Mansell silent on future

The Electronic Telegraph 23 May 1995

By Timothy Collings

NIGEL MANSELL did nothing to douse the speculation about his Formula One future last night, despite it becoming clear that he was poised to miss this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix.

Mansell, 41, who won the world drivers' championship with Williams Renault in 1992, was unable to make any comment yesterday when he was asked if he would be racing in the colours of McLaren Mercedes on the streets of Monte Carlo.

His silence, like that of Ron Dennis, his team's managing director, was interpreted as assent to the growing theory that he will be absent.

"I haven't read anything at all," said Mansell, in reference to widespread speculation that he is considering retirement. "There are so many mischievous people in the world . . . and you can never foretell the future - people have tried to in the past and they have crashed and burned."

Asked if he would be racing in Monaco, Mansell said: "You cannot answer those questions and it is a shame they have to be asked." He said the problems he had suffered this year with McLaren were not his fault: "The car is not right."

According to sources close to McLaren, the team held a crisis meeting at the weekend, followed by one with their main sponsors, Philip Morris, to decide how to resolve their problems with their star driver. Mark Blundell is travelling to Monaco should a stand-in driver be needed.

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