Flashback: Mansell holds court, despite F1 ban

The British F1 written media had a favourite saying: “There’s always a story when Our Nige is about.” Take a look at this. Mansell is not due to race in the 1989 Spanish GP, and yet here he is holding court outside the Ferrari motorhome in the Jerez paddock. Nigel is expressing displeasure over his name having been struck from the entry list. As ever with Our Nige, it was complicated.

The episode began during the previous Sunday’s Portuguese GP. Mansell had steamed into the pitlane (there was no speed limit) and overshot the Ferrari box. From the moment he unwisely chose to select reverse while marooned in the Benetton pit, disqualification was inevitable. The felony was compounded when Mansell not only rejoined but also allegedly ignored the black flag (shown three times) and then got involved in a collision while challenging Ayrton Senna’s second place.

Jean-Marie Balestre, president of FISA, became characteristically incandescent and called for Mansell’s ban from Round 14 in Spain. With just one week between the two races, there was no time for an appeal. Ferrari made no official comment – but Our Nige was never going to take this lying down. He turned up in Jerez with his manager Mike Francis and, on the driver’s left, a disinterested lawyer who never uttered a word.

Mansell emphasised that he had not seen the black flag when tucked behind Senna’s McLaren at 170mph on Estoril’s narrow main straight. (Senna would also admit that he had not noticed the black flag, otherwise he would never have risked his championship position by racing needlessly with a driver who, technically, should not have been there.)

With typical melodrama, Mansell then gravely announced that, if the ban was not rescinded forthwith, “this may be the last opportunity I have to speak to you as an F1 driver”. Mansell’s impending retirement may have been big news at home, but the sense of apathy elsewhere can be judged by the grey-haired reporter seated at the end of the table. This is Gianfranco Palazzoli, working with RAI, the Italian TV channel.  Palazzoli had previously raced extensively and successfully under the pseudonym ‘Pal Joe’ in touring and sports cars before being associated in F1 with several teams including Merzario, Osella and Benetton. He gives the impression of having heard it all before. It is a reasonable assumption.

The ban was not lifted, nothing more was said, and Mansell was racing at the next round in Japan. But there was always a story when Our Nige was about.