Star Q&A: Racing legend, Nigel Mansell

We share a chat with racing legend Nigel Mansell who is staying at The Pop-Up Hotel which has returned to Silverstone in time for summer.

Hi Nigel! What’s your favourite corner at Silverstone?

Becketts is pretty awesome, but then so is Stowe. The old Stowe – the new Stowe is not as challenging.

And your favourite Silverstone memory?

Winning… oh no, there’s a few of them! 1992, when I won the championship.

What are you doing here at the Pop-up?

The hotel is bringing something genuinely different to Silverstone, and I’m looking forward to staying. To have that level of comfort and hospitality right inside the circuit, with great food, a relaxed atmosphere and everything taken care of across a race weekend allows you to enjoy the event in a different way.

Apart from the British event, what Grand Prix is your top race to attend?

Difficult one. Without even thinking about it, I do have a soft spot for Hungary. I always used to have my birthday there, and I won the Grand Prix and finished the World Championship there.

What would you change about the Monaco track to make it better from a fan’s perspective?

I wouldn’t change too much. You’ve got what you’ve got at Monaco. They’ve made it much safer. You could possibly – somehow, I’m not sure – make it a bit wider in places for more overtaking opportunities, because there’s hardly any. But Monaco is all about qualifying, and everybody knows that. If you do a great job in qualifying and your car is reliable, then you should be able to win.

What country that doesn’t have an F1 race do you think would be great?

New Zealand’s too small… Thailand would be good. Singapore has a fantastic race. Probably a few others.

Does Lewis Hamilton have one more championship in him?

Well, yes – no question.

What would be on your playlist if you could listen to music while driving an F1 car, what would be on your playlist?

Queen.

Do you drive an electric car?

No – I don’t think fully electric is sensible. Hybrid is totally different – half and half is fantastic, recharging energy as you go along. Hybrid is smart.

Who’s your favourite person from your F1 career?

There’s only one – my dear wife.

If you could have your career again, would you race now, in your era, or another era?

That’s a difficult one. But to have twice the capability of doing the job you love, for twice the number of years and not getting injuries – now is a special time to race.

If you could make one wish for the world, what would it be?

Peace, tranquillity… try to think the best of people and get rid of disharmony. Just get rid of conflict. I don’t understand why we have to repeat history.

We don’t have to have conflicts – negotiate before there’s any conflict at all. But peace and harmony.