1992 World Champion · Formula 1

Nigel Mansell

Thirty-one Grand Prix victories, the 1992 world title, and the only driver ever to hold the Formula 1 and American open-wheel championships at the same time. The official Mansell collection: Lotus, Williams, Ferrari and the Newman/Haas year.

Nationality
British
Born
8 August 1953 · Upton-upon-Severn, England
Teams
Lotus · Williams · Ferrari · McLaren
F1 career
1980–1992, 1994–1995
Championships
1 (1992) · IndyCar (1993)
Unique record
Only driver to hold the F1 and IndyCar titles at once
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of legendary Formula 1 driver Nigel Mansell wearing his red racing suit and holding his helmet.
1992 World Champion
1980 — 1995
1
World Championship
31
Grand Prix Wins
32
Pole Positions
59
Podium Finishes

Who is Nigel Mansell?

Nigel Mansell (born 8 August 1953) is a British former Formula 1 driver who won the 1992 World Championship with Williams and the 1993 IndyCar World Series with Newman/Haas. He is the only driver to have held both titles at the same time. He won 31 Grands Prix and took 32 pole positions across 15 seasons, and was runner-up in the championship three times.

Full name
Nigel Ernest James Mansell
Nationality
British
F1 career
1980–1992, 1994–1995
Best known for
Holding the F1 and IndyCar titles at once

By Kozmozracing Editorial Published Updated 5 sources

Rider Profile

Nigel Mansell: Full Biography

Nigel Ernest James Mansell is a British former racing driver who won the 1992 Formula 1 World Championship with Williams and the 1993 IndyCar World Series with Newman/Haas, and remains the only driver to have held both titles at the same time.

Five Years to the First Win Mansell reached Formula 1 with Lotus in 1980 and went 71 Grand Prix starts without a victory. The first came at Brands Hatch in 1985, in his first season at Williams, and 30 more followed over the next nine years.

Near Misses He lost the 1986 championship at Adelaide when his left-rear tyre exploded with nineteen laps to go, was runner-up again in 1987 and 1991, and spent two seasons at Ferrari in between. The title finally came in 1992, with nine wins from sixteen races and fourteen pole positions — a single-season record that stood until 2011.

America and After He left for CART as reigning World Champion and won the 1993 title at the first attempt, the first driver to do so. A brief Williams return brought a final victory at Adelaide in 1994 at the age of 41, and he was the last driver to win a Grand Prix over 40 until Lewis Hamilton did it in 2026.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Nigel Mansell

Chapter 01

Seventy-One Starts

Mansell arrived in Formula 1 with Lotus in 1980 and spent five seasons in cars that could not win, scoring points but never a victory. Williams signed him for 1985 and the first win came at Brands Hatch in October, in his seventy-second start; he wept on the podium. A second followed a fortnight later in South Africa. He had been in the sport for six years and was 32 years old.

Nigel Mansell during practice for the German Grand Prix at Nürburgring Lotus · Williams · the long wait Photo: Nigel Mansell during practice for the German Grand Prix by Lothar Spurzem / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 de · licence
Chapter 02

Adelaide, 1986

Mansell went to the final race of 1986 leading the championship and needing only third place. With nineteen laps to go he was running third when his left-rear tyre exploded at around 180 mph on the main straight. He kept the car out of the wall and out of the race, and Alain Prost took the title. He was runner-up again in 1987 and 1991, and by 1992 had finished second in the championship three times without winning it.

Nigel Mansell in the Canon Williams-Honda FW10 Williams-Honda · the title that got away Photo: Nigel Mansell in the Canon Williams-Honda FW10 by Figsbury / Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · licence
Chapter 03

Champion, Twice Over

The 1992 Williams was the strongest car of the era and Mansell used it: nine wins from sixteen races, fourteen pole positions — a single-season record that lasted until 2011 — and the championship secured with five rounds still to run. He then left for CART as reigning World Champion, won the 1993 IndyCar World Series in his debut season, and became the only driver to hold the Formula 1 and American open-wheel titles simultaneously.

Nigel Mansell in the Newman/Haas Lola at Mid-Ohio during the 1993 CART IndyCar season, the year he took the title as reigning Formula 1 champion Williams FW14B · Newman/Haas Photo: Nigel Mansell in the Newman by Rick Dikeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 · licence
Career Timeline

Nigel Mansell Career Timeline: 1953–Present

Born in Worcestershire

Nigel Ernest James Mansell is born on 8 August in Upton-upon-Severn, and comes to single-seaters through Formula Ford and British Formula Three.

