MAY 20, 1996

Ecclestone aims for Mansell-Prost show

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is trying to get Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell to agree to a head-to-head showdown race as a support event to a Grand Prix later this season.

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone is trying to get Alain Prost and Nigel Mansell to agree to a head-to-head showdown race as a support event to a Grand Prix later this season. He is rumored to be offering $1m to the winner and trying to organize that the pair race in a couple of Ferrari F1 cars.

The problem is that neither driver will want to take part unless they are absolutely certain that the race cars they have are exactly the same. The two were Ferrari team mates in 1990, and Mansell has always said he was only beaten by the Frenchman because Prost had better machinery.

The idea was leaked to the press by Ecclestone in Monaco but is unlikely to ever happen as both drivers have far too much to lose in terms of reputation.

Nigel Mansell, incidentally, has recently been quoted as saying that he has "unfinished business" in motor racing and is aiming to make a comeback as soon as his McLaren contract expires at the end of this year.

It should be added that there does not seem to be much interest among F1 teams in hiring the 41-year-old Briton.