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Mansell hits back at Piquet

Nigel Mansell has hit back at former rival and teammate Nelson Piquet over the Brazilian's harsh comments about the Masters Grand Prix

Piquet, who raced against Mansell in the 1980s and 90s, branded the series as "rubbish" and claimed he would never take part in it.

"That's a series for people with no money who are hoping to gain it back somehow," Piquet, who at 53 is eligible to race in the series, said earlier this month. 

"Beyond that, I don't see any reason to race in such rubbish. After having raced in F1, you go back at 50 years of age at the wheel of a car that looks like it? No way."

Mansell, who won the inaugural GPM event in South Africa at the end of last year, said Piquet was jealous his former rivals were enjoying themselves.

"I have known Nelson for a long time and if he said that he was probably just jealous that he wasn't there competing and enjoying himself," Mansell told reporters on Thursday.

"If he said it at all. It is something that he would perhaps say to rev someone up. We are all too long in the tooth now to even be bothered by what he says."

Mansell also admitted he is hoping the series will resume this year.

"I hope so. I have got to be brought up to speed and I have got a meeting with [GPM boss] Scott Poulter next week to be brought up to speed with where it is at," Mansell added. "I believe everything is fixed for Qatar but it is question of whether all the finances are there to get it done.

"They have had problems with the promoter from South Africa, which is very unfortunate because if they had that cash then they wouldn't have a problem at all, but looking back on South Africa it was a monumental experience and a great spectacle and with 110,000 people enjoying it."

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