But a string of car problems meant there was no triumphant victory for the people’s favourite champion at the Grand Prix Masters of Great Britain.

Trackside’s Keith Collantine was there to see the return of a hero.

Fourteen years ago Nigel Mansell stormed to one of the most dominant Grand Prix wins ever seen at Silverstone.

Mansell was at the peak of his form – he was on his way to the World Championship and at his home track he annihilated his rivals. His fastest lap was two seconds quicker than anyone else’s.

But after his acrimonious split with Williams at the end of the year the man they called Red Five never raced a Grand Prix car at Silverstone again.

Finally, after 14 years, Mansell was set to make a comeback at Silverstone with the Grand Prix Masters, which pitches F1 rivals of yesteryear against each other in equal machinery.

The Grand Prix Masters of Great Britain was the third such race for the series following two highly entertaining events in South Africa and Qatar.

Mansell had romped to victory in both, setting the scene for a triumphant return to his former stomping ground of Silverstone.

But in the race yesterday his rivals seized the initiative thanks to a string of car problems for the 1992 World Champion. He set the slowest time in qualifying when his radiator burst, leaking water onto a rear tyre causing a spin.

The setback did nothing to dampen the spirits of watching Mansell-maniacs, who anticipated seeing their hero charge from the back of the grid to win the race.

When race day dawned wet and cold everyone knew a classic race was on the cards. But not for Nigel. After a spin on the warm-up lap he pulled into the pits with a broken differential, his race over before it had begun.

If the retirement of Mansell and fellow Briton Derek Warwick after just two laps was a blow for the fans, they got a cracking race nonetheless.

American Eddie Cheever came from sixth on the grid to win after a thrilling tussle with Belgian Eric van de Poele – who started fourteenth.

Third was Christian Danner, who had spun repeatedly in the rain and fallen down the field, before fighting back to the front again.

The lottery of a race produced a remarkable result. It was supposed to be the Grand Prix Masters – but none of the top five finishers ever won a race during their Formula One careers.

This week is National Motorsport Week and the Grand Prix Masters of Britain marked the beginning of the seven-day drive to bring new fans to the sport.

The spectacle of 600 horsepower single-seaters sliding around a sodden track in the hands of some of the world’s best racers cannot have failed to win new converts to the sport.

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