Race-worn Mansell suit from 1986 season goes to auction

Nigel Mansell's 1986 Williams Honda racing suit is heading to the Bonhams auction in Miami at its 2025 Grand Prix. Being one of Britain's most iconic motorsport figures, this piece of history will be looking to fetch a pretty penny on 3 May at the Miami International Autodrome.

The red and blue Stand 21 racing suit features some of the most recognisable sponsors from that era. Canon and Denim stand out to me personally, but Isle of Man Bank, Denim, Manx Airlines, Boss, Honda, Mobil 1, PMG, Ici, and Goodyear also feature. Nigel Mansell's surname is also embroidered into the belt of the piece. And as you'd expect, with this being used by the driver, it features the odd scuff and signs of use.

Beside the suit, the lucky buyer will also receive the original earplugs, still in their tube, a signed photo of Mansell wearing a different set of the suit, and a Mobil 1 Autosport poster from the Jacarepaguá circuit.

It's expected to sell for somewhere around £3,800 to £5,300 without reserve. 

Nigel Mansell’s 1986 Williams Honda race suit

Photo by: Bonhams

The 1986 season was a strong year for Mansell, who was able to truly prove himself as a championship contender after flashes of talent earlier in his career. Sat behind the wheel of the potent FW11 with a Honda 1.5-litre V6 capable of creating over 1,000 horsepower, he took home five wins that season in Belgium, Canada, France, and Great Britain. 

"The most satisfying race for me was the British Grand Prix in 1986 at Brands Hatch, when my racecar broke a driveshaft at the start," Mansell told Motorsport.com in 2020. "I had to climb into the T-car, which was set up for [team-mate] Nelson [Piquet], and I ended up winning in his car.

"Racing at Brands was awesome because we still had 1000bhp to play with. There was no peace - you were on it all the time.

"Coming across the startline into Paddock doing 196mph, then down the dip with negative G followed by positive G as you went up Hailwood Hill. You had to have the car pointing in the right direction at the right time.

"There were points on the track that you had to get technically right. If you didn't, you were slow and it was dangerous.

"When the driveshaft snapped, I thought, 'that's the race over'. And then there was Jacques Laffite's massive accident. Fortunately for me, the organisers decided to make it a completely new race, which let Williams swap cars.

"Looking back now, that was a real challenge. I had to get used to a car that was set up differently and not to my liking. The turn-in wasn't how I had mine set up and the balance wasn't the same. And the spare had been difficult all weekend, but that's what I had - we had no time to change anything, not even the pedals.

"I gave it a lap or two to get used to it, and Gerhard Berger got ahead of me. But I passed him on the third lap and then just got stuck in chasing after Nelson.

"The amazing thing is that the race was won and lost on just one missed gear change. Nelson missed a gear coming out of Surtees and it gave me half a car's length up the side - all I needed!

"It was a great technical race. There were a lot of cars to pass so you needed to stay focused.

"It was very satisfying jumping into someone else's car, that's not set up for you, and beating them.

"The crowd was phenomenal. They always were in Britain. The thing is you build momentum. Winning the '85 European GP at Brands, then the '86 British and at Silverstone '87 - doing the triple at home was very special."

You can find the auction, Lot 4, by clicking here.