MansellL mania is back...

MansellL mania is back in Britain, and Auto Express has been given a taste of it... by ‘Our Nige’ himself! On 13 August, the ex-Formula One champion races at Silverstone for the first time since he clinched the British GP in his 1992 title-winning year. And as a warm-up, he took us for a spin in a special two-seater version of the Grand Prix Masters car he’ll be driving.

That’s how we find ourselves wedged in the back of the demonstrator, knees bent and helmet jammed against a special carbon fibre brace. There’s a grab handle in front, with a red ‘panic button’ that needs to be held down at all times, or Nigel will stop. The Brit jokingly refers to this as the ejector seat.

Even though the runway at London’s City Airport is wet, before we know it, we are being hurled up the strip. The noise of the 650bhp V8 hurts your ears and the braking force nearly rips your head off your shoulders. The speed makes your helmet lift as the air gets under it. Afterwards, the Grand Prix Masters engineers confirm that we hit 194.3mph – the fastest speed ever recorded by a car in the capital.

Fellow GP Master Derek Warwick loves this series. He explained: “We’re driving a proper racer. There’s no power-steering, no traction control, nothing, so the guy at the wheel can really put his influence into the car.” Fifteen other drivers – including Warwick, Emerson Fittipaldi, Riccardo Patrese and René Arnoux – will be out to prevent Man?sell picking up his third straight GP Masters victory. But who would bet against a triumphant home-coming?

Log on to www.gpmasters.com or call 0870 458 8260 for tickets.