F1 News
Mansell - 'Todays driver will never know what a proper F1 car feels like'
1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell has said that ‘todays drivers will never know what a proper F1 car feels like’, claiming that the cars of the 80’s/90’s was the peak of Formula 1.
The Brits Formula 1 career started at Lotus, before a move to Williams for a few years in the late 80’s, then to Ferrari, back to Williams and signing off his F1 career with a few races at McLaren.
Mansell, who won his only Championship with Williams in 1992 believes that it was not those cars that were the best, but the cars from the 80’s with the super-powerful turbo engines.
He said to FIA’s Auto magazine: "Formula 1 will never get back to that.
"Driving those turbo cars was the most exhilarating, frightening thing that you could do in your life.
"The (1987) Williams FW11B -- nothing comes close to that car, nothing in the world.
“Really, today's drivers will never know what a proper F1 car feels like.
"In qualifying you literally had up to 1,500 horsepower -- it's reputed that BMW had more.
“And to have wheel spin in sixth gear down the straight, at 175 or 180mph -- you cannot put that into words as a driver.
"At every single corner you came to, the car was literally trying to kill you.”
