Nigel Mansell: Winning Against the Odds

Nigel Mansell is a Formula 1 legend. Before becoming an F1 driver, he was an aerospace engineer. He had a long and successful career, filled with near misses and unexpected triumphs. His career flourished because he formed close relationships within Formula One. He is one of the most iconic and famous personalities within the sport.

Nigel Mansell was born in 1953 and grew up in Birmingham. He used his own money to compete in motorsport and worked as an aerospace engineer. In 1977 he became a champion in Formula Ford and moved up to Formula 3. Manell had multiple injuries during his early career. Colin Chapman noticed him and offered him a test for the 1980 Formula 1 seat.

Nigel Mansell started three Formula 1 races in 1980. Mario Andretti left Lotus for Ferrari in 1981. Nigel finished only 24 of 59 races. Colin Chapman pioneered many technologies in Formula One. Manseli's relationship with Chapman probably saved his career. He was treated equally to his teammate Elio de Angelis.

Mansell was a friend of Chapman. Chapman died in 1982. Peter Warr took over at Lotus and Elio De Angelis was the number one driver. WarR did not honour Mansell's contract until 1984. In 1984, Mannell took his first career pole position. He finished within the top 10 in the championship. Ayrton Senna was hired by Lotus for 1985.

Nigel Mansell won his first Formula 1 race in 1985. He was partnered with Keke Rosberg. In 1986 he finished 2nd in the championship. Nelson Piquet had a bad relationship with him. Piqueet called Mansel an uneducated blockhead. Mansell won the 1987 World Championship. 1988 was not an excellent year for Nigel and Williams. He finished only 2 out of 14 races. His time at Williams ended and he was heading to Maranello. The factory called Maranoello is a factory that makes Formula One cars.

Nigel Mansell was selected by Enzo Ferrari personally for their 1989 race seat. In 1989 he finished 4th in the championship and in 1990 he suffered reliability issues. The arrival of Alain Prost shepherded him to the role of a number two driver. He retired in 1991.

Nigel Mansell retired from Formula One in 1991. Frank Williams convinced him to come back and win the championship in 1992. In 1993, Alain Prost replaced Nigel as the number one driver. He retired in 1993. He overtook Jackie Stewart as most successful British driver after the season. His career is over. The team signed Alastain prost for 1993 instead.

Nigel Mansell won the World Championship in Formula 1 at the age of 39. He also won several other races in IndyCar, BTCC and Le Mans. Mansel retired from Formula One at 42. He forged close bonds with other drivers and won many races. His relationship with the greats made him special. The fact he won a World championship was never inevitable.