"It was daunting": When Nigel Mansell made his "biggest shock" known amid moving to IndyCar from F1

Former Formula 1 and IndyCar champion Nigel Mansell once shed light on his move from F1 to American open-wheel racing, and the biggest challenge that came with it. The Brit had transitioned from F1 to IndyCar in 1993 after winning the World Championship in 1992.

British racing legend Nigel Mansell remains one of the most revered figures in all of motorsports. Having competed in F1 for 15 years, the Worcestershire native won over 30 races, being the most successful Brit in the sport after Lewis Hamilton.

However, one of the most significant moves in his career came when Mansell, as the reigning F1 Drivers' Champion in 1992, decided to retire from the sport and move to the CART Series. The shocking announcement came after his disagreements with F1 outfit Williams, who at the time were keen on signing French icon Alain Prost to the team.

Nigel Mansell, as a result, made a move to legendary IndyCar outfit Newman/Haas Racing, replacing Michael Andretti,who moved to Formula 1 that same season. In an interview with Autosport back in 2014, the Brit revealed the biggest challenges that he faced during transition from F1 to IndyCar. He said:

"It was daunting. It was a bit of a shock to the system, because you're circulating a mile track in 20 seconds. I think the g-loading was the biggest shock, how long you sustained and held the g-load."

He added:

"And the other thing was that if you came out of the throttle the car would swap ends on you, or do something really nasty to you, because of the blown tunnel underneath that just sucked the car down."

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Nigel Mansell on Paul Newman's influence in his move to IndyCar

After deciding not to continue in F1 with Williams, Mansell had been considering a future in IndyCar for several weeks. The Newman/Haas seat, soon to be vacant, was an attractive option. Discussing the transition, he highlighted the significance of his discussions with actor and fellow racecar driver Paul Newman that facilitated the move, stating:

"I think the thing that probably moved us to go to Indycar in the end was basically Paul Newman. He was a genuine, thoroughbred racer, a charming man, and an incredible legend in his own lifetime as a movie star, obviously. People didn't know him as a human being, but we did. He just said, 'From what I can see you just need to have a lot of fun', and I think that's what swung it."

Teaming alongside racing legend Mario Andretti, Nigel Mansell would go on to win five races, and ultimately the CART Championship, in 1993. Mansell became the first person to win the title in his maiden season. He would go on to compete full-time in the 1994 CART season before returning to Formula 1 in 1995.

Mansell was notably the only person to hold the F1 Drivers' Championship and the American open-wheel National Championship at the same time. He is also the last F1 race winner after the age of 40, a record that might be broken by his compatriot Lewis Hamilton this year.