When it comes to memorable moments in Formula 1, the 1991 British Grand Prix produced possibly one of the most iconic images of all time.
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About The British Grand Prix
The British Grand Prix has been part of the Formula One World Championship since the very beginning. In fact, the first ever Formula 1 World Championship race was the 1950 British Grand Prix. Held at the iconic Silverstone Circuit, it was won by Nino Farina (who would go on to win the championship title that same year). The venue has changed a few times over the decades. Silverstone was the sole circuit used between 1950-1954, before it began to share hosting duties with Aintree between 1955-1962. Aintree was decommissioned from Formula 1 after the 1962 season, but Brands Hatch stepped in to pick up the race. From 1963-1986, the British Grand Prix hopped between Silverstone and Brands Hatch, with each circuit hosting the race on alternating years. In 1987, Silverstone once again became the home of the British Grand Prix, where it has remained ever since.
There are four British drivers on the grid for the 2025 season – Oliver Bearman, George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. Unsurprisingly, Hamilton holds the record for most British Grand Prix wins (nine of them, to be exact). When it comes to constructors, Ferrari are the ones with the most British Grand Prix wins, sitting pretty on a total of 18 victories claimed between 1950 and 2024.
If you’ve ever attended the British Grand Prix, you’ll know that one of the biggest challenges drivers face is the elements. Weather forecasts at Silverstone change at the drop of a hat, which means that teams often have to plan for all eventualities. All in all, the British Grand Prix is synonymous with Formula 1, and it’s currently set to feature until at least 2034.
The 1991 British Grand Prix
There have been plenty of brilliant British Grand Prix races. 1967 saw a masterclass drive from Jim Clark, whilst also being his final race at Silverstone. 1987 when Nigel Mansell pulled the ultimate dummy move on Nelson Piquet down the Hangar Straight. Or how about 1995, when Johnny Herbert claimed victory in the wake of Damon Hill and Michael Schumacher’s collision. And then there’s 2008, when Lewis Hamilton delivered one of the best wet-weather drives of a generation. 2020 saw Hamilton finish the race on 3 wheels after a final-lap puncture.
But, for me at least, it’s the 1991 British Grand Prix that stands out above the rest. Not for being a particularly thrilling race, but rather for the iconic moments that it produced.
Race Start
Home hero Nigel Mansell was on pole, with Ayrton Senna lining up beside him on the front row. As the lights went out, Senna got off to a flying start to take the lead from Mansell. Behind them, Riccardo Patrese got into a bit of push-and-shove with Gerhard Berger. Patrese’s Williams was bumped up over the kerb as they tangled through Copse. Unfortunately Jean Alesi, who was following close behind, ended up running over the front wing of the Williams. Patrese was out of the race, but his Williams teammate was having better fortunes. Mansell managed to out-brake Senna as they went into Stowe corner, reclaiming the lead.
Mansell began streaking ahead, with the gap between the Brit and the Brazilian growing as the laps went on. By the start of lap 13, Mansell had almost 14 seconds between himself and the McLaren. Senna was struggling to break away from the third-place squabble between Gerhard Berger, Alain Prost and Jean Alesi. Prost was swarming over the back of Berger’s gearbox, and Alesi was hot on their heels. As the trio made their way around Bridge corner and towards Priory, Alesi managed to launch himself past Prost. It was a brilliant move, especially given how far back Alesi had launched his attack from.
On lap 16, Alesi went for the lunge again, this time attempting to pass Berger. Alesi almost ended up going into the side of Berger as they went through the Priory complex. Two laps later, and running further down the order, Leyton House’s Ivan Capelli spun off and out of the race.
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Middle Stint
By lap 23, Mansell’s lead was roughly 18 seconds over Senna. Alesi finally got past Berger to take third, and Prost used this to his advantage to also slip by the McLaren and into fourth. Now two positions down, Berger made a dive into the pits to change tyres. Lap 30 saw Prost make a rare mistake, spinning his Ferrari under braking at Vale. Prost continued on his way, but had now lost touch with his teammate. Just ahead, Mika Häkkinen went off at Club corner, but managed to rejoin the race.
On lap 32, Alesi came into the pits with a broken front nose. This was the aftermath of a collision with the Lola of Aguri Suzuki. Whilst Suzuki was stranded at the side of the track and unable to rejoin, Alesi managed to limp to the pits. It was to no avail however, as the Frenchman jumped out of his Ferrari and retired from the race. Mansell pitted on lap 36, which brought his gap to Senna down to just a couple of seconds. However, Senna was stuck trying to lap Andrea de Cesaris (who himself was trying to lap Häkkinen). The three laps that it took for Senna to pass the backmarkers meant that Mansell’s lead went back up to a comfortable margin.
Final Push
There was a huge accident on lap 42, when de Cesaris suffered a suspension failure going into Abbey. His Jordan bounced back across the track, narrowly missing the Tyrrell of Satoru Nakajima. Nakajima slammed on the brakes, with Prost also having to lock up to avoid a further collision. Despite hobbling after jumping out of the car, de Cesaris thankfully escaped unhurt. Prost pitted for fresh tyres, promoting Berger back up into third position.
There was heartbreak on lap 53, as Mark Blundell pulled off the track under the Abbey bridge. Smoke was pouring from his Brabham as the Yamaha engine gave up. Up ahead, Mansell continued to bolster the mood of the British crowds, with his lead over Senna extending to 25 seconds by lap 55.
On the final lap, the only thing that stood between Mansell and the race win was an easy lap around the circuit. The crowds erupted as Mansell crossed the finish line, taking victory at his home race. Just seconds later, Senna drifted to a stop on the track. His McLaren had run out of fuel, but he was ultimately classified as finishing fourth (due to the remainder of the field being at least one lap down). Gerhard Berger snapped up second place, with Prost rounding off the podium places in third.
As Mansell cruised around his victory lap, waving to the crowds, he pulled up to a stop beside Senna’s McLaren. Senna hopped onto the side pod of the Williams, but the officials tried to make the Brazilian jump off again. Senna batted them away and Mansell drove off, giving his championship rival a lift back to the pits. It was a classy display of showmanship from the Brit, and resulted in one of the most iconic images in Formula 1 history.
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Summary
There were some decent scraps in the opening stages, but Mansell drove an absolutely perfect race. Andrea de Cesaris’ crash highlighted not only the fact that danger was still ever-present in Formula 1, but that the safety features in the cars had improved vastly over the years.
As for Mansell’s taxi service, Murray Walker quipped “I really like that”, adding that stopping to help his rival was “the decent thing to do”. You don’t have to be a long-time Formula 1 fan to instantly recognise the image of Senna hitching a ride on the Williams – it’s arguably one of the most iconic moments that the sport has ever produced.
Which British Grand Prix do you think is a race to remember? Let us know in the comments!