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Formula 1 legend Mansell immortalised in bronze

BBC A clay sculpture of a man, who is sat in the middle further back in soft focus. Two hands appear to be working on the sculpture.BBC
Artist Frances Segelman will have to capture Mansell's iconic moustache in the sculpture

A bronze sculpture of former Formula 1 World Champion Nigel Mansell is to be made to mark his 25th anniversary as president of UK Youth.

The charity supports vulnerable young people to turn their lives around.

Mansell, 70, won the world title driving for Williams - based in Grove, Oxfordshire - in 1992.

He is the latest famous face to sit for sculptor Frances Segelman, who has already sculpted more than 200 people, including royalty such as Queen Elizabeth II.

A man in the foreground torso up wearing a suit and tie, with brown hair and a brown moustache. In the background and out of focus is a formula one car
Mansell is hailed as one of Britain's greatest racing drivers

Mansell compared the process of sitting for the sculpture with driving a formula 1 car, saying: "You have to be statue-esque, you have to be very still and you have to deal with different positions."

Ms Segelman said: “I just love sculpting people who have led amazing lives and I am looking forward to sculpting Nigel and particularly his iconic moustache.”

The idea for the latest bust came after Mansell was present at the unveiling of Frances’s Princess Anne piece, at UK Youth’s Avon Tyrrell outdoor learning centre in the New Forest, last year.

A sculpture of a man's head, with a woman with blonde hair stood behind.
The bust will be unveiled at UK Youth’s gala dinner in October

"To watch Frances, who is an incredibly talented lady, she's been sculpting now and doing bronzes for thirty five years, so it's just amazing," the two-time BBC Sports Personality of the Year winner said.

"All of a sudden, it comes alive, you sort of have the outline to begin with which could be anybody, and then after a few hours sculpturing it, it turns into someone that looks like you very closely and you go 'that's a bit weird'."

It is hoped the bust – set to be officially unveiled in October after it is cast in bronze – will stand alongside that of the Princess Royal at the entrance of UK Youth’s planned new learning centre at Avon Tyrrell.

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