Mansell Re-lives The Dream

[Senna 0]

MANSELL RE-LIVES THE DREAM

ITV

Nigel Mansell will start from pole position for the inaugural Grand Prix Masters race at Kyalami in South Africa on Sunday.

The 1992 Formula 1 world champion was fastest throughout practice and cemented his pace with pole position by half a second from old IndyCar rival Emerson Fittipaldi in the 45-minute qualifying session.

"I'm obviously very pleased indeed to be the fastest man today but it's not really about fastest laps," said Mansell afterwards.

"We've made history today and it's as simple as that!

"We've just successfully launched a brand new type of racing and this is not a show, it's the real thing! I defy anyone to watch those qualifying laps today and say that these guys aren't driving on the edge!"

Mansell admitted after qualifying that he had pushed the limits in order to achieve his lap time.

He urged against assumptions that the veterans had come out of retirement just for fun, and that on-track they were serious as ever.

"We went quick today," he said.

"Really quick! I haven't driven like that for a very long time and on one occasion, I had a wheel on the dust and I still didn't back off.

"Crazy stuff, it really was!"

Fittipaldi's pace was a welcome fillip.

The Brazilian broke his back in a career-ending shunt at Michigan in 1996, but the 1972 and '74 F1 world champion showed he still had what it takes to keep Mansell honest and took a front-row slot.

"I saw Nigel's number five car come out in front of me during that last run and I thought I had to follow to see where the short cuts were!," said Emmo.

"Nigel saw me behind him and as he backed off a little so did I. He then picked it up again and so did I. It really was just like the old days!

"Both of us pushing each other to the limit and at times beyond!"

Mansell's Williams team-mate from 1991-'92 Riccardo Patrese was third fastest ahead of Dutchman Jan Lammers, Andrea de Cesaris and Britain's Derek Warwick.

The 1980 F1 world champion Alan Jones was forced to withdraw from the event after suffering muscle spasms in his neck during practice.

Qualifying times from Kyalami

1 Nigel Mansell 1m33.428s

2 Emerson Fittipaldi 1m33.998s

3 Riccardo Patrese 1m34.048s

4 Jan Lammers 1m34.082s

5 Andrea de Cesaris 1m34.086s

6 Derek Warwick 1m34.087s

7 Christian Danner 1m34.132s

8 Eddie Cheever 1m34.602s

9 Hans-Joachim Stuck 1m34.755s

10 Stefan Johansson 1m34.841s

11 Rene Arnoux 1m35.453s

12 Eliseo Salazar 1m36.852s

13 Patrick Tambay 1m36.948s

14 Jacques Laffite 1m36.958s

[ButtonGod 0]

Go Mansell!!!

Looking forward to the race tomorrow.