
Mansell in numbers
480 official points
1Drivers’ titles
1992
18th of 789 all time
4Constructors’ titles
1986, 1987, 1992, 1994
9th of 789 all time
16.6% of races
17.1% of races
31.6% of races
0Drivers’ titles
none
0Constructors’ titles
none
1.7% of races with Lotus
8.5% of races with Lotus
1Drivers’ titles
1992
of 1 in the career
4Constructors’ titles
1986, 1987, 1992, 1994
of 4 in the career
29.5% of races with Williams
29.5% of races with Williams
45.3% of races with Williams
0Drivers’ titles
none
0Constructors’ titles
none
9.7% of races with Ferrari
9.7% of races with Ferrari
35.5% of races with Ferrari
0Drivers’ titles
none
0Constructors’ titles
none
Nigel Mansell was the most combative and fan-loved British driver of his generation. Nicknamed "The Lion", he drove permanently on the edge, with a spectacular style that filled the grandstands and a determination that bordered on reckless. His career was a rollercoaster of epic wins and cruel disappointments.
He came close to the title in 1986, when a blowout in Adelaide snatched the crown from him with a few laps to go, and again in 1987. Vindication finally came in 1992 aboard the Williams FW14B, a technological marvel with active suspension that let him deliver one of the most dominant seasons in history: nine wins in sixteen races and the title wrapped up by August.
At the height of a dispute with Williams, he made an unexpected move to the United States, where he won the IndyCar title in 1993 in his rookie year, unprecedented. He is the only driver to be reigning F1 and IndyCar champion in consecutive years, a testament to his talent and untameable character.
What if Mansell had another car?
We took his real attributes and put him in the best car of each era: in a real driver's seat, against the team-mate that car actually had. 20 full seasons in each.
| Car | Team-mate | Finish | Wins | Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLaren1988 | Alain Prost-77 pts | P2 | 2.9 | 0% |
| Williams1992 | Riccardo Patrese+14 pts | P1.8 | 5.8 | 35% |
| Ferrari2002 | Rubens Barrichello+46 pts | P1.2 | 10.5 | 80% |
| Red Bull2013 | Mark Webber+71 pts | P1.1 | 12.4 | 95% |
| Mercedes2016 | Lewis Hamilton-69 pts | P1.9 | 5.9 | 10% |
| Red Bull2023 | Sergio Perez+40 pts | P1.2 | 14.1 | 80% |
| Cadillac2026 · 11th on the grid | Valtteri Bottas+27 pts | P9.3 | 0 | 0% |
The only one who beats him is Alain Prost in the 1988 McLaren: 77 points clear over a full season.
Rating by season
- First season
- 85 1988
- Peak
- 88 1991
- 1992
- 87 Williams
5 seasons in the database, from 1988 to 1992. Our own rating, from 50 to 99.
Teams
Tags
Best year
1992
What would Nigel Mansell have achieved with a different car or in a different era?
Hypotheses featuring Nigel Mansell
Related drivers
His team-mates
9 team-mates across 15 seasons. When both finished the race, Mansell was ahead in 36 of 58; on the grid he started ahead in 90 of 188.
| Year | Team-mate | In the race | On the grid |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Elio de AngelisTeam Lotus · 2 races | · | 0-2 |
| 1980 | Mario AndrettiTeam Lotus · 2 races | · | 0-2 |
| 1981 | Elio de AngelisTeam Lotus · 14 races | 1-3 | 5-8 |
| 1982 | Elio de AngelisTeam Lotus · 13 races | 1-2 | 3-10 |
| 1983 | Elio de AngelisTeam Lotus · 15 races | 0-1 | 3-12 |
| 1984 | Elio de AngelisTeam Lotus · 16 races | 2-1 | 5-11 |
| 1985 | Keke RosbergWilliams · 16 races | 4-1 | 7-9 |
| 1986 | Nelson PiquetWilliams · 16 races | 5-4 | 8-8 |
| 1987 | Nelson PiquetWilliams · 15 races | 5-3 | 9-4 |
| 1988 | Riccardo PatreseWilliams · 14 races | 2-0 | 13-1 |
| 1989 | Gerhard BergerFerrari · 14 races | · | 7-7 |
| 1990 | Alain ProstFerrari · 16 races | 3-4 | 8-8 |
| 1991 | Riccardo PatreseWilliams · 16 races | 5-1 | 7-9 |
| 1992 | Riccardo PatreseWilliams · 16 races | 8-0 | 14-2 |
| 1994 | Damon HillWilliams · 4 races | 0-1 | 1-3 |
| 1995 | Mika HäkkinenMcLaren · 2 races | 0-1 | 0-2 |
The first number is always Mansell's. A team-mate is whoever started the same race for the same team. "In the race" only counts races both finished, because a retirement says nothing about who was quicker. "On the grid" is the starting position, with penalties already applied.
Compare Mansell with another driver
Titles, wins, poles and podiums side by side, against any of the 789 drivers in history.
Keep reading
Where Nigel Mansell comes up in what we have measured, with our own numbers.
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