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Greatest drives of Mansell


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#1 Zava

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 17:57

I had a chat with a friend (not registered on this BB) about great drives of Mansell. He seemed really interested but I'm not the biggest expert of the topic out there, so I'd like your help to educate myself.

 

I would like to know as many examples of him putting on a "keeping on the edge of your seat" perfromance as you can list.

 

Now I know about the top 10 greatest races list he wrote in his autobiography so I’m interested in races apart from those. In case you don’t have the list it has the following races: 
1985 South African GP, 1986 Spanish GP, 1986 Canadian GP, 1986 British GP, 1987 British GP, 1989 Hungarian GP, 1991 French GP, 1992 British GP, 1993 Surfers Paradise (IndyCar), 1993 New Hampshire (IndyCar)

 

Mind you, I’m just looking for the sheer entertainment value of his drives so it doesn’t matter at all if he won or just ended up finishing 7thor even had a DNF. I just want to see some inspired drives from him - so not really interested in pole to flag victories without a fight.

 

So there you are. Which were the greatest, feistiest races by Mansell?



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#2 garoidb

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 18:58

I had a chat with a friend (not registered on this BB) about great drives of Mansell. He seemed really interested but I'm not the biggest expert of the topic out there, so I'd like your help to educate myself.

 

I would like to know as many examples of him putting on a "keeping on the edge of your seat" perfromance as you can list.

 

Now I know about the top 10 greatest races list he wrote in his autobiography so I’m interested in races apart from those. In case you don’t have the list it has the following races: 
1985 South African GP, 1986 Spanish GP, 1986 Canadian GP, 1986 British GP, 1987 British GP, 1989 Hungarian GP, 1991 French GP, 1992 British GP, 1993 Surfers Paradise (IndyCar), 1993 New Hampshire (IndyCar)

 

Mind you, I’m just looking for the sheer entertainment value of his drives so it doesn’t matter at all if he won or just ended up finishing 7thor even had a DNF. I just want to see some inspired drives from him - so not really interested in pole to flag victories without a fight.

 

So there you are. Which were the greatest, feistiest races by Mansell?

 

For me, the 1988 British Grand Prix was one.



#3 FerrariV12

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 18:58

Honourable mention for his BTCC drive in the wet at Donington '98.

 

You mention the 1991 French GP, while there are other drives that probably beat it, it's special to me as it's the first race I ever watched, and didn't just make me a Mansell fan, but got me hooked on the entire sport.



#4 David Beard

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 19:42

A wet race I watched at Little Rissington, 1974. He was driving a Dale Falcon 210 National.

 

I had a chat with a friend (not registered on this BB) about great drives of Mansell. He seemed really interested but I'm not the biggest expert of the topic out there, so I'd like your help to educate myself.

 

I would like to know as many examples of him putting on a "keeping on the edge of your seat" perfromance as you can list.

 

 


Edited by David Beard, 30 March 2015 - 19:42.


#5 Dick Dastardly

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 20:02

His 87 British GP win [in his list]...is constantly referred to & shown on TV, but very few mention his win 12 months earlier [which is also on his list]. Race held at Brands Hatch [scene of his maiden victory in the 85 European GP 10 months earlier].....at the start his car snapped a shaft or something, he was out or so he thought!!..... a 1st corner coming together resulted in the race being red-flagged....Laffite had a broken leg, and was tended to, amongst others, by the current MSV / Brands boss Dr Jonathan Palmer who was also competing in the GP. The red flag meant the race could be re-run from scratch...so Mansell jumped in the spare car, set up for Piquet. Got away cleanly this time, spent 1st part of the race getting used to this car, which had no drinks bottle, whilst Piquet led....eventually Mansell passed Piquet and went onto win. 3rd was a lapped Prost ! Mansell's average lap time for the race was faster than 1/3rd of the field had done in qualifying.... :yawnface:  I think even Sir Frank rates this as his favourite Mansell victory.... 


Edited by Dick Dastardly, 30 March 2015 - 20:03.


#6 chr1s

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Posted 30 March 2015 - 21:18

I wasn't a big Mansell fan at the time  but i did appreciate his no holes barred approach to racing. The stand out performance for me was the 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix, with his opportunistic overtaking manoeuvre on the great Senna, at a part of the circuit where today's drivers  will tell you its not possible to pass!  



#7 George Costanza

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 01:01

1992 British Grand Prix. That pole lap...... was......well, stunning.

 

He was just on fire the whole weekend. A perfect weekend....


Edited by George Costanza, 31 March 2015 - 01:02.


#8 john aston

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 06:18

For sheer visceral excitement the 87 British GP was extraordinary. Yes , it was a two horse race and yes. Mansell was running on fumes but nobody else in the Stowe grandstand  was doing anything other than revel in watching a bare knuckle fight at the end of the Hangar Straight happen in front of us.I don't speak as Mansell fan  either; but watching his pole lap in 92 was also breathtaking. I was  trackside just before Stowe and everybody near me just looked as stunned as I was . ISTR his entry speed was 30mph faster than Patrese in the same car- or is memory failing me?   



