Nigel Mansell assesses the start of the season
Nigel Mansell, 1992 world champion with Williams, judges the start of the 2011 season very favorably. According to him, the first races have provided a fantastic show.
He is particularly raving about the performances of the Red Bull team. « Red Bull started very strong, and Sebastian Vettel is brilliantly defending his title by putting on some very impressive races, » acknowledges the Englishman.
But the opponents of the Austrian team also earn the admiration of the Briton, notably his compatriot Lewis Hamilton. « Lewis did a good job with his victory in China. McLaren must find more performance, but we are only at the beginning of the season. »
Nigel also believes that Vettel is above the rest. But he remains confident in his adversaries’ ability to fight against him. « Sebastian is in the best position to keep his title. His team provides him with the competitive car he needs. Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton will win races this season and push Vettel to his limits. We should have some great races. »
Mansell also has his say regarding Michael Schumacher and shares his lack of understanding.
« I don’t understand what’s happening with Michael. Sometimes he seems fast and could be among the top four, but in the end, he doesn’t make it. If nothing changes by the end of the season, he will need to reconsider his commitment. »
The British driver surely remembers his failed comeback in 1995 at the wheel of a McLaren, which saw him embarrass himself during two Grand Prix before throwing in the towel…
