Former world champion: "Great to see where the sport is today".
General
- GPblog.com
Nigel Mansell has shone his light on Formula 1 's development over the last twenty years. The one-time world champion is pleased with many things that have changed in the pinnacle of motor sport after the accidents of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna in 1994, although he does not entirely agree with one small thing.
The very serious accidents in Formula 1 caused a shockwave in the world. Many tracks were changed, which is not bad in itself, but according to Mansell there is a downside. "All the dangerous corners were removed. They were not taken out completely. That's a shame," says the 69-year-old Briton.
Mansell thinks it's a shame that there are huge run-off areas and low kerbs nowadays. Driver mistakes are not punished as quickly as they used to be. The consequences of going wide were in Mansell's years a lot bigger than they are in 2022, but Mansell says he understands why this has been chosen.
Less physical effort?
What Mansell also notices, is that drivers often don't seem very exhausted when they get out of the car. The introduction of power steering has played a role in this. "After a few races the drivers get out of the car and it looks like they just went to the hairdresser. They are not sweating. We had to have really strong arms to catch the car in the corners. Nowadays you can drive a Formula 1 car with your little finger," he jokes.
Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com the 31-time Grand Prix winner concludes that Formula 1 has generally made the right moves over the years. "So much has changed. It's great to see where the sport is today."