bob jennings' WORLD O' RACING 12/11/99
Nigel Mansell - out to show the world
Nigel Mansell wins his 30th career Formula One race in the 1992 Grand Prix of Portugal
photo provided by Jim Covington
I don't know who took this photo, but I wish it had been me. This is one of those great frontal shots that I never have the opportunity to get, unless it's in the pits, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway during "500" practice.
Nigel Mansell - take him or leave him; love him or hate him. He was
one of my all time favorites; Tony Bettenhausen (the father), Jim
Clark, Jackie Stewart, Al Unser Sr., David Pearson, Jody Scheckter, Bill
Elliott, Nigel Mansell, Al Unser Jr., Tony Stewart, these are the guys I've
been cheering over the past 45 years. These have been the drivers
I've focused on at races. I've celebrated victories by members of this group
and walked away pissed off when one of them had a bad day at the track.
I was overwhelmed at this year's "Brickyard 400." The fervor in which NASCAR fans proclaim their allegiance to one driver or another is almost scary. I see it everyday at work too. There is a guy at my office who actually wears Dale Jarrett car 88 apparel to work and I'm not referring to casual Fridays. I'm not just talking about tee shirts and ball caps either. This is like IZOD stuff or Ralph Lauren Polo stuff, only instead of alligators and polo players, there are 88 and other Jarrett symbols and images on the clothes. I can honestly say that I never felt the need to wear a Nigel Mansell, Al Unser Jr. or Tony Stewart shirt to work. I do relate, however, to feeling strong identity with the racing drivers mentioned previously in this piece. I can't say that I feel a great need to strike a friendship with any of these guys and I'm not particularly interested in their personal lives, beyond their racing.
Take Nigel Mansell for instance. I'm not especially sure I would like the guy, if I knew him personally. When I read his autobiography, Nigel Mansell My Autobiography, which was written with former ESPN Formula One pit reporter James Allen, I had to put the book down a few times because of the Mansell ego that was constantly coming through. I was interested to read Nigel's accounts of different parts of his career, but that part of the book was overshadowed by his need to remind us how special he was. I loved watching Nigel Mansell race though and a big part of that came from the theater he mixed with his driving. In the process, his racing accomplishments became important to me and consumed a lot of my attention. I guess what it all comes down to is probably what it comes down to with most racing fans, whether they love NASCAR, F1, CART or the World Of Outlaws. For whatever reasons, we find a way to put ourselves in a racing car with the Nigel Mansells, Tony Stewarts, Dale Jarretts or whoever you want to name.
I had more fun watching Nigel Mansell race than any one else I can think of. He was racing's ultimate entertainer, a true showman in every sense. His speed, tenacity and daring on the track and flair for the dramatic out of the car were all part of the performance Nigel Mansell was presenting to his audience. He was the common man, the "little guy" out to prove himself. He was out to show the world that he was the best and there were times he was the best. It often seemed, however, like the huge chip he carried on his shoulder got in the way of his tremendous abilities in a racing car.
A lot of people have expressed dislike and contempt for Nigel Mansell. But hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of racing fans worshipped Nigel like no other racing personality. With his bushy eyebrows and thick droopy mustache, Mansell was a perfect caricature of the British subject and it's easy to understand his appeal to the masses in the U.K. His popularity extended beyond Britain however. His Ferrari exploits earned him the name "Il Leone" among the Italian fans and he had strong recognition in North America too. He had a cult-like following unlike any other racer I can think of, except perhaps Ayrton Senna or Gilles Villeneuve. His popularity was similar to that enjoyed by Muhammad Ali in the 1970's; skill and talent combined with an engaging personality that struck a chord in the emotions of the audience he was playing to.
By the time of the 1992 Grand Prix of Portugal, at the Estoril circuit on September 27, when the photo on this page was taken, Nigel had clinched the World Championship on August 16 with a second in the Grand Prix of Hungary. Two weeks before the race in Portugal, he announced his impending retirement from Formula One at Monza, after a bitter parting of the ways with Frank Williams during contract negotiations. Five days after his Monza statement, it was announced that Mansell had come to terms with Newman Haas Racing for 1993, to run the CART series and the "Indianapolis 500."
My reaction to Mansell's Monza announcement was one of being very disappointed. Getting to the World Championship had been a difficult process for Nigel and I wanted to see him have the chance to defend his championship. For the story to end with Nigel's 1992 World title seemed incomplete. I was in a Columbus, Ohio motel room, watching the ESPN telecast at Monza, when Mansell made his announcement. I was on my way to the CART race at Mid Ohio and the announcement ruined my day. During the Mid Ohio race, I kept thinking about the situation and each time it came to mind, the most appropriate thing I could think of to say was "damn - why did this have to happen?"
My original feelings about Mansell leaving Formula One and coming to the U.S. to race would mellow shortly thereafter, especially when I considered that Nigel would have a good shot at winning the "Indianapolis 500." Eventually I would be ecstatic about that prospect, but that would take a few weeks.
