In Profile: Christian Mansell

New ART Grand Prix recruit Christian Mansell was in great form in Sakhir for Round 1 of the 2024 Formula 3 campaign.

Before the Australian got down to business on track, we put some very important questions to him to help you get to know him a little bit more.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST RACING MEMORY?

“When I went to the hire-kart track at Newcastle Go Karts Go. My brother was playing a basketball game, but I decided to skip out and go there instead because I was so bored. Best decision of my life so far.

“It was a tiny track but I actually went back there a couple of years ago and it’s gotten way bigger and I’m jealous. Kids might have a bit of an advantage starting off now with the track being so big.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR DRIVING STYLE?

“I would say that it is 95% in the race, hit your marks, be consistent and smooth but when it comes to battling, I’m quite aggressive and defensive. I try my best to not go over the line too much. It’s hard but fair, but that’s what you’ve got to do in F3.”

WHO IS YOUR RACING HERO?

“I want to say Nigel because it would be funny. But genuinely it’s Michael Schumacher or Ayrton Senna. They’re so iconic and the best to ever do it. To look up to those two, they’re the pinnacle of our sport. What Lewis has done is extremely cool, I hope to achieve even a tenth of what he’s done and achieved and then maybe get to where he’s at one day.

“The likes of Schumacher, Senna, Seb Vettel too! I loved Seb when I was a little kid, but I would say if I had to choose one, it would be Michael.”

READ MORE: Nikola Tsolov’s Sakhir weekend in his words

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST RACING ACHIEVEMENT SO FAR?

“I think my Feature Race podium at Spa was pretty mega. Some will say it was a lucky call but I disagree because at Silverstone, I did the exact same thing, just the other way around. I think of all the racing in the UK I did when I was a kid, that helped me massively with those decision-making situations.

“95% of my pre-season testing ahead of British F4 was wet. Rainy Donington, two degrees, windy. It was terrible at the time but useful in the end. It’s invaluable. You can’t manufacture conditions like those and you’re sliding about, no grip in the tyres, you can’t replicate that. It’s just such a unique thing that prepares you in such a unique way, and it was a privilege to be a part of that.”

HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM THE RACING?

“I just spend time with my partner. I like doing nothing, sometimes that’s quite nice, just sitting back and doing nothing away from the madness. Finding those pockets of time where you can just sit back is rare. But I enjoy my own personal space. I’m also happy going out to dinner with friends, having evenings out, spending time with my parents sometimes. I should probably do it more.”

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A RACING DRIVER?

“I’d say it’s just how much of the world we get to see in such a short amount of time. We’re going from Bahrain to Melbourne, or home for me, then coming back over to Europe, dotting around the continent.”

DO YOU HAVE A SECRET TALENT?

“I’m pretty outspoken, so if I had a secret talent we’d probably know about it by now. Maybe my secret talent that’s not so secret is I’m awesome at managing my diabetes. It’s something you have to be very, very conscious about, it’s my life. It takes up a lot of time and a lot of energy, but I feel like I prepare very well for it.

“It can be so mentally draining when things go wrong and you don’t want things to be where they are and then you’re thinking how you could’ve done or prepped better. But sometimes things happen. Your insulin sensitivity can change from morning to lunch to evening, so it changes with every meal for me. There’s so many variables but the system of preparation we do is very thorough.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE F3 CALENDAR?

“Melbourne! If I wasn’t Australian, I’d still say Melbourne because I was speaking to some of the other drivers and they loved racing at Albert Park. They really enjoyed the speed, it’s crazy fast. But I’m looking forward to going back home and to my favourite track by far.”