S3 E5: Mansell's heartbreak - Canada 1991

Bring Back V10s - Classic F1 stories

The Race Media Ltd

Sports

4.9 • 734 Ratings

🗓️ 4 February 2021

⏱️ 65 minutes

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Summary

The 1991 Canadian Grand Prix is well remembered for Nigel Mansell stopping on the final lap after waving to the crowd. But what actually happened? We look back at the theories around his car grinding to a halt - with a little help from legendary Williams technical director Patrick Head - and reflect on the explanations Mansell and Adrian Newey have given over the years as well. Through the rest of the episode, we look at why Williams's cars kept breaking down in early-1991, the moment McLaren realised its car and engine was no match for the the Newey-Head-designed Williams-Renault FW14, how Mansell upset Renault when he rejoined the team, and why he thought his title chances were over so early in the year. We also look at the fortunes of the race-winning Benetton team, from its ambitious plans to run a V12 Ford engine in 1992, to the political wrangling behind the scenes that led to the acrimonious departure of design icon John Barnard - and why Barnard had told Ayrton Senna not to join the team! We also revisit the Ferrari upheaval of 1991 from a different perspective to the Alain Prost side of the story we've previously covered, and look at how Johnny Herbert's long awaited full-time return to F1 reduced him to tears on his first weekend back with Lotus. Plus there's talk on a significant weekend in Jordan's F1 history, why Riccardo Patrese looked so good against Mansell at this stage of the year, and how F1 driving standards and reliability have changed from 30 years ago to today. ASK US ANYTHING: Get your questions in about anything to do with F1 from 1989-2005 by using #BringBackV10s on Twitter - or leave us a 5-star review if you think we deserve it and ask a question there!

Transcript

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0:00.0	Nigel Mansell was seconds away from winning the Canadian Grand Prix in 1991, when
0:10.9	his Williams famously coasted to a halt, handing victory to his old nemesis, Nelson Pek.
0:16.0	But what really happened to Mansell and what turmoil was going on behind the scenes at the
0:21.5	Benetton team that picked up this fortunate victory?
0:24.8	We'll cover all of that and much more on this episode of Bring Back V10s brought to you
0:29.4	by the race.
0:30.7	My name is Glenn Freeman and joining me to look back at Canada 91, a former F1 driver and
0:36.2	now Sky Sports expert Karun Chandok and the race's COO and founder
0:41.0	Andrew Vanderberg, who really I should introduce as massive Nelson PK fan. But first, Karun,
0:47.7	welcome back to Memory Lane. By now you know how this works. So when you think of Canada 91,
0:53.4	what's the first thing that springs to mind?
0:55.9	And did I, by any chance, steal your thunder in the show's intro? Well, you absolutely did.
1:00.4	I mean, the overriding memory has got to be Murray Walker's commentary as Nigel came around
1:08.7	that hairpin on the final lap, hasn't it? I mean, that is, that is the
1:12.8	overriding memory. There's no, there's nothing, there's nothing else. There's nothing else.
1:16.2	I mean, PDB is about to say something about PK jumping in the podium or something, but yeah,
1:21.6	it's got to be that. Yeah. So come on, Andy. I guess your overriding memory is how PK's final win of his F1 career was one of his most deserved.
1:29.8	Oh, absolutely. I mean, it's right up there. You know, you think, Hungry-8-8 and then it's just kind of the 91.
1:35.6	No, I mean, of course, of course the memory is just seeing that Williams grind into a halt. And I think by this point in P.K's career, what was he, 38, government 39.
1:45.9	I didn't have particularly high expectations that I was going to be seeing too many more wins,
1:50.6	especially given the way that that car was performing.
1:53.8	And I just remember, I think I might have even laughed out loud,
	...

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