1989 Ferrari F40

Enzo Ferrari and Nigel Mansell, two of Formula One’s most ego-driven characters, joined forces for the 1989 Formula One season. The determined Briton Mansell replaced Italian hero Michele Alboreto partnering Gerhard Berger in the splendid John Barnard designed Ferrari 640, Mansell was high on Ferrari’s list after his first Formula One stints with Lotus and Williams. Mansell was the last driver Enzo Ferrari had signed to Scuderia Ferrari before the Commendatore passed away in August of 1988. Mansell took over the #27 Ferrari for the 1989 and 1990 seasons, the number being significant as the association to the late Gilles Villeneuve was still strong in the hearts of the TIFOSI and anyone stepping into the car had to embody Villeneuve’s fearless competitive spirit and, more importantly, win races, World Championships and make the church bells ring in Maranello. **Nigel Mansell Career.** Nigel Mansell (CBE) should need no introduction to anyone who’s been even remotely watching racing for the last forty years. Second only to Lewis Hamilton as the most successful British driver in Formula One history and seventh overall with 31 wins and one World Championship (1992). Mansell came up the hard way, having sold off his home, most of his possessions and leaving his job as an aerospace engineer to commit fully to a season in Formula Ford where he won six of the nine races he entered but also suffered tremendous neck trauma in a terrifying shunt which nearly left him quadriplegic; Mansell was undeterred and rose through the ranks of European open wheeled junior formulas. From 1978 to 1980, Mansell raced in Formula Three starting with a pole position and a second place in an uncompetitive car as a commercial deal saw to it that his team used Triumph Dolomite engines which were much slower than the Toyota engined cars of the top teams in the category. He left the team after some disappointing results returning the next year with David Price Racing, scoring a win at Silverstone and finishing eighth in the championship. Mansell’s season low-light was a collision with Andrea de Cesaris causing a huge, cart-wheeling shunt which he was lucky to survive, coming away with broken vertebrae. Through the glimmers of success and very public, hair-raising struggles, Mansell’s pace caught the eye of Lotus owner Colin Chapman and shortly after the F-3 incident, Chapman invited him to take part in a driver “shoot-out” audition test at Paul Ricard to find a teammate for 1978 World Champion Mario Andretti. Mansell, despite masking his near incapacitating injuries with pain killers, performed well in the test but the ride went to the faster and more experienced Italian, Elio de Angelis. Chapman then made a deal with Mansell to be the team’s test and development driver which in those days was a big deal as development of the cars was virtually limitless as it was not unusual to have two or three engine and unlimited aero upgrades per season. These were the days when wind tunnel testing was just becoming a thing and, of course, pre-simulator which are used so extensively these days so test drivers were kept very busy. The real world testing was also a good way to gain experience in F-1 cars away from the public and media glare. **Nigel Mansell: Formula One Grand Prix World Championship Record** Years Active: 1980-1992 & 1995 Entries: 191 (187 starts) Wins: 31 Podiums 59 Pole Positions: 32 Fastest Laps: 30 World Championship: 1 (1992) First entry: 1980 Austrian Grand Prix First win: 1985 European Grand Prix (Brands Hatch) **Teams** **John Player Team Lotus/Team Essex Lotus. 