English racing driver Nigel Mansell is the only athlete to win two championship titles: Formula 1 (1992) and CART World Series (1993).
early years
Nigel Mansell was born in 1953 in Upton-on-Severn, in the west of England. He spent his childhood and youth in Birmingham. The head of the Joyce family and his wife, Erica, were not at all opposed when their seven-year-old got behind the wheel for the first time. Seeing once the victory of the Scottish racer Jim Clark, the boy decided to achieve the same results.
The beginning of the way
Nigel began his sports career late and exclusively with his own money. Having achieved good results in karting, he got into Formula Ford. The 23-year-old has won 6 out of 9 races, including his debut race at Mallory Park. In the new season, he won 33 victories in 42 competitions.
1977 brought the athlete great luck - the championship of the British "Formula Ford". However, in the same year, in qualifying races, he nearly broke his neck. Doctors predicted temporary paralysis and a farewell to sports. Contrary to all forecasts, the racer escaped from the hospital and returned to training. He was not going to give up his dream, because before the accident, the athlete gave up a prestigious job in the aerospace field. After finishing 4th at Silverstone, Mansell decided it was time to move to a higher stage.
"Formula-3"
In this type of competition, Nigel performed in 1978-79. The debut season brought him 2nd place in the standings. But the car could not withstand the competition, so the deal with "Unipart" had to be canceled. The new season brought him 8th place and a new injury, this time with broken vertebrae. However, the driving style and purposefulness of the driver attracted the attention of the owner of "Lotus", he was offered to pass a test driver for participation in "Formula 1", which he coped with excellently.
"Lotus"
In 1980, Mansell joined the Lotus team. The impression he made on the head of the company, Colin Chapman, was enough to get permission to make his debut at the Austrian Grand Prix behind the wheel of an experimental car. During the competition, a fire started due to a fuel leak. The rider received burns, but retained his place in the team.
The next 4 years were not easy for the driver. The Lotus cars did not differ in reliability, out of 59 starts they managed to come to the finish line only 24 times. During this period, the best result of the athlete was the bronze medal of Formula 1. The salary of the English athlete was 50 thousand pounds a year, he received 10 thousand for each race and Chapman paid the same amount for the risk. Such a contract made Nigel a millionaire. During this period, he became very close to the owner of "Lotus", the athlete experienced his premature departure as a personal loss. After that, relations with the company deteriorated, the new leader did not respect the rider, but continued to keep him in the team.
At a race in Monaco in 1984, he surprised many when he overtook famous rivals. But on a slippery track, he lost further control and retired. At the Grand Prix in Dallas, the Englishman lost consciousness right at the finish line, the abnormally hot weather became the cause of the malaise. Nigel lost his place in the team, but out of 2 new offers from "Arrows" and "Williams" accepted the last one.
Williams
In 1985, Mansell joined the Williams team. His partner was Keke Rosberg, whom Nigel considered the best in the history of motor racing. The athlete received the number Red 5, which became his mascot. Honda engines gave confidence, the athlete won 2nd place at the Belgian Grand Prix. The victory in Africa brought the famous racer a well-deserved fame. A number of new victories have elevated him to the rank of potential Formula 1 stars. Only an absurd accident prevented the Englishman from winning the championship title in 1986, and BBC Sports declared the rider the person of the year.
1987 brought not only 6 victories, but also a major mistake at the Italian Grand Prix. At the time of the accident on the Japanese track, the athlete injured his back. The new season brought him nothing but setbacks. At the end of 14 races, he never climbed the podium.
Ferrari
Nigel's performance as a member of the Ferrari team became a new stage in his sports biography. Enzo Ferrarri personally invited the driver and presented him with the racing car. In addition, the car was equipped with an electronic gearbox, but had serious problems with the gearbox. Technical imperfections led the rider to be disqualified from competitions in Canada and Portugal. Due to failures, the athlete was ready to leave the sport, only a contract with Williams allowed the Englishman to continue his path to victory.
1991-1992 years
The re-agreement with Williams proved to be more successful than the previous one. The updated gearbox allowed the athlete to demonstrate aerobatics of races, victories followed one after another. However, after summing up the results of the year, it turned out that Nigel was second in the standings.
He started 1992 victoriously, but a nut that flew off a step from the finish, threw the rider back. After changing wheels, he showed a record time and became the champion of Formula 1 ahead of schedule.
Further champion career
In 1993, Mansell left the team to join the American CART series. Already during the first race, the newcomer became the best. A number of unsuccessful starts compensated for new victories. Nigel became the only driver to win both Formula 1 and CART at the same time.
In 1994, the Englishman returned to Formula 1 and won a number of victories, which brought him a tidy sum.
In 1998, driving a Ford Mondeo, the athlete won the championship title in road racing in Great Britain.
Personal life
While still a student, Nigel met Rosanna. After graduating from college in 1975, the lovers got married. Their sons Leo and Greg devoted themselves to racing, their daughter Chloe was educated as a designer.
Today the renowned athlete lives on an island in the English Channel. Not so long ago he bought a yacht, which he gave the lucky name "Red 5".
