Nigel Mansell turns 71: the cars that made his career

Nigel Mansell celebrates his 8th birthday on August 71. The opportunity to return with some photos on the career of the Briton, 1 F1992 world champion.

Published on 08/08/2024 à 10:39

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Nigel Mansell celebrates his 71st birthday, the Top 5 cars that made his career

5. Lotus 81B

It is with the team led by Colin Chapman that Nigel Mansell arrives in Formula 1. At the age of 27, the Englishman was first appointed test driver, then was promoted to the starting position in two events, in Austria and Italy. His beginnings will be painful: a gasoline leak burns his buttocks to the first and second degree! At Imola he gave up due to engine failure.

4. Williams FW10

In 1985, Nigel Mansell does not yet know it, but he will experience his finest hours in F1 within Frank's structure. Williams. From his first year with the eponymous team, the driver with the legendary mustache opened his victory counter, moreover in front of his audience at Brands Hatch (Great Britain) during his 72nd start. In the process he doubled the lead in Kyalami (South Africa).

3. Williams FW11 / FW11B

With the powerful Honda V6 Turbo unit, Nigel Mansell becomes one of the fastest men in F1. During 1986 and 1987, he was at the peak of his talent, and was only disturbed by two drivers: Alain Prost (McLaren) and his teammate Nelson Piquet. The first season, the championship reached out to him in Australia, when an incredible tire explosion (Pirelli didn't invent anything!) put an end to his race in Adelaide.

In 1987, the Briton was often faster than his comrade Nelson Piquet. Unfortunately, the duel was interrupted during practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, while Nigel Mansell wanted to beat the Brazilian's time. Victim of a violent accident, he will be out of the final two rounds due to back pain.

2. LolaT93/00-Ford

The F1 title pocketed, Nigel Mansell headed to the United States in the English way to succeed in a new challenge: beating the American Cart specialists (ancestor of theIndyCar). Crazy bet? True to his nature as an attacker, Nigel Mansell won on his debut in Surfers Paradise (Australia), a performance that only Graham Hill had achieved before.

Having come very close to tasting the bottle of milk of the winner of the Indianapolis 500 (3rd after a bad restart), Nigel Mansell, entered with Paul Newman's team, is the best performer of the 1993 season but above all shows himself more consistent than Emerson Fittipaldi and Paul Tracy. Bet won!

1. Williams FW14B

At Silverstone in 2022, Sebastian Vettel had driven a Williams FW14B which he now owns. © Florent Gooden / DPPI

Williams' advanced weapon allows him to dominate his subject and finally reclaim a crown that seemed to elude him indefinitely. Nigel Mansell won nine of the 16 rounds of the 1992 season. No one came close to him, apart from Ayrton Senna in the streets of Monaco, after a remarkable duel:

The FW14B was distinguished at the time by a semi-automatic gearbox, active suspension, traction control and an anti-lock brake system!