Nigel Ernest James Mansell (born August 8, 1953) is an English racing driver, Formula One world champion in 1992, who became a symbol of endurance and refusal to yield in motorsport.
Nicknames and character
In the Formula One paddock Mansell acquired two characteristic nicknames. The first — «Big Nige» — for his substantial build and his plainness in conversation. The second, better known — the «British Lion» — for his refusal to give ground on track and his determination to fight for a win to the last moment. It was these qualities that made him one of the most vivid and memorable drivers in the history of the sport.
The road to glory, through pain
Mansell’s career was marked by extraordinary fortitude in the face of injury. In 1977 he had a terrible crash at Brands Hatch and broke his back. The doctors told him he would never sit in a racing car again, and that if he got out of bed without permission he would be paralyzed for life. Five days later Mansell got up, signed himself out against medical advice and went home; a month after that he was back behind the wheel.
The same thing happened again in 1979 — a second spinal injury in two years failed to stop the future champion. From his hospital bed he told Lotus team boss Colin Chapman: «It’s not a problem. I’ll be at the test at Paul Ricard!» — and he kept his word.
The triumph of 1992
Mansell’s finest hour was the 1992 season, when he simply dominated the championship at the wheel of the active-suspension Williams FW14B. His achievements that year are striking:
- Won 9 of the season’s 16 races
- Took a record 14 pole positions (88 percent of all races)
- Set the longest winning streak from the start of a season — 5 in a row
- Became champion with 5 rounds still to run
- Scored what was then a record 108 points
- Finished 52 points clear of the runner-up
Mansell was the first British champion since James Hunt in 1976, and took the title in his thirteenth season in Formula One — a record for the number of seasons before a first championship.
A unique record in America
After his Formula One triumph, Mansell moved to the American CART (IndyCar) series, where he did something unprecedented — won the championship in his debut season of 1993. He remains the only driver in history to have held the Formula One and IndyCar titles as reigning champion in consecutive seasons.
Statistics and records
At the end of his career Mansell stood among the top five Formula One drivers on the main statistical measures:
- 31 race wins
- 32 pole positions
- 59 podiums
- 30 fastest laps
- His record for percentage of poles in a season (88 percent) still stands
Why «a regular Nigel Mansell»?
In the context of 1993 the comparison was particularly apt — the Briton was at the height of his fame, the reigning Formula One champion and freshly minted IndyCar champion. His name was associated with driving skill, reliability and the ability to cope with any difficulty on the road — qualities prized not only in motorsport but in the everyday life of drivers.
To be described as «a regular Nigel Mansell» in 1993 was the highest praise of a man’s driving — a comparison with someone who could squeeze the maximum out of any car and bring it to the finish whatever stood in the way.