New Centrale article: Mansell's McLaren Melodrama

[eytl]

Hi everyone,

Announcing our latest Centrale article, and it's an entertaining read as well (if I may say so myself)! Can you believe that this year is the 19th season of McLaren's partnership with Mercedes? When you think of all their continued competitiveness and success in recent times, it's easy to forget what a struggle it was when they initially got together in 1995 - and how as part of that it also marked an inglorious footnote in Nigel Mansell's F1 career.

Mansell's flirtation with McLaren was a marriage of convenience, driven by Marlboro, a complete mistake, and full of sheer melodrama. Here is that story in detail, complete with pictures and sound clips:

http://www.f1rejects.com/centrale/mansellmclaren/index.html

Enjoy the read!

Cheers,
Enoch

[DOSBoot]

Great read! I like how you guys have been doing more of these articles lately. I'd rather go for more of these posts, than the race reviews you used to do. It gives a boader look into rather overlooked incidents in the past, and helps give the reader a better idea of what was most likely going on at these moments. Even at times giving the reader themself to decide what happened. I hope you make more in the future.

[Jocke1]

Unbeatable, Enoch.

[Bullfrog]

Thanks for the fabulous Mansell & McLaren article.

Just the thing for a cold and rainy Sunday morning, it's great to read again about an episode that make you shake your head in disbelief, and stare in amazement at that ugly beast of a car. You poke fun where fun needs to be poked (love the quotes from Hakkinen and Jo Ramirez) but it's as fair and balanced as it can be towards Mansell and Dennis.

Very well done guys.

[AndreaModa]

Yeah excellent article Enoch, as always. I echo the feelings that these pieces are better than race reports, it gives the site much richer content and keeps it different to the many other F1 sites out there.

One thing I did notice was that the mp3 files weren't working when I tried them. The page loads but the little player doesn't appear, the page just stays blank.

[dinizintheoven]

I noticed the dead MP3 files as well - though it didn't detract from an article I've been looking forward to since it was first announced. I do remember mentioning on here how Murray Walker said he thought Nige would win the 1995 drivers' title (if that's where the line int he article ultimately came from), and I've dug out the BBC guide to the 1995 season for proof. Here's the bits in question, and I quote... read this in his voice and you'll get the idea. From the beginning of Murray's season preview:

Back in November, when Nigel Mansell joyfully took the chequered flag for his superb comeback win at Adelaide, Formula 1 heaved a collective sigh of relief. A hideously eventful season of Grand Prix racing, where even the drivers' championship had been decided in controversial circumstances, had ended on a high and happy note. Mansell's victory was just the unexpected distraction the sport needed to ease the pain of eight months of misery and confrontation. ...

Cur further musings about the new regulations for 1995, refuelling and isn't it an awful idea, Lotus has gone (following its merger with the "well-endowed Pacific team" - whose accounts were you reading, Murray?), which teams have new engines, followed by the prospects of Benetton, Williams, Ferrari and Jordan. And then, only when these teams have been covered...

I have deliberately left McLaren until last. McLaren and Nigel Mansell! Who'd have thought it in a situation where conventional wisdom said there was no way that Mansell and McLaren boss Ron Dennis would be ableto work together? But, like I said, 'do what you have to do to win' is the philosophy in Formula 1, and they've both done it. So it's McLaren, Mercedes and Mansell - what a partnership! All have massive incentives for success: McLaren failed in 1994 to win a single race - for the first time since 1980; Mansell was dropped by Williams and is returning for his first full F1 season since his World Championship winning year of 1992; while Mercedes is determined to regain former Grand Prix glory. They all have much growing together to do but, with the support of the blindingly quick and very ambitious Mika Häkkinen, I'll be amazed if they don't win this season. If they do, then it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that Mansell could win his second championship. Fangio was 46 when he became World Champion for the fifth and final time. At 41, Nigel is just a lad!

Murray's predictions for the top three places in the drivers' title were Mansell! (complete with exclamation mark), Schumacher, Hill. No other experts predicted Nige in the top three. Tiff Needell quoted "McL, Merc, Mansell" as his Flop of 1995, Kevin Blick (then editor of Top Gear magazine) also predicted Nige to fail, horribly, while Jeremy Clarkson was equally unimpressed and his Flop of the Year was "Mansell - I hope!"

There's a three page article that also contains some of the pre-season publicocrap that Enoch's article quotes directly... as well as bits that didn't. How about this:

I have nothing to prove to Frank Williams or anyone else. I don't know why he made the decision he did, but I respect it and have had a letter from Frank saying I am always welcome there. Now, though, I am looking forward to driving for the only team I admire and haven't driven for.