I first picked up on Nigel Mansell while watching the CBS telecast of the 1984 Dallas Grand Prix. Prior to then, I was aware of Mansell, but he was basically a nondescript F1 journeyman player who didn't draw much of my attention.
Mansell's F1 career began as a test driver for Team Lotus and he made his competitive debut in 1980 in Austria as the third driver behind Mario Andretti and Elio de Angelis.
Team Lotus, in the first seasons immediately following Colin Chapman's death in December 1982, was in a transitory state and it was difficult for Mansell, who had become fond of and developed a relationship with Chapman. Chapman remarked shortly after Mansell joined Lotus that he thought Nigel was perhaps the most promising talent he had seen since he began working with Jim Clark in 1960.
Mansell pissed off some of his fellow drivers as a result of the chances he took in a racing car. Fast but reckless is a suitable way to describe Mansell's five seasons with Lotus. He had a third at Belgium in 1981, in only his sixth F1 start. He had four more third place finishes, but that was as good as it got at Lotus. The closest he came to winning was at Monaco in 1984. He was leading and pulling away from Alain Prost's McLaren - TAG Porsche in the rain, when he spun.
Peter Warr, who took over Team Lotus after Chapman's death, didn't get along with Mansell and when "new sensation" Ayrton Senna was signed for 1985, Nigel was out.
Mansell had his first F1 pole for the Dallas race and he led the race until having to pit for tires. Dropping to sixth place, after the tire stop, Nigel's Lotus - Renault turbo ran out of fuel within sight of the finish. Although it was 108 degrees, Mansell got out of his car and began pushing it to the finish, eventually collapsing in what I would later recognize as the Mansell trademark performance. I was amazed this guy would go to such lengths for a single World Championship point. I had a history of pulling for Brits in F1 like Jim Clark and Jackie Stewart. Watching Mansell's dynamic performance in the Dallas heat touched an emotion and I became a Nigel Mansell fan. From that point on, I was waiting for Nigel to become World Champion. It was a long wait.
During his first season in a Williams - Honda, Mansell took wins in two of the season's final three events, at Brands Hatch and Kyalami. I have a video recording of his win at Brand Hatch. That was a good day for me and I enjoyed that race in a big way. From that point forward in October 1985, Mansell re-invented himself from one known as a fast, often reckless, some time head case into a major force in Formula One.
At the end of the 1985 season, I was absorbed in Mansell's new success and anxious to see him reach the next level - the F1 World Championship - and it almost came to be.
He lost the 1986 World Championship, after winning a season high five races (Spa, Montreal, Paul Ricard, Brands Hatch and Estoril) and leading the point standings for most of the season. A tire exploded on lap 68 (of 82) in the season's final race at Adelaide. At the time, Nigel's Williams - Honda V6 turbo was running in the third place he needed to win the title, one lap ahead of fourth place Stefan Johansson's Ferrari and one lap from coming into the pits for fresh tires. Alain Prost won the race and took his second consecutive championship in the McLaren TAG Porsche. Though Prost only scored four wins on the season, he finished with 72 championship points; two more than Mansell.
I had prepared myself for much of the 1986 season for Mansell's championship. When things fell short I was let down. I'm not sure which was a bigger disappointment for me; the tire exploding at Adelaide in October 1986 or the 1994 "Indianapolis 500," when Dennis Vitolo nearly took Nigel's head off as he was driving to the pits while running third. They were both bad deals.
The next season was another near miss for Mansell. He had six wins, twice the number of any other driver. Unfortunately, it seemed he either won or broke in 1987. To go with wins, at Imola, Paul Ricard, Silverstone, Osterreichring, Jerez and Mexico City, he had breakdowns (underbody) Spa, (exhaust) Monaco, (engine) Hockenheim, (wheel) Hungaroring and (electrical) Estoril. As a result, despite a hot streak going into the final two events at Japan and Australia, Nigel trailed Williams - Honda teammate Nelson Piquet by 15 points. Piquet only won three races and was less spectacular than Nigel, but more consistent. Still, with two races remaining, in Japan and Australia, Nigel was winning and a championship appeared to be possible, with the combination of two wins and some bad luck for Piquet. Unfortunately, the bad luck went to Nigel, as he crashed heavily in practice at the Sukuza circuit, injuring his back and being taken out for the rest of 1987 season, which handed the World title to Piquet.
After a winless 1988 season in a Williams - Judd V8, Mansell went to Ferrari. His Ferrari career began in the best possible way, with a win in the 1989 F1 season opener in Rio de Janeiro. He took another race for Ferrari in 1989; his spectacular win at the Hungaroring from 12th grid position. Remember the pass he put on Ayrton Senna's McLaren - Honda in that race? That was surely one of Nigel's most memorable victories. The Mansell - Ferrari association looked promising as the 1989 season closed, but that would change.
