When Mansell and Senna settled their differences in an F1 pitlane scuffle

You will have seen the fuss over who did what to whom when Sergio Perez and Lewis Hamilton collided during the Belgian Grand Prix. Officials intervened, hit Hamilton with a penalty – and immediately set social media on fire with outraged opinion.

What’s wrong with racing these days? Why can’t they simply let the drivers get on with it? Just like at the same circuit in 1987 when Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell disputed a piece of road – not far from the scene of this year’s contretemps – and the argument was settled when Nigel grabbed Ayrton by the throat. Job done.

The officials didn’t utter a peep. Probably didn’t dare after they heard Senna’s description of how he saw Mansell storm into the Lotus garage with a look that said he wasn’t coming to suggest they have a cosy coffee and share a bag of pommes frites and mayonnaise. The Lotus mechanics intervened and brought some semblance of order as both drivers continued to loudly blame each other from what had become, to paraphrase contemporary terminology, an unsocial distance. And that was the end of the matter.

The stewards packed up and headed for home. The sport’s governing body, FISA, said Mansell would not be called to account because no reports of the alleged attack had been received by the stewards. Meanwhile, in London, the RAC Motor Sports Association more or less said: “We’re keeping our heads down on this one, ol’ boy” when a spokesperson told Autosport (with barely concealed relief): “We can’t get involved unless the stewards or FISA refer the matter to us.”

In the absence (you might say ‘blessed absence’) of social media and its vitriolic attitudes, impartial reporting by the motorsport weeklies 36 years ago meant experts such as spectating former world champions were the sole arbiters of the closest we’d get to a judgement one way or the other. Most blamed Mansell.

Let’s put the incident into context. The Belgian GP was the third round of a championship being headed by Mansell. The Williams driver showed he had every intention of staying there as he claimed pole and took an immediate lead.

Mansell had taken the lead at the race's original start, but was usurped by Senna following a red flag

Photo by: William Murenbeeld / Motorsport Images

Mansell’s 1.6-second advantage at the start of the second lap was scuppered when Philippe Streiff lost control of his Tyrrell-Cosworth at the top of Eau Rouge, Ken Tyrrell’s misery being compounded when Jonathan Palmer couldn’t avoid his team-mate’s wreckage. Both drivers were unhurt, but a red flag meant the grand prix would be restarted as a fresh race.

Senna made the better getaway and jumped into the lead at La Source. Mansell was having none of it since, in his mind, the Williams-Honda FW11B was a superior car to the Lotus 99T powered by the same Japanese turbo V6. He could see that for himself as Senna used his exquisite skills to keep the yellow car, with its tricky active suspension, pointing in the right direction.

Through Eau Rouge, up the hill to Les Combes and plunging down to Pouhon, Mansell was glued to Senna’s gearbox as they rushed towards the right-hander at Fagnes. Suddenly, the Williams was alongside the Lotus and going for the outside line. Senna clipped the kerb at the apex, the two then making contact before pirouetting into the gravel.

Only James Hunt found in his fellow countryman’s favour. This was interesting because Hunt was known for keeping his enthusiasm for Mansell in check

Mansell would later explain that he had no intention of overtaking at that spot, particularly at such an early stage of the race. But the opportunity had presented itself when, in Nigel’s opinion, Ayrton slowed momentarily, possibly due to missing a gear.

Either way, Senna was out on the spot, with Mansell eventually joining the retirement list because of damage caused by the incident. It was then that he vacated what ought to have been a winning car and marched down the pitlane in search of the Brazilian.

The subsequent terse interview turned out to be one of the few highlights of a race won easily by Alain Prost. The 10th and final finisher (Pascal Fabre in an AGS) came home five laps (at Spa!) behind the McLaren-TAG. With nothing much to talk or write about, the media turned to the experts for a view on the spectacular on-track weigh-in before the fight in the Lotus garage.

John Surtees, Keke Rosberg and Nelson Piquet (who had a ringside view from the cockpit of his Williams) said Mansell had been foolhardy to try such a move. Only James Hunt found in his fellow countryman’s favour.

Senna was in no mood to give up the position to Mansell, resulting in race-ending contact, but that wasn't the end of the matter

Photo by: Sutton Images

This was interesting because Hunt was known for keeping his enthusiasm for Mansell in check. It was only seven months since the 1976 world champion had written a blistering article on the eve of the penultimate round of the 1986 championship which, at the time, Mansell looked like winning. Hunt used his piece in The Times to deconstruct the impression created elsewhere in the media that Nigel was the darling of the F1 paddock. Quite the reverse, according to Hunt. James clearly believed in what he was saying – just as he did during BBC TV commentary at Spa when claiming Senna was ill-advised to keep fighting for a corner he had clearly lost.

Surtees was less outspoken than usual thanks to remaining distracted by an incident the previous day while demonstrating a 1937 Mercedes W125. Taking the most powerful GP machine of its day around Spa was one thing; having to cope with an unusual pedal arrangement, quite another.

“I kept saying to myself ‘brake on the right, throttle in the middle. Brake on the right, throttle in the middle’,” explained Surtees, before admitting he had come close to writing off the silver masterpiece when he accidentally stamped on the throttle.

“Why was that, John?”

“Because, would you believe, a dust cart suddenly appeared in front of me!”

Motor racing just isn’t the same, is it?

The uproar caused over the Hamilton/Perez clash at Spa, for which the Mercedes driver was penalised, differed greatly from 1987

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images