Nigel Mansell judges the duel between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg
Penultimate winner of the Mexican Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell reflects on the rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. He recalls his rivalries with Nelson Piquet, Keke Rosberg, and Alain Prost.
Nigel Mansell knows what it means to fight for a World Drivers’ Championship. The English driver fought in 1986 against Alain Prost and his teammate Nelson Piquet for the global prize, without success. In 1991, as a Williams-Renault driver, he finished second in the drivers’ standings after an open battle with Ayrton Senna in a McLaren-Honda, with their duel in Barcelona remaining one of the most epic. It was in 1992 that The Lion won the World Championship by defeating Ayrton Senna.
After his championship title, Nigel Mansell cannot confirm his new status at Ferrari due to mechanical problems. Meanwhile, Alain Prost regularly outpaces him. With all this history, the former teammate of Nelson Piquet reflects on the rivalry between the two Mercedes drivers: « I rationalized this with Lewis, regarding Nico. I was lucky to be privileged. However, I faced difficult times. I raced with three World Champions (Keke Rosberg, Nelson Piquet, and Alain Prost). For example, Keke is a gentleman who got along well with those who occasionally outpaced him. »
However, it was not the same with his two other rivals, Alain Prost and Nelson Piquet: « On the other hand with Alain and Nelson, it was the Third and Fourth World Wars! When the second driver, and it was me at the time, got closer to them or started beating them, do you think they appreciated that? ».
The rivalry between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg continued this season, with a victory from Nigel Mansell’s compatriot. The latter judges this rivalry: « I think the relationship they have at Mercedes is very good to some extent. Lewis is the leading driver and the undisputed number 1, he is a three-time World Champion! Nico should be happy to have won so many races, he is a very good driver, but as soon as he starts beating Lewis more regularly, his stock will soar ».
In *Motorsport*, the Englishman gives advice to Nico Rosberg to beat Lewis Hamilton: « *You measure yourself against your teammate more than anyone else. Nico is the teammate of the World Champion. It’s up to him to adopt the right mindset. He mustn’t put obstacles in his own way. If he does, he won’t be able to do what he wants. I have great respect for Nico, but Lewis is in another category at the moment* ».