I suppose we can let him off that one, mind, after a career that had spanned Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and Williams again...

As a last comment, on page 58, there is an article on Simtek in which they are described as "the sport's great survivors". I will say no more.

[James1978]

I remember BBC on Sportsnight had an F1 season preview at the time, with Murray Walker, Jonathan Palmer and Martin Brundle (who would commentate part-time when Suzuki was driving the Ligier) all making prediction of who would be champion - Brundle correctly said Schumacher, Palmer said Hill and Murray Walker said Mansell - and this after being confirmed Mansell would miss the first two races as well.

[eytl]

One thing I did notice was that the mp3 files weren't working when I tried them. The page loads but the little player doesn't appear, the page just stays blank.

Yes, I've just noticed that the URL for the sound clips are incorrect. Sorry about that. I can't fix it from where I am at the moment (i.e. work) but will do so later tonight.

Thanks for all the positive comments so far. And dinizintheoven - love the Murray quotes!

[Svenko Wankerov]

Good stuff.

I loved the part where Whitmarsh implied Hamilton is even more difficult than Mansell was.

[Onxy Wrecked]

It's as if Dennis Vitolo running his car into Nigel's in the 1994 Indy 500 was the beginning of the end for Mansell. With that, Mansell wanted to leave IndyCar and not even a year later he returned to F1 with Williams signed with McLaren and then retires after two mediocre finishes.

[Rusujuur]

What memories this article brings back... 95 was the first year I really started following F1 and watching it from Finnish TV kind of forced me to cheer for Häkkinen so i remember being glad that Mansell failed and Häkkinen's stocks rose. Back then I didn't understand what an advantage Mika actually had due to more experience with the car and the team. In hindsight it would have been interesting to see how a more acclimatized Mansell would have compared to the Finn.

[eytl]

One thing I did notice was that the mp3 files weren't working when I tried them. The page loads but the little player doesn't appear, the page just stays blank.

Yes, I've just noticed that the URL for the sound clips are incorrect. Sorry about that. I can't fix it from where I am at the moment (i.e. work) but will do so later tonight.

Fixed! They should be working now. Let me know if they still don't.

[Ferrarist]

It's as if Dennis Vitolo running his car into Nigel's in the 1994 Indy 500 was the beginning of the end for Mansell. With that, Mansell wanted to leave IndyCar and not even a year later he returned to F1 with Williams signed with McLaren and then retires after two mediocre finishes.

I think his squarrels with Mario Andretti didn't him any favours either.

A great article, which is surprisingly different from the others. This one doesn't go "Wah, Mansell's fault, Mansell's old, yadayadayada.", but it actually gives a balanced account of the whole saga. I can't help but wonder how Mansell would have fared with Williams. Maybe Murray Walker would have been right after all.

[Faustus]

Superb article Enoch! Thank you!

[dr-baker]

I still find it incredible that Mansell won the last race of 1994 with Williams yet had such a disaster with McLaren. This account just proves that Mansell should have quit while he was ahead - when Williams opted for DC over him...

[Onxy Wrecked]

It's as if Dennis Vitolo running his car into Nigel's in the 1994 Indy 500 was the beginning of the end for Mansell. With that, Mansell wanted to leave IndyCar and not even a year later he returned to F1 with Williams signed with McLaren and then retires after two mediocre finishes.

I think his squarrels with Mario Andretti didn't him any favours either.

A great article, which is surprisingly different from the others. This one doesn't go "Wah, Mansell's fault, Mansell's old, yadayadayada.", but it actually gives a balanced account of the whole saga. I can't help but wonder how Mansell would have fared with Williams. Maybe Murray Walker would have been right after all.

Vitolo sending his car somehow on top of Nigel scared the F1 champion out of the CART/IndyCar ranks instantly as Vitolo did this bit of horrid driving under caution making the image of an extremely amateurish pay driver who doesn't even know what the yellow flag means and we thought Delatraz was bad. Dennis Vitolo takes it to a whole new level of terrible pay drivers and worse yet, Vitolo actually lasted longer with his ability to find outside sponsorship far greater than his talent.

[mario]

It's as if Dennis Vitolo running his car into Nigel's in the 1994 Indy 500 was the beginning of the end for Mansell. With that, Mansell wanted to leave IndyCar and not even a year later he returned to F1 with Williams signed with McLaren and then retires after two mediocre finishes.

