What you see instead is Nigel Mansell collapsed on the blistering asphalt of Dallas in 1984. The race was a searing battle against one of the hottest days in Formula 1 history, with temperatures soaring past 104°F (40°C) and track surfaces melting under the Texas sun.
Mansell had secured his first ever F1 pole position for Lotus, powering his way to lead half the race. But fate struck cruelly a gearbox failure struck on the final lap, derailing his chances of victory. Yet Mansell’s determination burned brighter than the unforgiving Texas sun. Instead of retiring, he climbed out of his black Lotus and began pushing it along the track in a last-ditch attempt to cross the finish line and claim the championship point for sixth place.
Mansell, visor flipped up, sweating profusely, exhausted beyond measure, struggling to push a heavy Formula 1 car on disintegrating asphalt. Though he collapsed about 400 feet short of the finish line, race officials credited him with sixth place, salvaging a point in a race that tested every driver’s limits.
This moment has become one of the most iconic images in racing lore. It was a brutal race, unforgiving conditions and a blistering track.
