Nigel Mansell to celebrate F1 title 30th anniversary at Festival of Speed

Nigel himself will attend the Festival in order to be central to the celebrations – the moustachioed hero will appear on the Hill multiple times over the weekend, and will be reunited with some of his most legendary F1 cars, including the Williams FW14B in which he clinched his Formula 1 crown.

Best known for his time with Williams, Nigel’s fame in the UK created the famous “Mansell Mania” that resulted in him barely being able to return to the pits following his 1992 British Grand Prix triumph – as fans surrounded their hero on the Silverstone tarmac.

But his time in F1 was not just with the team from Grove. Mansell started his career with Lotus, becoming the final driver to be personally signed by Colin Chapman before his untimely death. During five seasons with Lotus he impressed, as the team around him quickly began to decline following the loss of its inspirational leader.

When his relationship with Lotus finally reached breaking point, Mansell was snapped up by Williams for 1985. He almost immediately followed up on his promise, winning two races – including one at Brands Hatch – and finishing sixth in the standings. Building on this he was a championship contender in both 1986 and 1987, only just missing out due to a puncture in ’86 before being pipped by team-mate Nelson Piquet in ’87.

Following the loss of Honda engines Williams quickly fell out of title contention and Mansell moved to Ferrari for 1988 – immediately making an impact on the Tifosi by winning first time out in Brazil. Sadly, the Ferrari 640 that season was ultra-fast but incredibly fragile, with a brand new semi-automatic gearbox proving difficult to coax to the end of a race. Despite this, Mansell finished on the podium every time he reached the chequered flag, including a pair of wins. Ferrari fans fell for his no nonsense, all-out attack style of driving, branding him “Il Leone” or “The Lion”. For 1990 he again battled an unreliable car to seven podiums, but with Alain Prost now team leader at Ferrari Mansell found himself often left with inferior machinery and left at the end of 1990.

After retiring from the sport, he almost immediately returned, re-joining Williams and, now equipped with a V10 Renault engine and Adrian Newey’s FW14, in 1992 he finally clinched the F1 title he had long dreamed of.

Following his F1 career Mansell became the only person ever to hold both F1 and IndyCar crowns at the same time, by winning the Cart championship in 1993, and he would go on to race in the BTCC and in sportscars through the 1990s and 2000s.

At the 2022 Festival of Speed Mansell will be reunited with a Ferrari 639 and 640, as raced in his time with the Scuderia, and with the Lotus 91 he raced in 1982, as well as his stunning title-winning Williams. Fans will also be able to celebrate with him as he takes part in a special balcony moment..

Speaking of his trip to Goodwood Nigel Mansell said: “I’m thrilled to be coming to the Festival of Speed this year! It’s always a wonderful event and I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel of some of my cars again and celebrating 30 years since my World Championship with all the Goodwood fans.”

The Duke of Richmond said: “As we prepare to celebrate the ‘Masterminds of Motorsport’, I am delighted that Nigel will be joining us at the Festival of Speed to celebrate his incredible achievements in Formula 1. We know our fans will be eager to see Nigel in action on the Hill and have a chance to applaud his historic career.”

To find the full list of announced drivers for the 2022 Festival of Speed click here.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.