“Nigel Saves a Life!” — Grand Prix International n.29/1981

Nell’articolo, a firma di Pino Allievi, pubblicato su Autosport “Intervista – Elio de Angelis – Pino Allievi intervista la giovane riservata stella del Team Lotus”, la cui traduzione in italiano è stata riproposta in questo sito, vi è un passaggio in cui Elio de Angelis riporta alla memoria un episodio avvenuto all’inizio del 1981, il quale ha per protagonisti lui, Mansell e Peter Collins. Una fonte dell’epoca, la rivista Grand Prix International, riporta l’episodio attraverso una breve intervista a Nigel Mansell. Qui è offerta una traduzione in lingua italiana dell’originario testo, in inglese, riportato all’inizio.

Although the Hotel Inter-Continental in Rio de Janeiro has two excellent swimming pools, the surf on the nearby Gavéa beach proved to be too great a temptation for Lotus drivers Elio de Angelis and Nigel Mansell to resist. Together with their team manager Peter Collins, they decided on the Tuesday before Brazilian GP to take a swim in the Atlantic.

The three were lucky to survive the experience. No sooner had Collins stepped into the water than he was caught by the undertow and carried out 100 yards to sea. With ten foot waves breaking around him and over him, the Australian was very quickly in serious trouble. Without thought for himself, Lotus driver Nigel Mansell immediately went to the rescue. “Fortunately I am a reasonaby good swimmer,” said the 26 year-old Birmingham driver “but the conditions were very bad. Peter wasn’t strong enough to swim properly and we were being sucked under the surface by the currents. All I could do was to try and grab him and keep shouting to him not to give up”.

Before very long, de Angelis was also on the scene. “Unfortunately he just didn’t have the strenght to help,” said Nigel “and he had to get back to the beach”. Somehow, without any help, Mansell succeeded in getting a semi-conscious team manager back to dry land, where help was available to revive him.

But where was Elio? “He was still in the water,” said Mansell, who had to be restrained from going back. It was only with help from a hotel lifeguard that the Italian was eventually brought from the huge waves. For the remainder of the week, Team Lotus personnel understandably restricted their swimming to the hotel pool. “Nothing would persuade me ever to go back into the sea.” admitted Nigel as he relaxed with his wife Rosanne. “Someone told me after our escapade that as many as eight peopple a week are drowned on that bloody beach!”

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Nonostante l’Hotel Inter-Continental di Rio de Janeiro sia dotato di due eccelse piscine, fare del buon surf nella limitrofa spiaggia ‘Gavéa’ si è rivelata una tentazione troppo solleticante cui opporre resistenza per i piloti del Team Lotus, Elio de Angelis e Nigel Mansell. Assieme al loro direttore di squadra Peter Collins, hanno deciso di recarvisi il martedì precedente al gran premio, impegnandosi a rilassarsi con una nuotata nell’oceano Atlantico.