Out of frustration, in July, after falling out of the Grand Prix of Britain while leading, Nigel announced his impending retirement at the end of the 1990 season. However, after to failing to sign Al Unser Jr. and then losing Jean Alesi to Ferrari, near the end of the 1990 season, Frank Williams and Patrick Head were persuaded by Renault to sign Mansell to a lucrative two year contract, starting in 1991. This was one of the few pieces of good fortune Mansell experienced during his career. I suspect his retirement announcement at Silverstone in July 1990, was part tantrum and part ploy. He was having a difficult time at Ferrari. New teammate Alain Prost, who Nigel originally welcomed to Ferrari, succeeded in gaining the team's focus at Mansell's expense. Ferrari was trying to get Nigel to accept a new contract at approximately half the amount of his original salary. Had the Williams offer in September 1990 not come, Mansell's World Championship goal could've gone unrealized. The Williams deal came a few weeks after Nigel won his third and final F1 race race, for Ferrari, at Estoril.
The new Williams FW14 - Renault V10 package showed immediate potential in testing, and Mansell expressed confidence that as absolute number one driver for Williams, he had everything in place for a World Championship at last.
Things got off to a slow start for Mansell, however. It was the season's seventh race at Magny-Cours, before Nigel got his first win. He had come close, leading until the final corner on the final lap in Canada, when his car mysteriously quit. Nigel had seconds in Monaco and Mexico, but Ayrton Senna, in the new McLaren - Honda V12, won the season's first four races at Phoenix, Brazil, Imola and Monaco. Senna followed those wins, with thirds in Mexico and France. The point standings after France saw Senna with 44 points and Mansell with 22.
I recall the 1991 Grand Prix of France and Mansell's win. I was in Cleveland, for the CART race at Burke Lakefront Airport. The hotel I was staying in didn't provide ESPN to its guests. However, the staff allowed me to come to the empty dining room for the early morning telecast. The kitchen staff was amused by my excitement with Mansell's performance and one of the ladies, who was working, brought me coffee and pastries. I explained to them what was happening and they began following what was going on. Near the end of the race, a couple folks were watching, waiting to see Nigel win. That was fun.
Nigel made it three wins in a row, with wins at Silverstone and Hockenheim, while Ayrton gained three points for fourth at Silverstone. The point totals showed Senna (47) and Mansell (40) after nine of the season's 15 races. Things had tightened up and the Williams - Renault V10 often looked superior to the McLaren - Honda V12. Remember the image of Silverstone winner Mansell offering a ride to Senna, on the side pod of the Williams car 5, after the McLaren had stopped on the circuit, out of fuel? The British fans were going wild and while watching the scene, I was thinking the tide had turned from Senna and McLaren - Honda to Mansell and Williams - Renault.
However Senna came back in Hungary and he and Mansell finished one - two, making it Senna (56 points) and Mansell (46). Senna won again at Spa, while Mansell failed to score a point, which increased Ayrton's total to 65.
Nigel won the next race at Monza, with Senna second, and the points were Senna (71) and Mansell (55).
Mansell was dominant in the next race at Estoril, but a mistake in changing a wheel and eventual disqualification pretty much ended Nigel's chance of grabbing the 1991 title from Senna. Ayrton finished second and increased his advantage to 22 points with three races remaining.
The 1991 Estoril race brings back another memory. I was on the way to Elkhart Lake for another CART race, with three friends. We stopped at a Days Inn, in Milwaukee, and inquired about getting a room to watch the F1 race, but were told that no rooms were available, since they were being cleaned. I persuaded the desk clerk to allow us to watch the race from one of the rooms that was waiting to be cleaned. Am I a race fan or what?
Nigel came back with his fifth win of the season in Spain, while Senna finished fifth. With only the Japanese and Australian races left to run, Nigel trailed Senna 64 points to 79, but there was still a remote shot at the World title.
It was something like 1987 again in Suzuka for Mansell, although the results weren't nearly as serious. Nigel was chasing leader Senna, when he spun into the sand traps on lap ten. Senna went on to finish second, clinching the championship and allowing McLaren teammate Gerhard Berger to pass for the win.
In the season finale, in torrential rain, the race was stopped early with half points awarded. Senna was the winner, with Mansell second, despite the fact Nigel was injured slightly in a crash, prompting the race to be stopped.
Then came what should've been the magical 1992 season. I was convinced that Nigel would become the 1992 World Champion and I think everyone else pretty much felt the same way. He had a revised Williams FW14B, which featured reactive (computer controlled) suspension and the powerful Renault RS3 V10 engine, which burned what basically amounted to rocket fuel in the form of exotic gasoline provided by Elf. All the pieces were in place and the long awaited World Championship looked like it was waiting for Nigel Mansell to reach out and grab for it.