Formula 1 debut with Lotus

Debuts at the Austrian Grand Prix and stays with the team for three more seasons.

Signs for Williams

Moves to Williams and takes his first two Grand Prix wins, at Brands Hatch and Kyalami.

The Adelaide blowout

Leads the championship into the final race but a rear tyre explodes; Alain Prost takes the title.

Runner-up again

Six wins and eight poles, before a crash in qualifying at Suzuka ends his season and his title challenge.

Two years at Ferrari

Joins Ferrari and wins twice in his first season with the team.

Back at Williams

Returns to Williams, wins five races and finishes second to Ayrton Senna.

World Champion

Wins nine of sixteen races and takes fourteen poles, a single-season record that stands until 2011.

IndyCar champion

Moves to CART with Newman/Haas as reigning F1 champion and wins the title in his first season.

Return and a final win

Comes back for four races with Williams and wins the Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide, aged 41.

Last Formula 1 races

Starts two Grands Prix for McLaren and leaves the sport for good.

Grand Prix Masters and the Hall of Fame

Wins the Grand Prix Masters title and is inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Appointed CBE

Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to children and young people.

By the Numbers

Nigel Mansell F1 Career Record, Season by Season

Nigel Mansell season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
1980 Lotus 0 0 0 0 NC
1981 Lotus 0 0 1 8 14
1982 Lotus 0 0 1 7 14
1983 Lotus 0 0 1 10 13
1984 Lotus 0 1 2 13 10
1985 Williams 2 1 3 31 6
1986 Williams 5 2 9 72 2
1987 Williams 6 8 7 61 2
1988 Williams 0 0 2 12 9
1989 Ferrari 2 0 6 38 4
1990 Ferrari 1 3 5 37 5
1991 Williams 5 2 9 72 2
1992 Williams 9 14 12 108 1
1994 Williams 1 1 1 13 9
1995 McLaren 0 0 0 0 NC

The championship season is highlighted. Career totals: 31 wins · 32 pole positions · 59 podiums · 482 points scored from 187 Grand Prix starts, of which 480 counted towards the championships under the dropped-scores rules then in force. Sources differ on his entry count — Formula1.com lists 187 races and Wikipedia 191 entries — because of races he entered but did not start. He also won the 1993 IndyCar World Series with 5 wins and 7 poles, which is not included above. Figures verified 28 July 2026.

Nigel Mansell in his own words

In His Own Words
I had my fair share of heartaches and disappointments, but I also got a lot of satisfaction. I only ever drove as hard as I knew how.
Nigel Mansell · on his career · Formula1.com Hall of Fame

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Frequently Asked

Nigel Mansell: Frequently Asked Questions

How many races did Nigel Mansell win?

31 Grands Prix from 187 starts, with 32 pole positions and 59 podium finishes. He is the second most successful British driver by race wins, behind Lewis Hamilton.

When did Nigel Mansell win the world championship?

In 1992, with Williams. He won nine of the sixteen races and took fourteen pole positions, sealing the title with five rounds still remaining.

What makes Nigel Mansell's record unique?

He is the only driver to have held the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship and the American open-wheel national title at the same time, having won the 1993 IndyCar World Series as reigning F1 champion — and in his debut season, which no driver had done before.

Why did Nigel Mansell lose the 1986 championship?

He led going into the final race at Adelaide and needed only third place, but his left-rear tyre exploded on the main straight with nineteen laps to go. Alain Prost won the race and the title.

Which teams did Nigel Mansell drive for?

Lotus from 1980 to 1984, Williams from 1985 to 1988, Ferrari in 1989 and 1990, Williams again in 1991, 1992 and 1994, and McLaren for two races in 1995.

How long did Nigel Mansell wait for his first win?

71 Grand Prix starts. The first victory came at Brands Hatch in October 1985, in his first season with Williams, more than five years after his debut.

What records does Nigel Mansell hold?

He held the record for the most pole positions in a single season, fourteen in 1992, until Sebastian Vettel broke it in 2011. He was also the last driver to win a Grand Prix aged over 40, at Adelaide in 1994, until Lewis Hamilton won at Barcelona-Catalunya in 2026.

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Nigel Mansell Collection

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References

Sources & Further Reading

Every statistic on this page is drawn from the following records.

  1. Nigel Mansell — Hall of Fame profile · Formula1.com (official)
  2. Nigel Mansell driver database · Motor Sport Magazine
  3. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile · FIA, governing body records
  4. Nigel Mansell · Wikipedia
  5. Nigel Mansell (Q10501) · Wikidata entity record

How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

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