I think his squarrels with Mario Andretti didn't him any favours either.

A great article, which is surprisingly different from the others. This one doesn't go "Wah, Mansell's fault, Mansell's old, yadayadayada.", but it actually gives a balanced account of the whole saga. I can't help but wonder how Mansell would have fared with Williams. Maybe Murray Walker would have been right after all.

I have to agree that it is an excellent article and one well worth reading for the even handed approach towards both sides - as others have pointed out, for all the mistakes and misfortunes, there were some signs of promise in the relationship even if it broke down incredibly quickly.

[James1978]

Another the article does so strikingly is underline how unsettled McLaren was during the early - mid 90s, from 1988 - 1992 they'd been Honda's top team and the only driver change was Prost leaving and Berger joining which definitely calmed things down.

But then they went from the steady Senna/Berger/Honda line -up through Senna only signing for 1993 at the last minute on a race-by-race basis, then Andretti being rubbish, Senna leaving at the end of 93, uncertainty about whether Prost was going to be back for 94, Brundle only being signed at the last minute, the Mansell melodrama, Blundell in, out, then in again - not to mention 4 different engine suppliers in as many years.

Once they settled down with Hakkinen/Coulthard/Mercedes they were successful again!!

[Ferrim]

And even then it took a while for things to improve -the 1996 car was still quite off the pace, although for 1997 they showed great improvement and went back to their winning ways, hiring Adrian Newey probably was the master stroke that turned it all for 1998.

[tzerof1]

Great piece Enoch . I have to say, I learned more about this whole saga from it, than I ever did elsewhere.

Once they settled down with Hakkinen/Coulthard/Mercedes they were successful again!!

If only Tom Walkinshaw had taken a leaf out of that book about stability, who knows what Arrows could have been? Certainly more than they ended up being. Though if that had happened, then we probably wouldn't have had SOOPAH AGURI! And I wouldn't change that for anything!

[FantometteBR]

Reading the text reminded of something I read at Verde's blog talking about Mansell's McLaren stint where, at a certain point of the 80s, Ron went to see Frank with a tape on his hands. The content: mostly all kinds of blunders that Mansell could do at the track...

Then, Mr. Dennis turned to Sir Williams and said "This is your driver..."

[Warren Hughes]

My earliest specific memory of watching F1 is Mansell going off in the McLaren from 14th position

(I have memories from before then, but more generic ie I can't place them in my mind - like Senna and Mansell constantly winning in the early 90s, for example)

[midgrid]

What a great read; thanks for writing and publishing this article!

Like (I imagine) most people here, I knew the story and some of the more specific details and quotations already, but it was fascinating to come across some new material (thanks also to dinizintheoven for his additional contribution above), and very convenient to have all the information about the sorry episode in one place.

[midgrid]

To add to dinizintheoven's post above, I enjoyed reading this prediction from Autosport's season preview issue:

Mansell likes to be the centre of attention, numero uno, but with five other Brits in top cars this year, the prospect of being number six looks more realistic. "Yes," a colleague agreed, "and that's without the foreigners..."

Heading off-topic, but these are the headings for each team's capsule preview:

Benetton: Favourites to repeat '94 glory
Tyrrell: Return to the glory days?
Williams: Will drivers cause a problem?
McLaren: Not on the pace - yet
Arrows: Potential to spring a surprise
Simtek: Could make a quantum leap
Jordan: Ready for the big time?
Pacific: New promise for the '95 season
Larrousse (Bouchut & Hélary!): Funds short for a good showing
Forti: Favourites to prop up '95 grid
Minardi: Engines lost to Ligier
Ligier: Reliability the key to success
Ferrari: Expectations greater than ever in Italy
Sauber: Will marriage of convenience work in '95?

[Salamander]

To add to dinizintheoven's post above, I enjoyed reading this prediction from Autosport's season preview issue:

Mansell likes to be the centre of attention, numero uno, but with five other Brits in top cars this year, the prospect of being number six looks more realistic. "Yes," a colleague agreed, "and that's without the foreigners..."

Five other Brits in top cars!? In 1995!? What definition of top car are they using!? You've got Hill, Coulthard, and Herbert as givens, but the next Brit in the standings was Mark bloody Blundell! Then there's Eddie Irvine's Jordan, which was only ever going to be in the midfield, and Martin Brundle at the equally midfield-bound Ligier, and he was missing 6 races!

