STORY OF THE DAY: Mansell’s Charge from Twelfth to Victory

Nigel Mansell delivered one of his finest drives in the 1989 Hungarian Grand Prix, bringing the Ferrari F89 640/2 number 27 home in first place. Starting only 12th at the narrow, twisting Hungaroring, where overtaking was notoriously difficult, he advanced steadily through the field and converted a difficult qualifying position into an exceptional World Championship victory.

Recognizing that outright qualifying speed would offer limited reward, Mansell concentrated on preparing the car for the race. His judgment paid off as he combined controlled aggression with decisive overtaking, eventually closing on Ayrton Senna’s leading McLaren-Honda. On lap 58, Mansell used traffic to pass the reigning World Champion in a bold, precisely timed move and retained the lead to the finish.

The Ferrari 640, also known as the F89, was powered by a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V12 and introduced Ferrari’s pioneering electro-hydraulic semi-automatic transmission, operated by paddles behind the steering wheel. John Barnard’s clean, distinctive design was fast but suffered from recurring transmission and reliability problems during its debut season; at the Hungaroring, its responsive chassis and uninterrupted paddle shifting helped Mansell exploit his race-focused setup.

Nigel Mansell was a British driver renowned for his commitment, physical determination and forceful racing style. He joined Ferrari for 1989 and immediately won his first race for the team in Brazil, earning the affection of the Italian public. His Hungarian triumph, achieved from the sixth row against formidable opposition, became one of the defining performances of his two seasons with the Scuderia and of his entire Formula One career.