Blast from the past

Remember Mansell mania? “Our Nige” might not have been the most lovable character ever to grace the world of F1, yet almost three decades later, fans still celebrate his heroic drives and wheel-to-wheel battles, not to mention the flag-waving track invasions at the British Grand Prix. No less vivid in the memory is the fearsome wail of the Williams-Renault FW14B, “Red Five”, that took the moustachioed 39-year-old to a long-awaited Drivers’ World Championship in 1992. 

Usurping McLaren-Honda’s four-year reign over F1 was a formidable challenge, but Williams’ FW14B was a technical tour de force. An evolution of the previous year’s FW14 (which had been hampered by teething troubles with its new semiautomatic transmission), the FW14B harnessed the power of its 3.5-litre V10 Renault engine with traction control to prevent wheelspin. And even more significantly, it had a self-levelling active suspension system that used computer-controlled hydraulics to maintain a millimetre-precise ride height, optimising the car’s aerodynamics and thus maximising grip. 

This suited Mansell’s muscular approach: even without power steering, the bull-necked Brit could push exceptionally hard through high-speed turns, generating cornering forces of 4.5g at 170mph-plus and slicing whole seconds off his rivals’ lap times. Team-mate Riccardo Patrese later conceded that Mansell’s greater upper-body strength gave him the edge, whereas his own driving skills were effectively neutralised by the car’s traction control system.

Either way, the FW14B was almost unbeatable. Mansell (who once described the car as "an animal”) became Britain’s most successful F1 driver with his 28th GP victory (at Silverstone) and set records that stood for a decade or more: the most pole positions and wins in a season (14 and nine respectively) and a title secured in the fewest races (11). Patrese scored nine podium finishes to take second place in the Drivers’ Championship and Williams walked away with the Constructor’s crown. 

The car’s technology was nevertheless controversial: electronic driver aids overshadowed the sport’s human factor and were precipitously banned for 1994. As a result, the FW14B remains one of the most sophisticated F1 machines ever built. Many also rate it among the most beautiful, and there may indeed be echoes of Mansell mania when FW14B chassis number eight goes under the hammer at Bonhams’ Goodwood sale on July 5. This is the very car in which Mansell won the first five races of 1992; after two more outings, including a thrilling duel with Ayrton Senna at Monaco, it was assigned to Patrese. Remarkably, it is still in full working order, having had just one careful owner since it left Williams. 

Bonhams is reluctant to estimate its value, but if you wish to own this awe-inspiring piece of F1 history you will surely need at least £3 million in your pocket, not to mention a bulldog spirit and nerves of steel. The moustache is optional.

This article was taken from the Summer 2019 edition of the Goodwood Magazine.