Vettel’s run in Mansell’s 1992 Williams made him ‘feel like a five-year-old again’

Sebastian Vettel says driving Nigel Mansell’s Formula 1 world championship-winning Williams FW14B car ahead of the British Grand Prix made him “feel like a five-year-old again”.

Vettel completed a demonstration run in Mansell famous ‘Red 5’ at Silverstone, with which the British driver claimed nine race wins on his way to securing his first and only world title in 1992.

This particular FW14B was bought by Vettel himself in 2020, and the shakedown was used to mark 30 years since Mansell won the British Grand Prix in his title-winning season.

Mansell greeted the four-time world champion on Silverstone’s main straight after completing his run, with current drivers Lewis Hamilton, Mick Schumacher and George Russell also taking the chance to watch Vettel in action.

Speaking about the experience of driving Mansell’s 1992 Williams, Vettel said, as quoted by Motorsport.com: “It was very special, also to have him there and waiting for me at the end.

“I felt like a five-year-old again, because the sound, everything, just brought me back to 30 years ago.

“So I’m very proud we got together and I got the chance. It was even on my birthday, which I didn’t realise at the time!”

Vettel’s show run also allowed him to showcase the use of carbon-neutral fuels that was used to power the car.

The German has been a leading voice on environmental issues, and said the idea to driving the Williams on a carbon-neutral fuel was a “more responsible way” to “showcase the emotions”.

“When I came up with the idea, 30 years ago Nigel won the grand prix here, obviously I’ve got the car from that time, that very car, but I didn’t want to do it and just waste resources and thought of a better way of doing it.”

F1 is close to finalising the regulations for the next generation of power units to be introduced in 2026 that are set to use fully-sustainable fuels, which Vettel suggested could be pushed forward.

“I’m not taking decisions here, but I can obviously ask questions and the plan is to move in that direction,” Vettel said, as quoted by The Race.

“There’s pros and cons, also when you talk about synthetic fuels, how you do them, what’s the source and so on.

“But we have no time to waste, no time to wait, and obviously the introduction is planned for 2026.

“I understand that not everybody is easily agreeing on changing it sooner, but in the end that’s probably what would be the right call, to do it sooner.”