1980-1984** 1980: Chassis/Engine: Lotus 81B/3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 Test and development driver Teammates: Elio de Angelis and Mario Andretti Championship points/rank: Three appearances, 0 points 1981: Chassis/Engine: Lotus 87, 88, 88B/3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 Teammate: Elio de Angelis Podiums: 1 Championship points/rank: 8/14th 1982: Chassis/Engine: Lotus 87B, 91/3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 Teammate: Elio de Angelis Podiums: 1 Championship points/rank: 7/14th 1983: Chassis/Engine: Lotus 92/3.0 Ford Cosworth DFV V8 Teammate: Elio de Angelis Pole Position: 1 (United States) Podiums: 1 Championship points/rank: 10/13th 1984: Chassis/Engine: Lotus 95T/Renault EF4B 1.5 V6 Turbo Teammate: Elio de Angelis Podiums: 2 Championship points/rank: 13 (Tied with Senna for 9th) **Canon Williams Grand Prix Engineering/Honda 1985-1987** 1985: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW10/Honda RA165E 1.5 V6 Turbo Teammate: Keke Rosberg Wins: 2 (European, South Africa) Podiums: 3 Championship points/rank: 31/6th 1986: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW11/Honda RA166E 1.5 V6 Turbo Teammate: Nelson Piquet Wins: 5 (Belgium, Canada, France, Great Britain, Italy) Podiums: 9 Championship points/rank: 70/2nd 1987: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW11B/Honda RA167E 1.5 V6 Turbo Teammate: Nelson Piquet Wins: 6 (San Marino, France, Great Britain, Austria, Spain, Mexico) Podiums: 7 Championship points/rank: 61/2nd 1989: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW12/Judd CV 3.5 V8 Teammates: Riccardo Patrese, Martin Brundle, Jean-Louis Schlesser Podiums: 2 Championship points/rank: 12/9th **Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC 1988-1989** 1989: Chassis/Engine: Ferrari 640/Ferrari 035/5 3.5 V12 Teammate: Gerhard Berger Wins: 2 (Brazil, Hungary) Podiums: 6 Championship points/rank: 38/4th 1990: Chassis/Engine: Ferrari 641/Ferrari 036 3.5 V12 Teammate: Alain Prost Wins: 1 Portugal Podiums: 5 Championship points/rank: 37/5th **Canon Williams Grand Prix Engineering/Renault 1991-1992** 1991: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW14/Renault RS3 3.5 V10 Teammate: Riccardo Patrese Wins: 5 (France, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain) Podiums: 9 Championship points/rank: 72/2nd 1992: Chassis/Engine: Williams FW14B/Renault RS3C & RS4 3.5 V10 Teammate: Riccardo Patrese Wins: 9 (South Africa, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, San Marino, France, Great Britain, Germany, Portugal) Podiums: 12 Championship points/rank. 108/World Champion **Team Marlboro McLaren Mercedes-Benz 1995 ** 1995: Chassis/Engine: McLaren MP4/10B, MP4/10C/Mercedes-Benz F0 110 3.0 V10 Teammates: Mika Hakkinen, Jan Magnussen, Mark Blundell Appearances: 2 Podiums: 0 Championship points/rank: 0/NA **Nigel Mansell Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART Indy Car World Series) Record** **Newman Haas Racing 1993-1994** Starts 31 Wins: 5 Podiums: 13 Poles: 10 Fastest laps: 4 Championship: 1 (1993) 1993: Engine/Chassis: Lola T93/Ford Cosworth XB V8 Turbo Teammate: Mario Andretti Wins: 5 (Surfers Paradise, Milwaukee, Michigan, New Hampshire, Nazareth) Podiums: 10 Championship points/rank: 191/CART Champion 1994 Engine/Chassis: Lola T94/Ford Cosworth XB V8 Turbo Teammate: Mario Andretti Podiums: 3 Championship points/rank: 88/8th **Maranello Calling.** Enzo Ferrari personally picked Mansell to replace the congenial Italian Michele Alboreto in the team in August of 1988. Mansell, humbled by the opportunity, stated it was one of the greatest honors of his career. Despite speaking little to no Italian, Mansell’s selection in the team was enthusiatically accepted by the TIFOSI who nicknamed him “Il Leone” (“The Lion”) for his tenacious driving, bravery and deserving of the #27 ride. Ferrari gifted Mansell with a Ferrari F40 (#80022), which was Ferrari’s new flagship supercar. Mansell registered the F40 on the Isle of Man where he was residing at the time with the number “MAN 40N”. Enzo Ferrari would pass away mere days after signing Mansell to the Scuderia which was one of his last official acts. Nearing the end of the 1998 F-1 season, Scuderia Ferrari would scoop up a 1-2 victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza with Gerhard Berger taking the win and Michele Alboreto in second after Senna collided with Williams’ substitute driver Jean-Louis Schlesser, who was sitting in for the injured Mansell, while leading in the first chicane in front of the frenzied TIFOSI. For 1989, Mansell would be teamed with Austrian Gerhard Berger at Ferrari, an interesting driver combination, in th