Mansell has lost the plot

[bobdrummond]

According to Autosport, during this weekends Coys historic meeting at Silverstone, Nigel Mansell has said he'd have no problem jumping into one of the current F1 cars and qualifying on the front row! He added that it'd have to be one of the front-runners but in a Jordan he wouldn't do better than 11th or 12th. He said it all depended on the machinery.
It seems to me that 'Ol Nige has forgotten the following:-
1) All his success in racing has been due to him having superior machinery. His '92 title was won in a car so stupendously superior that Riccardo Patrese finished the year in 2nd place. No offence to Patrese intended, but he was no Senna,Berger, etc. His '93 Indy Car title was, in many ways, a more impressive achievement but even so the Lola chassis was effectively a works-backed example of that years' best chassis.
2) Whenever his car has had less than a clear advantage, Mansell was very prone to parking it. His final year at Newman Haas and '95 at McLaren were simply disgraceful.
3) His arse is probably too big now to fit over a front-running car, never mind in one.
4) Any of todays drivers could probably do well in a McLaren or Ferrari. Look at how well Panis is doing testing the McLaren and contrast it with his last years at Ligier.

5) A few years ago, an F3 team manager of Mansells said in RaceTech magazine that Nigel was very rough with his machinery and frequently broke parts. A fact that demands a good car to sustain any hope of success.

Now, I'll admit to not being a fan of Mansell's. I never have been because of his extraordinary reluctance to give his team their dues for the GP successes and his incessant whining. Not being English, I wasn't affected by the jingoism surrounding him (Autosport doing a Proto-Button job of hyping him above his peers). In spite of that, Mansell at his prime was an extraordinary racer. I remember Mexico '89 in a Ferrari when he passed Berger around the outside of the daunting Peraltada corner. An overtaking move which demanded skill, confidence and uncommon ability. Berger did a double take! Brilliant.

If this latest comment has been reported verbatim, Mansell should be ashamed of himself. It's undeniable that he raced in F1 at a time when the likes of Senna, Prost and Piquet were driving but isn't it
notable that his '92 Williams is accepted as the F1 car which had the biggest advantage over its rivals.

[Liz]

Nige knows nobody will take him up on his offer, and I am sure he was just saying that to keep up his image.

But he did an excellent job in an era when the competition was much much stiffer than it is now, and with hard work substituting for natural talent (like Lauda). I think he's a bit of a twit, but he was in his day a very impressive pilote. (Anybody who grabbed Senna by the throat and pinned him against a wall in order to tell him a few home truths is okay in my book. Too bad more people didn't do that.)

[Ralf's Girl]

I don't think Mansell could really qualify a current F1 car on the front row of the grid. He had the best car in 92 and absolutely no opposition. Patrese was not a bad driver, but he wasn't what you'd call a particularly good one either. Mansell had such a huge advantage, you had to wonder just how much the others were really trying.

[RIKB]

Even though I am the biggest Mansell fan you are likely to meet, I would doubt he could get straight into a car and do that. But then I wonder if he was misquoted or more likely asked a leading question and then they only publish the answer as if he just came right out and said it.

I think it was Murray Walker who quite rightly said than in '92 Mansell was a driver at the peak of his performance, in a car at the peak of its performance..

Look back at some of his great races, and you will see some of the great moments of F1. His agression, bravery and daring earned him the love and respect of his fans which still endure today. None of us remember him for his shining wit and personality.

As for not giving his team credit? He does in my video collection.

[Gerard]

Well here's another big Mansell fan. I've always seen Nigel in another way than the press did.
To the media Mansell was a whiner and an ungracious person.
For the press he was good for a lot of column inches and therefore a source of income.
But to me he was a brilliant racing driver without the 'superstar behaviour' a lot of other drivers had.
He was a racer who gave it all. Remember his first Grand Prix in Austria in 1980 when fuel leaked into the cockpit, but he only retired when his engine failed.
I can't see the 'cry babies' of today do such a thing.
And he never gave up either. It took him 6 years before his first Grand Prix win.
He ended his 15 year career with 31 wins and a world championship.
It all depends on your perspective, but I prefer to concentrate on his racing activities rather than on his behaviour outside the car.

[fatbloke]

I, like many others in this country, was drawn to the sport by Mr Mansell. Who else could sound so bloody boring and moan so much, yet be so exciting on the track. He was amazing to watch at times - remember his pass on Piquet at Stowe ?

