Nigel Mansell’s FW11B roars at Silverstone as Zak Brown takes the wheel

McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown delivered an epic moment to crowds on the Saturday of the British Grand Prix as he sat behind the wheel of the iconic 1987 Williams FW11B. Driven by Nigel Mansell in one of his most memorable wins at Silverstone, the car is part of Brown’s very own collection.

The FW11B was a serious piece of machinery, dominating the 1987 Formula 1 season with its 1.5-litre V6 turbo engine capable of over 800 horsepower. And with Brown’s being the exact chassis that won the Grand Prix all those years ago, this was a special moment for the businessman. 

“I’ve become good friends with Nigel,” he said during an interview with ESPN. “And he spends a lot of time with Lando. This was, if you remember the very famous British Grand Prix where he was leading, had a tyre puncture, and then he went out and he broke the track record.

“I think it was 17 laps in a row and did that famous move at the end of the straight on Nelson Piquet to win the British Grand Prix. So, that’s this one. That was this exact chassis.”

Discussing how he managed to acquire the car, he admitted it wasn’t by usual means.

“I got this when I did a sponsorship deal for Williams. [They said] ‘What can we ever do for you,’ I was like ‘you can sell me a car!’

“‘Can’t give me a car because that wouldn’t be right. But right, you’re going to sell me one.’ And they were like, ‘which one do you want?’ and I’m like ‘that one.'”

Zak Brown, McLaren

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images

The 1987 British Grand Prix saw Mansell break the lap record several times as he pushed hard to catch then-team-mate Nelson Piquet who was 29 seconds ahead after a pit stop. With the engine turned up he eventually passed him, and the driver was crowded by fans as he crossed the finish line.

Following his spirited drive ahead of qualifying at the British circuit, Brown posted to social media in awe of the car.

“Incredibly special to drive the 1987 Grand Prix winning Williams FW11B around Silverstone this morning, 38 years after Nigel Mansell raced it to victory here in one of the most epic races of all time. What an experience!”

This comes just a week ahead of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the event will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the championship. Both the FW11 and FW14B will feature on the hill, and Mansell himself will be driving the FW11 on Saturday for the first time since 1986.