1992 was one of those magic racing seasons where almost everything I could've hoped for took place. Al Unser Jr. won the "Indianapolis 500." His dad led the same race and had a good run to third place in one of John Menard's Lola - Buicks. Bill Elliott had the fastest car in the "Daytona 500," before Ernie Irvan took him out of the race at the halfway point. Elliott came within a few points of beating Alan Kulwicki for the Winston Cup title. Nigel Mansell won the World Championship - finally.
Sadly, I wasn't in much of a mood to celebrate. If I had to pick the most miserable year of my life, it was 1992. I had all kinds of problems, punctuated by being rejected in a love affair by a Greenwood, Indiana area schoolteacher. Unfortunately all the good racing stuff that was happening didn't seem to raise my spirits like they would've in most any other year. I was feeling way down low. The good thing is that by the time of the Grand Prix of Portugal, I was slowly pulling out of my funk, and began to enjoy what Nigel had accomplished, but it was painful getting to that point.
For Nigel, the season he had waited for his entire career, had to be bittersweet too. He had win after win, but early in the season he didn't seem to enjoy himself. I recall that he was dogged by assertions that it was the Williams FW14B, the most technologically advanced racing car to that time, and not Mansell, that was overwhelming Formula One. Nigel became angry at those suggestions. Often in the midst of his 1992 success, he seemed surly and combative.
Apparently in June 1992, it became apparent that Mansell's adversary Alain Prost would be joining Williams - Renault for 1993. Initially, at least, I don't think it was particularly clear where Nigel fit into the Williams - Renault plans for the 1993 season, and that had to be a source of strain and irritation. As the season wore on and Frank Williams wavered on the terms of Nigel's 1993 contract, relations worsened which led to Nigel's F1 retirement announcement at Monza.
Among the things I regret was that Nigel was barely allowed to savor his new championship, after Hungary, before Frank Williams began to tighten the screws and play dirty in contract negotiations. Frank Williams treated Nigel about as badly as Roger Penske treated Al Unser Sr. I've enjoyed seeing the Williams team wallow in mediocrity the past two years. It's been as much fun as watching the Penske team eat dirt in recent seasons, even though it was at the expense of Al Unser Jr., which I regret.
The Williams FW14B was one of the most powerful racing cars of all time. The FW14B had advances that Ayrton Senna and McLaren could only dream about. Along with a season's experience with the semi-automatic gearbox system, the ride height and suspension travel were adjusted via computer software. The FW14B and its successor, the Williams FW15, which carried Prost to his fourth World title in 1993, came close to turning F1 racing into a remote controlled environment. At the same time, the Renault RS3 V10 package had more power and drive ability than anything Honda could produce. After being the supreme F1 engine manufacturer, since the end of 1985, Honda pulled out after the 1992 season, with its tail between its legs, not to return in an official manner until the 2000 season. The Renault V10, in various iterations, continued to dominate Formula One, winning the World title in 1992, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997, when Renault pulled out of F1, leaving the maintenance of the soon underpowered V10 to vendor Supertec. I recall a comment by David Hobbs during the ESPN telecast of the Hungarian race, after Mansell clinched the title. Hobbs said "Europe beats Japan," in reference to Mansell's Renault V10 power beating the Honda V12 in Senna's McLaren.
I don't think Nigel Mansell can be faulted for winning the World Championship in the best car. That's what usually occurs. The driver in the best car wins most often, especially in Formula One. The same thing happened at Suzuka, when Mika Hakkinen took his second consecutive championship this year. I don't think the fact Hakkinen was in the best car diminished his two World titles. Based on previous results and circumstances alone, Mansell probably had no less than two championships coming to him before 1992. He had been racing in Formula One for 12 seasons and had been a consistent F1 winner for seven years, prior to his championship season. He had been "runner up" for the championship three times. He was the most popular racing personality in the world and the biggest attraction in motor sport going into 1992.
Despite the superiority of the Williams FW14B and Mansell's personal frustrations, which were always near the surface anyway, Nigel put together a spectacular run to the 1992 World Championship, making the most of the opportunities afforded him. It was a performance that has to rank among the greatest ever.
Mansell began the 1992 season in superb fashion at Kyalami on March 1, before 82,000 fans. This was the first return of the Grand Prix of South Africa since Nigel's 1985 win and Mansell showed he liked the new 2.64 mile Kyalami layout by winning pole, turning the race's fastest lap and leading from flag to flag.
Next was Mexico, on March 22, in front of 85,000 fans at the 2.74 mile Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez. Mansell's performance was a carbon copy of his run two weeks earlier in South Africa. He won pole, had the race's fastest lap and again led the race from flag to flag.
