STORY OF THE DAY: Mansell wins on his Ferrari debut

The Brazilian Grand Prix on 26 March 1989 opened the new Formula One season with an unexpected victory for Nigel Mansell in Ferrari number 27. Starting sixth, he survived an eventful race to finish ahead of Alain Prost’s McLaren and Maurício Gugelmin’s March. Mansell thereby became the first driver since Mario Andretti in 1971 to win his first World Championship Grand Prix for Ferrari.

The result was remarkable because Ferrari’s innovative transmission had proved fragile throughout testing, leaving Mansell doubtful that the car would reach the finish. He remained in contention as several rivals encountered trouble, took the lead decisively, and even had a steering wheel replaced during his pit stop. Against expectations, the new Ferrari lasted the distance and gave both driver and machine an immediate victory.

Officially designated the Ferrari 640 and commonly associated with the F89 project name, the car was designed under John Barnard’s technical direction. It combined a carbon-composite chassis with Ferrari’s naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V12, introduced after turbocharged engines were banned for 1989. Its most influential feature was a seven-speed electrohydraulic semi-automatic gearbox operated by paddles behind the steering wheel, and Mansell’s success marked the first Formula One victory for that transmission concept.

Nigel Mansell was a British driver renowned for determined, forceful racing and for overcoming a difficult path into Formula One. He arrived at Ferrari after successful years with Lotus and Williams and was the final driver personally chosen for the team by Enzo Ferrari. The Italian supporters soon called him Il Leone, and his victory at the first attempt established the courageous Ferrari identity that defined his two seasons with the Scuderia.