1992 Formula 1 – Season Review

A tremendous review of the entire 1992 F1 season, covering each race

in detail. Originally produced at the end of the 1992 season, this was the

year of Nigel Mansell and the Williams Team. A phenomenal chassis and a

powerful Renault engine, this potent combo would propel Nigel Mansell and

teammate Riccardo Patrese to a 1-2 finish in the championship, while

newcomer Michael Schumacher would surpass Ayrton Senna to take third.

Alain Prost was fired by Ferrari at the end of the 1991 season, although he would attempt to save face by claiming
that he quit the team due to personality conflicts with his teammate Nigel Mansell. Prost tested with the Ligier Team,
and to keep prying eyes at bay, he would sometimes use different helmets to avoid a potential media circus. Testing
did not go well with Ligier, and Alain decided to simply sit out the 1992 season. With Prost’s removal from the
Ferrari Team confirmed, he was replaced by Ivan Capelli, a rare case of an Italian driver sitting in the cockpit of an
F1 Ferrari. Meanwhile, the other Ferrari driver, Nigel Mansell, the man that Prost claimed he could not have as a
teammate anymore, had accepted an offer to run for Williams. The Williams chassis, coupled with a Renault engine,
was immediately seen as the car to beat in 1992. Over at McLaren, it was business as usual, with Ayrton Senna
attempting to make it 3 championships in a row for 1992. But Senna knew the Williams Team had a superior car and
that it would take all his skill and experience to beat them. And the Williams Team of Nigel Mansell and Riccardo
Patrese weren’t going to be the only threat to Senna’s 1992 season. A young upstart named Michael Schumacher
(Benetton) would end up placing one position higher in the points standings than Senna. The Brabham Team continued
to struggle, and to make matters worse their 1991 driver Martin Brundle left to join Michael Schumacher over at
Benetton. Desperate for sponsorship, Brabham signed a woman named Giovanna Amati to the team, who would
become the last female to ever drive in F1. After only 3 races and a lot of media attention, Amati was replaced by a
newcomer named Damon Hill, who didn’t fare much better in the Brabham, only qualifying twice in the next 8 races.
Mauricio Gugelmin and Stefano Modena struggled with the Jordan Team, who had unfortunately signed a deal with
Yamaha to provide engines, and the Jordan Team would be a non-factor for the entire 1992 season.

The first three races were won by Nigel Mansell, second place going to his teammate Riccardo Patrese. The string of
Mansell-Patrese 1-2 finishes would be broken at the Spanish Grand Prix when Michael Schumacher would finish 2nd
after Patrese spun. At the San Marino Grand Prix, it was Mansell and Patrese again, followed by Senna, who had
made such an effort to stay with the Williams cars that he was unable to exit his McLaren for 20 minutes after the
race due to excruciating pain in his shoulders. But the next race was Monaco, Ayton Senna’s playground. Mansell had
punctured a tire, and rejoined the race to chase Senna to the very end, but would lose to Senna by a mere .0215
seconds. At the Canadian Grand Prix, Nigel Mansell would spin on lap 14 to end his day. Ayrton Senna would lead until
lap 37 when his electrics failed, and a few laps later, Riccardo Patrese’s gearbox failed, handing the win to Senna’s
teammate Gerhard Berger. At the French Grand Prix, Patrese would lead until torrential rains came, halting the race.
On the restart, Patrese had to follow team orders and allow Mansell to pass him for the win. At the British Grand
Prix, an ecstatic crowd cheered on their hometown hero Nigel Mansell, who qualified on pole and set fastest lap.
Mansell would go on to win by over 40 seconds. At the German Grand Prix, it was Mansell again, followed by Senna
and Schumacher. The Hungarian Grand Prix was a strong showing for Senna, winning by over 40 seconds ahead of
Nigel Mansell, but it was a bittersweet victory. Mansell scored enough points to wrap up the championship, even
though there were still five races to go. At the Belgian Grand Prix, future 7-time world champion Michael
Schumacher would score his first victory. The Italian Grand Prix had Mansell leading again, and with the
championship already won, he decided to move over and let his teammate Patrese pass in order to give him a win.
But the gearboxes failed in both Williams cars, handing the win to Senna, with the Benetton Team of Martin Brundle
and Michael Schumacher finishing 2-3 on the podium. The Portugese Grand Prix had Mansell back in winning form,
but he was nearly caught up in a wreck. On lap 43, his teammate Riccardo Patrese had clipped the back of
Gerhard Berger’s McLaren, and Patrese flipped backwards in a spectacular crash. Patrese was ok, Mansell
avoided the accident, and would go on to win. At the Japanese Grand Prix, Mansell again waved his teammate
Patrese past on lap 44 to give him a win, and then Mansell’s engine blew. At the final race in Australia,
Gerhard Berger would capture his second win of the season in his McLaren, followed by Michael Schumacher. As a
fitting end to the 1992 season, Mansell and Senna collided with each other while battling for the lead.

Nigel Mansell started off the 1992 season by winning the first 6 races, and winning the first 8 of 10 races. With 5
races to go in the season, Mansell had won the championship. It was a spectacular season for Nigel, a disappointment
for Senna, a rebirth for the Williams Team, and a new star named Michael Schumacher made his presence felt.