The third round of the 1992 F1 season came on April 5 at the 2.69 mile Interlagos circuit in Sao Paulo. Although there was some variation from the usual pattern during the first two races of the season, Nigel won again. He made a poor start and Williams teammate Riccardo Patrese got away first. Initially Riccardo was able to pull away, but after a few laps Nigel began pushing. By lap 13, Mansell and Patrese were rubbing wheels in some of the slower corners. Patrese chose to postpone his pit stop for tires to lap 31, and it wasn't a good choice. Mansell stopped on lap 29 and turned a couple of "flyers" on fresh rubber. Patrese became stuck in traffic, which changed the complexion of the race in Nigel's favor. Before the pit stops, Riccardo had been one half second in front. After, he trailed Nigel by five seconds and the closest he would get to Mansell from that point on was 3.7 seconds.
The next round of the championship came on May 3 in Barcelona on the 2.95 mile Circuit de Catalunya before a small crowd of 38,000 in the rain. Mansell had another one of those perfect weekends taking pole, setting the race's fastest lap and leading from flag to flag, this time in treacherous conditions. Thus far, in four races, Nigel had led 246 of 277 competitive laps and scored a perfect 40 World Championship points. He had an advantage of 22 points on Patrese.
On May 17, at Imola, in blistering heat, Mansell had another almost perfect race weekend, with another pole and a fourth flag to flag win in five races. The only honor that eluded Nigel was the race's fastest lap, which went to teammate Patrese. Mansell's fifth victory marked the first time that any driver had started a Formula One season with five wins.
Nothing lasts forever and Mansell's phenomenal streak came to an end on May 31 in Monaco. In the June 26, 1992 issue of On Track, Mark Gallagher opened his Grand Prix of Monaco coverage with this account. "Nigel Mansell saw defeat snatched from the jaws of victory in Monte Carlo when his Williams - Renault suffered a broken rear wheel eight laps from home." That pretty much told the story. Nigel won the pole, set the race's fastest lap and built a huge lead from the start when he lost his braking and discovered what he thought was a puncture on the 70th of 78 laps. Ayrton Senna was the beneficiary of Nigel's misfortune as was so often the case throughout their seasons of combat and inherited what was to be his record fifth Monaco win.
Ever the "lion-hearted," Mansell didn't give up. With five laps remaining, Mansell trailed Senna by more than five seconds. Nigel used his fresh tires to the extreme and he reduced Ayrton's advantage to 4.4 seconds the next time he crossed the line. Mansell's next lap was the fastest of the race and he closed to within two seconds of Senna. Pressing harder, he was right behind Senna with two laps to go. Mansell was all over Senna during the final two laps, trying everything he could to get by the McLaren and they crossed the finish line separated by 0.215 seconds. It was the closest F1 finish since the 1986 Grand Prix of Spain in which Senna also barely beat Mansell. It must have been thrilling for the 85,000 people at the race to watch the Senna - Mansell battle in the final laps.
The Monaco race was the only race of the 1992 F1 season, which I didn't get to watch on television. The race wasn't shown in the U.S., although I don't recall what the circumstances were. I do recall the video footage of Mansell, however, stumbling in a near collapse as he walked to the traditional winner's celebration with Monaco's royal family. I don't know if Nigel was exhausted, this was his way of portraying the difficulty of his contest with Senna or he was using it as a gesture to compensate for his disappointment. Regardless, it was pure Mansell; another example of his flair for the dramatic.
I did get to see the next Formula One race, on June 14, at 2.75 mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve in Montreal, in person. It was the first F1 race I personally attended since going to the final F1 race in Detroit in 1988. I'm a very nervous and hesitant air traveler, but I flew to Montreal to see Nigel Mansell race in his World Championship season. Unfortunately, the race in Canada saw Nigel turn in what could be regarded as his only poor racing performance of the season. Outside of the Williams - Renault, Mansell gave his critics a lot of ammunition with one of his occasional displays of erratic behavior. Looking back on Mansell's lackluster run in Canada, I wonder if perhaps this was about the time when it became clear that Prost would be part of the Williams - Renault program for 1993. If so, that might explain why Nigel seemed off form throughout the weekend in Montreal.
In qualifying, Mansell ended up third on the grid, behind Senna and Patrese. At the start, Senna pulled away, with Mansell following. I was sitting in the bleachers outside the second corner hairpin. A large video screen was located by the pit exit. It was difficult for me to see the video in the sunlight, but I saw enough on lap 15 to determine that Nigel was in trouble. He tried to pass Senna at the chicane before the start - finish line and apparently mis-judged the corner, cutting across the gravel off track, tearing off the nose of his car as he jumped the curb back on to the track ahead of Senna.
His car stalled in the middle of the circuit, out of the race. Mansell was helped out of the car and on the way to the paddock, he stopped by the McLaren pit and raised hell with Ron Dennis, claiming Senna had knocked him off course. This was another example of the intensity of Mansell's drive to win, coupled with his volatile personality.
Electrical problems put Senna out on lap 38. Gerhard Berger's McLaren won the race. I was a disappointed and nervous traveler on the flight back to Chicago. The race in Montreal was my most recent trip to a Formula One event.