#9 garoidb

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 06:37

For sheer visceral excitement the 87 British GP was extraordinary. Yes , it was a two horse race and yes. Mansell was running on fumes but nobody else in the Stowe grandstand  was doing anything other than revel in watching a bare knuckle fight at the end of the Hangar Straight happen in front of us.I don't speak as Mansell fan  either; but watching his pole lap in 92 was also breathtaking. I was  trackside just before Stowe and everybody near me just looked as stunned as I was . ISTR his entry speed was 30mph faster than Patrese in the same car- or is memory failing me?   

 

The interesting thing about 87 was that, looked at one way, Mansell took a big chance in terms of running out of fuel. However, the Williams had lapped the 3rd placed car if memory serves, so even if he ran out of fuel on the last lap he would still have had 2nd place. The nightmare scenario would be if both Williams drivers took risks with fuel consumption and ran out, or if Nigel ran out on the penultimate lap. I'm not sure whether he ever commented on this, or even considered it.



#10 Paul Hurdsfield

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 09:11

I was in the Stowe grandstand in 87' too John and remember it well  :up:



#11 hittheapex

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 11:44

I haven't seen all of Mansell's races as I was born in the late 80s. Perhaps this wouldn't make a top 10 for those who have seen his entire career, but I thought his drive from the pitlane to 2nd at the 1989 French Grand Prix was excellent. He had qualified 3rd but was a victim of the famous Gugelmin shunt at the first corner. The Ferrari was arguably the fastest car at times in 1989 when it didnt break down, but even so, a fine drive in my opinion. Not sure if it falls into the "edge of your seat" category as the broadcasters did not show too much of him during the race.


Edited by hittheapex, 31 March 2015 - 11:45.


#12 nmansellfan

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 11:57

My (in hindsight after 13 years, a bit childish) username obviously stems from being a fan of Mansell, and I would rate his drive in the 1990 Mexican GP as one of the most exciting, although not the best in terms of his overall race performance.  The overtaking move around the outside of Berger at the Peraltada was plain amazing, but the recovery after his spin late in the race, was mesmerizing to me as a 12 year old at the time.  Alain Prost drove a better race, but the show was stolen by Mansell, even though it was his fault for spinning in the first place anyway - but only he could finish a late comeback drive with a pass like that!


Edited by nmansellfan, 31 March 2015 - 11:57.


#13 MLC

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 17:53

I'd say the '87 British GP was one of the best "balls out" Mansell drives. It was very exciting and definitely a nail-biter. But my favorite "thinking" Mansell drive was the '89 Hungarian GP. He had to take care of his tires, time his passes, work through traffic. It was really a stellar performance and one that the greats of the time (Prost and Senna) would have been proud of.



#14 pete53

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 18:11

Perhaps worthy of a mention - the last ever Grand Prix at Brands Hatch in 1986. Team mate Piquet led in the early stages but once Mansell hit the front he dominated his team mate. I recall Piquet closed on Mansell several times but Nige held his ground and in the last few laps gradually pulled away making sure everyone knew who was top dog in the Williams team that day.



#15 Tim Murray

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 18:42

Indeed, and in the spare car as well, which was set up for Piquet. Mansell's original car had broken one of its driveshafts in the first, aborted, race start.

#16 Michael Ferner

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Posted 31 March 2015 - 19:19

The interesting thing about 87 was that, looked at one way, Mansell took a big chance in terms of running out of fuel. However, the Williams had lapped the 3rd placed car if memory serves, so even if he ran out of fuel on the last lap he would still have had 2nd place. The nightmare scenario would be if both Williams drivers took risks with fuel consumption and ran out, or if Nigel ran out on the penultimate lap. I'm not sure whether he ever commented on this, or even considered it.


Nightmare sceanrio? Perhaps, him missing the braking point for Woodcote chicane on the same lap after his brilliant move to take the lead, and running off the road? Verrrrry nearly happened, you know... :lol: But that was typical Mansell, always on the brink... sometimes of disaster, and sometimes victory.

As for entertaining drives, why not Monaco 1992? A bore for one and a half hours, the race came suddenly to life with a late puncture on the runaway leading Williams. Mansell, who'd been in cruise mode for most of the afternoon, stormed out of the pits with fresh rubber and ran down Senna in exceptionally fast time, but couldn't find a way past in the last dozen laps or so - very exciting to watch!

Also, Dallas '84, which is available on YouTube in full length (I watched it relatively recently): on a somewhat questionable but interesting circuit, Noige The Entertainer hung on to a precarious lead for about an hour, getting more and more desperate by the minute. Clearly not an exercise in The Grand Prix Drivers School of Clean Driving, but edge-of-the-seat stuff, whether you were a fan of Mansell's or one of the drivers stuck in the train behind him - gripping!

#17 DogEarred

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Posted 01 April 2015 - 06:24

"Very exciting to watch!"

 

Well - entertaining, I'll grant you. Senna had him covered all the way, despite Mansell's theatrical antics.

I suspect Senna was having a chuckle under his helmet.