As someone said to me today - if only he'd kept his helmet on, and the visor down, he'd have been a true megastar - unfortunately he spoilt many peoples memories with his whining. However, I challenge anyone who says the guy was no good to watch the various season reviews between 1986 and 1992 and come back here and tell us that they'd not love to see him on the track today.

As for his quote today, it's just another classic Mansell moment - he doesn't seem to realise when the press are leading him on, looking for a good quote.

And he never gave up either.

Erm, i'm sure Ron Dennis would disagree with you there... his behaviour at McLaren was an abolute disgrace and he basically ended his driving career the moment he stepped from the car and walked away for the last time.

I still like him though!

[bobdrummond]

I'm reminded of a quote by a Williams team member sometime during '92 who said the ideal scenario would be for a helicopter to winch Mansell down into the cockpit as the cars lined up on the grid and do the opposite once the race is over.

One of Mansells most thoughtless comments regarding his team happened in '91 at the launch of the FW14. In a rush to prepare the car for the unveiling and shakedown, the team put in a huge effort, working 'round the clock for several days to get the job done. Mansells instructions for the shakedown were to do a few gentle laps but, ever the Mansell way, he had to put the pedal to the metal. The result? Why a badly damaged chassis, of course. After his crash, Mansell insensitively said "at least it'll give the mechanics something to do during lunch...". Thoughtless gimp!

Did someone mention Canada '91

Mansell and his family sacrificed everything to get him to the top of his sport and when ge got there, he was a great spectacle. I don't begrudge him his wealth or fame but I despair when he makes comments like todays. Stirling Moss is also quoted in Autosport from Silverstone. He appeared to think before speaking.

Eddie Irvine, on the other hand, is a talentless, egomaniacal, conceited, pompous fool. He's not good enough to wipe Mansells boots. Interseting quote from a Jaguar mechanic after Swerves illness in Austria. Words to the effect of "...didn't know voodoo worked so fast, we only made the doll last week..."

[Ralf's Girl]

Here's one for Mansell. As opposed to 'He who dares, wins', how about 'He who dares, whines'?

[Liz]

I admit that if I had been stupid enough to marry Nige, I'd have smothered him fairly early in his career.

I notice that Mrs. Gilles Villeneuve implies that she had the same impulses often toward her husband - although to us he was just the opposite of Nige - so perhaps Nige was quite different when the camera was off him too. Or else Mrs. Nige had/has the world's best sense of humour. (I bet it was not she who was outraged when Piquet said she was the ugliest woman he'd ever seen.)

[marcus]

godd old nige eh ??..you either love him or hate him..personally i love the guy for everything that he did..his silly little antics out of the car i found hysterical and just thought it all made for part of an amazing show..seena v prost ..senna v mansell...mansell v the world..totally loved every second of it..didnt want him to go to CART he was F1 to me and always will be..ohh that limp ..god that made me laugh....but then what he did in the car..

WOW

Nigel in my view wasnt a naturally born driver (maybe he was but to me he wasnt) he worked so hard for his success and richly deserved it..but when he got fired up in an F1 car there was and has not been since anyone like it...several charges have been mentioned ..passing Berger in Mexico..passing piquet at Stowe...but what about Adelaide 1990..or Imola 1990 or even Japan 1994..pure class all the way..whether or not he would be competitive today im not here to judge..but i sure would love to see him have a go.,.im not from England so i didnt get all the hype but i watched the races and to me he was the one guy who gave everything all the time...i just loved watching him race.

Good on ya Nige your a living legend

the views expressed in this post are solely my opinion and are not thoose expressed by this websites , all lawsuites and verbal attacks can be directed towards myself whereupon you may be told to sod off

[TimD]

Well, I just got back from the Coys festival, and I did indeed see Our Nige on track. He had a happy cruise round in an ex-Senna Lotus 95T, in company with Jackie Stewart in a Tyrrell, John Watson in a McLaren and Stirling Moss in a Maserati 250F.

Then he went around for a few balls-out laps in an ex-Andretti Lotus 78. Even if the Cosworth motor was a bit off song, you could tell he was enjoying chucking it about through Becketts.

And he's still bloody quick.

And something else hasn't changed, too. He was interviewed for Silverstone radio by Murray Walker. It went like this...

Murray - "Well, Nigel, you've just tried the Turbo Lotus. How was it? Did you get a buzz?

Nigel - "Well, Murray, you see the problem this morning was..."

Hey-ho, Niggly Whingewell strikes again. But I'm still fond of the old tart. Heck, I was at the GP when he did Piquet at Stowe. I remember it like yesterday. You can forgive a fellow a lot for a pass like that.