The next race was at Magny-Cours on July 5. Mansell took another pole position. At the start, Patrese powered away from Mansell to build a 1.5 second lead. When it began to rain, on lap 16, Nigel was able to cut into Riccardo's margin. The race was stopped soon after. During the break, Williams technical director Patrick Head suggested to Patrese that he not "jeopardize" the Williams points lead in the championship, which resulted in Riccardo waving Mansell by one lap after the race restarted. The way Nigel drove to the finish, however, it's unlikely he would have been denied the win regardless. Patrese followed in second at the finish.
The race in Magny-Cours ended the first half of the 16-race season. Mansell led the points with 66, followed by Patrese (34), Michael Schumacher (26), Senna (18), Berger (18) and Jean Alesi (11).
One week later at Silverstone, Mansell enjoyed another perfect race weekend, putting on one of the most dominant performances of his career. In qualifying he was 1.9 seconds quicker than second place Patrese. Riccardo led away from the start but Nigel had him before the first lap had concluded and then built an incredible 34 second advantage by lap 25. At the conclusion of the 59-lap race, in which Mansell set another fastest lap, Nigel's advantage was 39 seconds on Patrese.
150,000 fans jammed Silverstone to see Mansell win. They were ecstatic and they crowded on to the circuit in celebration before the race ended. I watched the race on ESPN and this was a remarkable sight, very reminiscent of the way the Italian tifosi display their joy and passion for the Ferraris at Monza; somewhat frightening yet exciting too in the intensity with which the Brits celebrated Nigel's seventh win of the season and his impending coronation as World Champion. I think this is probably when I truly sensed the magnitude of Nigel Mansell's celebrity. I witnessed that same celebrity status again the following May, when Mansell made his debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, during practice for the 1993 "Indianapolis 500."
Mansell had traveled the journey from "wannabe" F1 racer to controversial talent to consistent winner to media personality to icon. This guy was capable of sending hundreds of thousands of Brits into a frenzy by taking the most advanced racing machine in the world and stomping his competition to bits while his adoring public waved their British Union Jack banners in unison and the blue, white and yellow Williams FW14B - Renault, with the red 5 on its nose, lapped the flat, open 3.247 mile expanse of Silverstone. The old World War II military air field probably never saw anything like what took place on July 12, 1992 before or since.
I've seen every one of Nigel Mansell's 31-career F1 wins on television. I witnessed three of his five Indy car victories in person and the other two on television. I thought his1987 Silverstone win was one of his best. In the race he chased down Nelson Piquet, to erase a 25 second plus disadvantage in 25 laps and pass his Williams - Honda teammate on the next to the last lap. Likewise his come from behind win in the Ferrari at the Hungaroring in 1989, was another great performance. Each of his five s Indy car wins were impressive too. For me however, his 1992 Silverstone win has to rank as the most memorable of his wins if for no other reason than the emotion it unleashed in people at the Grand Prix of Britain.
This was Mansell's 28th F1 win, which placed him third among all time Grand Prix winners and ahead of Jackie Stewart as the "winningest British driver on the list. Perhaps more importantly, he was on the verge of finally making it official that he would be the World Champion. I don't think I ever doubted, at any time during the 1992 season, that Nigel would get the title, but after Silverstone it seemed like the crown was only hanging about one foot over his head.
The evening of Mansell's win at Silverstone, I was driving back to Chicago from visiting my mom in Indianapolis, when the timing belt broke on my 1986 Toyota Celica, on Interstate 65, halfway between. As I already wrote, this was a lousy time for me anyway and this didn't make things any better. Standing off the side of the road, while semi-trucks roared by, seeing a thunderstorm develop in the southwest summer sky and feeling helpless and beaten, my mind took me back to what I'd seen at the start of the day on ESPN. So I thought what the hell, Nigel won the Grand Prix of Britain today. I'll get through this.
At Hockenheim, before 120,000 fans, Nigel duplicated his feat from the previous season of winning the races in France, Britain and Germany in succession. This wasn't as easy as his Silverstone win had been, two weeks earlier. He won the pole again and as at Silverstone, Patrese beat Mansell off the line but was passed by his Williams teammate before the end of the first lap. Feeling a tire puncture, Mansell pitted on lap 14 and returned in third place behind Patrese and Senna. Nigel set after the McLaren and caught Senna. Ayrton was making things difficult, however, and on lap 19, in his haste to pass, Nigel made a mistake at the Ostkurve, similar to the one he made in Montreal. This time Mansell was lucky and he was able to bounce off the curbs and avoid the sand trip by inches ending up right behind Senna, who he passed a few moments later. 1976 World Champion James Hunt, working the BBC telecast, commented "That was a stupid piece of driving by Mansell, and Senna just sucked him into it."
Mansell proceeded to run away until easing his pace near the end to save fuel, for his eighth win of the season, tying the single season mark set by Senna in 1988. More importantly, Nigel's 86 championship points gave him a 46-point margin over second place Patrese. He was one win away from clinching the World title.
