Nigel Mansell and Lotus – Ten great shots and a story
1992 Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell endured a tough time at Lotus. He drove three races on debut in 1980 and then four full seasons from 1981 to 1984. Few could have predicted the force he was to become. Let’s look back on Nigel Mansell and Lotus.
Nigel Mansell burst onto the Formula 1 scene with a huge amount of talent, however his time spent at Lotus would see him finish just 24 races from 59 starts. Photographer Paul-Henri Cahier was there to see it all, and as part of our Mansell-month celebrations he’s kindly agreed to provide us with his ten favorite photographs from the early days of Nigel Mansell and Lotus.
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Paul-Henri Cahier also afforded us his insight on the enigmatic Nigel Mansell’s days at Lotus:
“In all honesty, it was not easy to predict that Nigel Mansell would turn into the Champion he became. Of course he was very fast, but the Lotus was fragile and not the best car, and we were in Chapman’s late days.
It was really not until Dallas 1984 that Nigel made the headlines, passing out from heat exhaustion after starting from Pole and leading most of the race.
However Nigel Mansell was an immensely tough, resilient and brave driver, who was endowed with massive skill and an unlimited amount of courage.
He was also somewhat fragile and temperamental, which arguably cost him massively when he was paired with manipulative teammates such as Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost.
With slightly different cards, Nigel Mansell could have been even greater, and more successful”
MORE: Nigel Mansell – Most Memorable F1 Moments
Paul-Henri has taken countless photos of Nigel Mansell in action throughout the years, from his early days at Lotus, these are his 10 absolute favorites:
Nigel Mansell on his Grand Prix debut powers the Essex sponsored Lotus-Cosworth through the flowing curves of the Osterreichring, Austria 1980.
Full focus at Holland 1981, before an electrical problem resulted in a DNF.
Belgian Grand Prix, 1982.
At speed in Italy, 1982.
Strapped in waiting to go in Canada, 1983.
On the charge in Canada, 1983.
Detroit, 1984.
Italy, 1984.
South Africa, 1984.
We hope you’ve enjoyed part one in our three-part series celebrating the career of Nigel Mansell as witnessed through the eyes and lens’ of Paul-Henri Cahier. Next up? Ferrari of course.
This is the latest in our series of photo specials showcasing the stunning images from the Cahier Archive. The collection, by photographers Bernard Cahier and his son Paul-Henri are part of a massive collection of 400 000 originals of which 17 000+ pictures are currently available on their website.
Images: TheCahierArchive©
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