On this day, 13 April, 1986, Nigel Mansell lightheartedly suggested splitting the points for first and second with Ayrton Senna after a painfully close finish to the Spanish Grand Prix, with points dropped that would cost him the F1 drivers’ championship.
The 1986 Spanish Grand Prix produced one of the tightest finishes in Formula 1 history, with Ayrton Senna edging out Nigel Mansell by just 0.014 seconds at Jerez on April 13, 1986.
Mansell had fought back from a slow puncture to challenge Senna in the final laps, reducing a 19.186-second gap to less than 2 seconds as he set the race’s fastest lap.
Despite a valiant effort, Mansell fell just short of snatching victory from Senna, who managed to hold him off by a mere 1.589 seconds at the finish line.
The race remains the third-closest finish in F1 history and is remembered as a thrilling duel between two legendary drivers.
Mansell’s sportsmanlike response, suggesting they split the points equally, added a touch of humor to an unforgettable moment in motorsport history.