[FullMetalJack]

To add to dinizintheoven's post above, I enjoyed reading this prediction from Autosport's season preview issue:

Mansell likes to be the centre of attention, numero uno, but with five other Brits in top cars this year, the prospect of being number six looks more realistic. "Yes," a colleague agreed, "and that's without the foreigners..."

Five other Brits in top cars!? In 1995!? What definition of top car are they using!? You've got Hill, Coulthard, and Herbert as givens, but the next Brit in the standings was Mark bloody Blundell! Then there's Eddie Irvine's Jordan, which was only ever going to be in the midfield, and Martin Brundle at the equally midfield-bound Ligier, and he was missing 6 races!

Top half I agree with. But Ligier and Jordan did not have top cars in 1995, McLaren barely did.

[Londoner]

In fairness, the 1995 Ligier was a big improvement over the antique they used in 1994, primarily because it was the Benetton B195had Mugen engines. Still wasn't a top car by any stretch of the imagination. The 1995 Jordan was much poorer than the 1994 car though...

[James1978]

I actually can't believe Ligier beat Jordan in the constructors' in '95. It seems the bulk of their points came from getting lucky at attritional/wet races like Panis' 2nd in Australia and Brundle's 3rd at Spa. Then again, there was the Jordan 2-3 at Canada behind Alesi too - though they did suffer reliability problems like Barrichello losing 3rd at the last corner in Hungary!

[FullMetalJack]

I actually can't believe Ligier beat Jordan in the constructors' in '95. It seems the bulk of their points came from getting lucky at attritional/wet races like Panis' 2nd in Australia and Brundle's 3rd at Spa. Then again, there was the Jordan 2-3 at Canada behind Alesi too - though they did suffer reliability problems like Barrichello losing 3rd at the last corner in Hungary!

Sauber could have beat them, but they didn't get as many big results.

[midgrid]

To add to dinizintheoven's post above, I enjoyed reading this prediction from Autosport's season preview issue:

Mansell likes to be the centre of attention, numero uno, but with five other Brits in top cars this year, the prospect of being number six looks more realistic. "Yes," a colleague agreed, "and that's without the foreigners..."

Five other Brits in top cars!? In 1995!? What definition of top car are they using!? You've got Hill, Coulthard, and Herbert as givens, but the next Brit in the standings was Mark bloody Blundell! Then there's Eddie Irvine's Jordan, which was only ever going to be in the midfield, and Martin Brundle at the equally midfield-bound Ligier, and he was missing 6 races!

Jordan's testing form was extremely impressive, and Irvine could certainly have been considered to be a potential front-runner before the season began. Anyway, all the other British drivers did in fact beat Mansell in the standings, so it was an accurate prediction...

[FullMetalJack]

Anyway, all the other British drivers did in fact beat Mansell in the standings, so it was an accurate prediction...

Papis, Schiattarella, Montermini and Inoue all finished ahead of Mansell in the standings too.

[Londoner]

Anyway, all the other British drivers did in fact beat Mansell in the standings, so it was an accurate prediction...

Papis, Schiattarella, Montermini and Inoue all finished ahead of Mansell in the standings too.

But poor Roberto Moreno still finished behind Mansell, even though he did the entire season.

[Paul Hayes]

Superb article, as always. I became an F1 fan at the start of the 1995 season, so it's fascinating to see such analysis of a period I remember well from first falling in love with the sport.

I have to confess, though, that I agree with Mansell on one thing. I always thought - mid-wing aside - that the MP4/10 *did* look rather nice. I think it's the pointy nose.

[Revelo]

Brilliant article and one I really enjoyed reading. I always did wonder what had gone on behind the scenes with that ill-fated partnership.

It is a sorry state of affairs too, Mansell was my idol growing up. When you are three years old watching him romp home to the title in 1992 and showing ounces of passion it doesn't leave an impression on you, and he shouldn't have had to bring down the curtain on his racing career in such circumstances, at the same time watching McLaren struggle after losing Senna was hard to see and it was a great moment when they won in 1997, even with Mansell's ego and inferiority complex aside and despite the nature of the MP4/10, he didn't do himself any favours by expecting the car to be competitive right off the bat with all that went on in the development of the car. That said I still admire and respect the guy and would love to meet him one day.