Sunday August 16, 1992 - the most important day in Nigel Mansell's racing career dawned sunny for the seventh annual Grand Prix of Hungary at the 2.47 mile Hungaroring near Budapest. I almost expected it when the weekend began to unravel, just when things needed to go smoothly. However a spin in qualifying and a loss of the pole to Patrese didn't seem to worry Mansell as he prepared for the race, using the new Renault RS4 V10 engine for the first time in a race.
Mansell made a cautious start and ended up fourth behind Patrese, Senna and Berger, with Schumacher and Martin Brundle following. Patrese was flying out front and was 19.5 seconds in front after 11 laps. He was 24 seconds in front by lap 25. On lap 38, however, Riccardo spun and fell to seventh place before eventually retiring.
Mansell passed Berger for third on lap 33. After Patrese's problems, he was running a distant second to Senna. On lap 61, Mansell rushed to the pits, feeling a tire puncture. He came out of the pits in seventh, with 16 laps to go. Nigel needed a second place under the circumstances to clinch the championship and he responded with a terrific drive. He moved to fourth, with nine laps remaining. Then he went by third place Brundle and second place Berger soon after.
During the closing laps, Mansell was cruising comfortably, well behind leader Senna. I'm curious what was going through Mansell's head as he closed in on his cherished goal. I recall, while I was watching the ESPN telecast, those final laps seemed to take an unusually long time. At the same time, this had the right feel to it and I didn't anticipate any unforeseen circumstances. Still, the final lap was dramatic as the ESPN commentator (I think it was Bob Varsha) recalled Nigel's triumphs and tribulations over the years on the way to this moment.
Senna crossed the finish line more than 40 seconds ahead of Mansell, but that didn't matter. The blue, white and yellow Canon - Labatts - Camel - Elf Williams FW14B - Renault V10, with the red 5 on its blue nose, came through the final corner and across the line in second place. The wait was over! Nigel was World Champion.
I worked for an insurance company in Glenview, Illinois at that time. One of my co-workers came back from a vacation trip with two London newspapers dated August 17, 1992, the day following the race in Hungary. The Daily Mail carried the headline "BUSH READY TO BOMB SADDAM." At the top of the front page was the banner "WORLD BEATER MANSELL," next to a photo of Mansell kissing wife Rosanne. On the back page was the banner "Mansell triumphs," with a photo of Nigel celebrating on the podium at the Hungaroring, and the caption "Champion at last and now he's set to sign new deal." The Daily Express carried a the same photo the full length of the right side of the front page with the caption "Magnificent Mansell." The back page carried Nigel's question "Have I really won it?" followed by "Mansell cannot believe he's the world champion at last." I still have those newspapers as a souvenir.
The Mansell family returned to their home on the Isle of Man. Perhaps you've seen the video footage of Nigel, Rosanne and their three children uncorking a bottle of champagne on the yard of their home. It was sort of a subdued celebration for accomplishing such a difficult task I thought, but by then the contractual problems were coming to a head between Nigel and Frank Williams.
I recall a television shot of the usually impassive Frank Williams smiling, while sitting in his wheel chair, in the Hungaroring garage as Mansell's World title became official. However the contract negotiations became more complicated and troubled not too long after this. Apparently Frank Williams pulled back on an offer he had made to Nigel and Rosanne during the championship weekend in Hungary, after Senna made the public comment that he would drive the Williams - Renault for free in 1993.
By the time of the Grand Prix of Belgium, on August 30, the situation had deteriorated. Mansell took another pole, but he experienced an exhaust problem in the race, finishing second as Michael Schumacher's Benetton - Ford. It was Michael's first career F1 win.
After Mansell's pre-race retirement announcement, at Monza, that race more or less dissolved into an exercise in meaningless effort for me. Nigel had another pole, led the early laps and set the race's fastest lap. After building a big lead, he seemed to intentionally slow down to allow Patrese to catch him. Nigel said later that he told Riccardo he would give him the Italian win, in front of his countrymen, for being such a good teammate. Mansell's good intentions were for nothing however. He retired from the race after 46 laps with reported hydraulic problems, whatever that meant. Senna won, while Patrese was only fifth.
I was in Indianapolis the weekend following the race in Monza. Mansell's 1993 deal with Newman Haas had been announced the day before. I saw a photo, from the 1992 "Indianapolis 500," on the sports page of The Indianapolis News. It showed the Newman Haas crew signaling Michael Andretti, who was going to Formula One, with one of those pit boards that had "Michael" on it. The photo caption was "How do you spell Nigel?" I think it was then that I began to get over my disappointment about Mansell leaving Formula One. I think what did it was the realization that Nigel had won the World Championship and now he had a good opportunity to also win the "Indianapolis 500," which was something I hardly considered before.
