the 80/90s as the driver was in direct consultations with the engineers and team managers at every race....the driver's input was far greater.

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

As a big fan on F1 I can honestly say that the final race(87)when he suffered the blow out was a JFK moment....I'll never forget where I was watching it.

The Londoner(pub) in Puerto Rico(lots of San Miguel flowed)....recovering from a back injury that threatened my army career.

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

My brother was always being mistaken for Nigel Mansell!

I remember Nigel Mansell's car being along side ours in a traffic queue, on our way down to Devon or Cornwall once.

I remember he was a police special on the Isle of Man!

Re: Nigel Mansell: F1 legend.

Ah, fantastic, thanks Tpin ... Ayrton Senna .. forgive me whilst I just indulge in an infatuated moment. Boy he was fit, I'd never kick him out of bed, even if he dribbled, snored, nicked the duvet or broke wind.