Such partnerships take time to gel. As I recall from the reject article on Arrows' downfall, one of Walkinshaw's main issues was trying to become competitive and fix problems now rather than looking to the future and gradually building up. Mansell and McLaren couldn't have worked for that reason alone, when you are 42 it's unlikely that you really want to waste years trying to develop things along, not when you are Mansell at least. I could cite Schumacher and Mercedes here and their progress over the last three years; but at least Schumi can be diplomatic and respectful when things might not be going your way, and he honoured his contract as well and left on good terms. I can't imagine Mansell wanting to scrap for lower points and the odd podium, and Ron Dennis was at least aware that it would take some time and a consistent team to get a good package together. Plus citing his development of Lewis Hamilton put paid to that anyway.

At the end of the day, McLaren should have snapped Coulthard up when they had the chance in late 94 (Redundant since they signed him anyway in late 95), and Mansell should have taken his final bow after Australia and gone on to a different field of racing.

[TomWazzleshaw]

At the end of the day, McLaren should have snapped Coulthard up when they had the chance in late 94 (Redundant since they signed him anyway in late 95), and Mansell should have taken his final bow after Australia and gone on to a different field of racing.

They actually did sign Coulthard for 1995, it's just that Williams took it up with the Contract Recognition Board and they got him back for 95.

[Salamander]

Brilliant article and one I really enjoyed reading. I always did wonder what had gone on behind the scenes with that ill-fated partnership.

It is a sorry state of affairs too, Mansell was my idol growing up. When you are three years old watching him romp home to the title in 1992 and showing ounces of passion it doesn't leave an impression on you, and he shouldn't have had to bring down the curtain on his racing career in such circumstances, at the same time watching McLaren struggle after losing Senna was hard to see and it was a great moment when they won in 1997, even with Mansell's ego and inferiority complex aside and despite the nature of the MP4/10, he didn't do himself any favours by expecting the car to be competitive right off the bat with all that went on in the development of the car. That said I still admire and respect the guy and would love to meet him one day.

Such partnerships take time to gel. As I recall from the reject article on Arrows' downfall, one of Walkinshaw's main issues was trying to become competitive and fix problems now rather than looking to the future and gradually building up. Mansell and McLaren couldn't have worked for that reason alone, when you are 42 it's unlikely that you really want to waste years trying to develop things along, not when you are Mansell at least. I could cite Schumacher and Mercedes here and their progress over the last three years; but at least Schumi can be diplomatic and respectful when things might not be going your way, and he honoured his contract as well and left on good terms. I can't imagine Mansell wanting to scrap for lower points and the odd podium, and Ron Dennis was at least aware that it would take some time and a consistent team to get a good package together. Plus citing his development of Lewis Hamilton put paid to that anyway.

At the end of the day, McLaren should have snapped Coulthard up when they had the chance in late 94 (Redundant since they signed him anyway in late 95), and Mansell should have taken his final bow after Australia and gone on to a different field of racing.

Good points all around there.

Also, is it bad that I mistakenly read Ron Dennis as Don Rennis? I think I've been spending too much time in the PMMF!

Five other Brits in top cars!? In 1995!? What definition of top car are they using!? You've got Hill, Coulthard, and Herbert as givens, but the next Brit in the standings was Mark bloody Blundell! Then there's Eddie Irvine's Jordan, which was only ever going to be in the midfield, and Martin Brundle at the equally midfield-bound Ligier, and he was missing 6 races!

Top half I agree with. But Ligier and Jordan did not have top cars in 1995, McLaren barely did.

That was kind of my point. Ligier, Jordan, and McLaren in 1995 were clear midfield-fodder, and you'd have to be loopy to think otherwise.

[Jonny83]

Great read, I'm an unashamed Mansell fan, started watching F1 regularly mid way through 1991, my first ever specific memory of F1 was him passing Alain Prost twice for the win at Magny-Cours, (although I vaguely remember Berger's 1989 accident on the news and other kids saying I couldn't say Mansell was in my toy Ferrari Testarossa RC car anymore because "he drives a Renault now"), he was the pure definition of childhood hero for me regardless of whatever well-publicised character flaws get thrown around - the fact that most of this is down to the fact he happened to be the most competitive of my compatriots when I started watching doesn't matter to me.

I'd not long started secondary school in '95 and remember the stick I got off the other kids (and my dad!) when the whole not-fitting-into-the-car thing was going off. I'd read an article saying it was down to bone structure rather than weight and repeatedly used this in his defence - I swear I coincidentally coined the whole "he's not fat, he's big boned" saying two years before Matt Stone and Trey Parker did

But yeah really enjoyed the article, to be honest I'd even forgotten things like his Imola run actually being quite decent when you scratch beneath the surface. Coincidentally Sky Sports F1 showed a re-run of the '94 Australian GP and his final race win this weekend just gone, great memories.