Nigel Ernest Mansell was born on 8 August, 1953, near Birmingham. Mansell first drove a car in a nearby field at the age of seven. After considerable success in kart racing, he become the 1977 British Formula Ford champion.
Nigel became one of the most successful British drivers in Formula One racing and one of the most exciting Formula One drivers ever. He approached racing with a win or crash trying approach - 31 wins and 32 crashes.
Although highly talented, his competitve nature caused lots of friction among the other drivers as well as his team mates and his team owners.
Nigel hung his helmet at the age of 41 after a career of 187 races in 15 tumultuous F1 seasons.