No 1992 Grand Prix quite so encapsulated Formula One as it now is, than Portugal. Very much, the weekend in Estoril was one of highs and lows.
Since Monza, Nigel Mansell had, of course, made his lndycar bed. The signs in Portugal were that he was more than happy to lie on it. So much so, that one could not help but wonder, as Alain Prost did recently, just when the World Champion-elect really decided enough F1 was enough.
Around the time of the Hungarian GP, when everything was still up for grabs, Mansell would have been on the rev limiter after the first major failure of Williams' active ride suspension that he experienced on Friday morning. It happened at the end of the back straight, which leads down to the 180 degree lefthander. Fortunately, there was plenty of run-off area, but it clearly shook him, as well it might have. "It was a big, big moment, believe me," he insisted.