With three races left in the season, I began thinking about Mansell winning a 30th career F1 win and scoring an incredible ten wins in 1992.
The 1992 Grand Prix of Portugal wasn't telecast until the Monday evening following the race. I avoided all contact with newspapers, radio and television and when the race was shown on ESPN, I didn't know what had taken place the day before.
Having his plans for 1993 under control, Mansell came to Estoril and put on a clinic in Formula One dominance for the 75,000 fans at Estoril. He was on pole again and had a 2.4 second lead on Patrese at the end of the first (of 71) laps. The next lap, Nigel was 3.9 seconds ahead. At the end of five laps he led by six seconds. After ten laps he led by 8.8 seconds. He began to lap cars on lap 16. After his pit stop, on lap 29, Mansell's lead was down to three seconds over Senna but Ayrton began to experience tire problems which would bring him to the pits four times. Do you remember the in car footage Patrese's spectacular end over end crash in front of the pits? At the finish, Nigel lapped all but second place finisher Gerhard Berger and had a 40 second lead at the checkered flag.
Nigel Mansell had the 30th Grand Prix win of his career and he also owned the F1 single season mark of nine wins. He had two races left to get a tenth win in 1992 and I was sure he would get it. After watching Nigel's third victory in the Grand Prix of Portugal, on Monday September 28, my anticipation for the coming 1993 season was growing and his switch to Indy cars was becoming more appealing.
The tenth win for 1992 didn't come however. On October 25, at Suzuka, Mansell won another pole and though the details of the 1992 Grand Prix of Japan have dimmed in my mind a bit, I recall that Nigel was leading, but retired after 44 laps. It seems that the Renault RS4 V10 engine that Nigel had been racing since Hungary had a vibration problem and I believe that was the reason for Nigel's DNF. Teammate Patrese did win, however, and I remember Nigel being one of the first to congratulate Riccardo after the race.
A few days after Mansell's announcement at Monza, several hundred protesters showed up at the entrance to the Williams headquarters and blasted Frank Williams for losing Nigel to Indy car racing for 1993. By the time of the 1992 season finale at Adelaide, stories were running rampant that the Mansell Williams problems would be worked out so Nigel could defend his championship. Some of the stories had Frank Williams actually buying Mansell out of his brand new contract with Newman Haas. The stories appeared to be irritating to Mansell, with suggestions he had become a commodity for Williams and Newman Haas. Other than a comment by Frank Williams, however, that he would "love" to have Nigel for 1993, nothing was ever substantiated.
My hope that Mansell would get a tenth win in the 1992 season came to grinding halt on the 18th of the 81 lap event around the 2.35 mile Adelaide circuit. Mansell started from pole, with Senna next to him on the front row of the grid. Nigel was leading Ayrton into a corner when the McLaren ran into the back of the Williams, taking both men out of the race. It was the final time the two would race against each other.
Of course, it would not be Mansell's final F1 race. After Senna's death in May 1994 at Imola, Frank Williams, Renault, Bernie Ecclestone and all of Formula One, it seemed, began calling Nigel back from Indy cars and he came - - for six more races, including another win at Adelaide in 1994. The Nigel Mansell who came back to F1 in 1994 was not the same guy who left at the end of the 1992 season, but that's another story for another time.
The statistics tell the story. Mansell's 1992 season was the most successful of all time in F1. Michael Schumacher would also win nine races in the 17-race 1995 season. In the 16 races of 1992, Mansell had nine wins and three second-place finishes. He was a DNF in the other four races. He had 14 pole positions and set the fastest lap in nine races. He led 692 laps of a total 1036. His season point total was 108. Patrese was second in the final standings with 56 points.
As a footnote to Mansell's championship season, how did it stack up in comparison to the 1993 World Championship season of Nigel's replacement in the Williams - Renault, Alain Prost? Prost won seven of 16 races in his Williams FW15 - Renault, with 13 pole positions and he set fastest lap in six races. Prost led 424 laps of a total 1045. Prost's point total was 99, a 26-point margin over his nearest challenger Senna. Though Prost managed to drive Mansell out of Ferrari in 1990 and Williams in 1992, it was Nigel who had the final laugh. Throughout Prost's fourth run to the World title in 1993, it seemed as if the international racing media was much more interested in what Mansell was doing in Indy cars. Actually, in some ways Nigel was able to defend his 1992 World Championship - - only he did it in the Newman - Haas K Mart Havoline Lola - Ford Cosworth V8, rather than the Williams FW15 - Renault V10.
As for Mansell's other great rival Ayrton Senna, I suppose it could be said that Nigel came out ahead of the Brazilian as he survived his racing career to enjoy the immense wealth he amassed while driving racing cars.
I have been a big F1 fan since the early 1960's, but my enthusiasm hasn't been as strong since 1992. I started feeling some of the old excitement during the wild Formula One season just past, but it still wasn't the same as when Nigel Mansell was out there.