Mark Blundell reveals costly decision that denied him F1 title shot at Williams

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Mark Blundell has now opened up on the costly decision that likely denied him any shot to become a Formula 1 drivers’ champion with Williams alongside Damon Hill.

The 57-year-old cut his teeth in the world of Grand Prix racing as the test driver at Williams in the early 1990s. Blundell initially made his name driving for Nissan in the World Sportscar championship in 1989 and 1990. He only then moved onto the F1 grid for Brabham in 1991.

Williams had already signed Blundell as a test driver before he put the #24 Nissan R90CK on pole position at Le Mans by six seconds in 1990. His plan was then to join Jaguar in 1991 but a full-time F1 gig with Brabham later emerged, which he combined with testing for Williams.

Mark Blundell feels leaving Williams after 1991 cost him an F1 title shot

Joining Brabham proved to be a mistake as while the Briton became the first driver to secure points in a Yamaha-powered Formula 1 car, Blundell only finished five Grand Prix over the 16 rounds. The Barnet-born racer would, ultimately, only spend the 1991 season with Brabham.

Then came the costly mistake, as Blundell decided to leave his Williams testing role to land a race seat elsewhere for 1992. But he would not find a drive, before accepting an offer to join McLaren as a test driver to Ayrton Senna and Gerhard Berger. He also went back to Le Mans.

Williams were open to Blundell staying on as their test driver for 1992. But he wanted to get a race seat, so urged Hill to fill the vacancy in Grove. It would also, ultimately, lead Hill to taking one of Williams’ race seats in 1993 beside Alain Prost, who won the Formula 1 title that year.

Hill finished the 1993 season third in the drivers’ standings before taking runners-up results in 1994 and 1995. The 63-year-old then beat teammate Jacques Villeneuve for the 1996 F1 title. And Blundell feels leaving Williams after 1991 denied him his chance to win an F1 title.

Blundell told the official Formula 1 website: “I could have stayed at Williams, maybe, and be sitting here as a world champion – like my buddy, Damon Hill. But, you know, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.

“So, I didn’t do that. I did call Damon to tell him that I was leaving Williams and to get his backside down there to fill in the space I was leaving! But, you know, there you go.”

Mark Blundell only contested four seasons as a Formula 1 race driver

A return to the Circuit de la Sarthe with Peugeot also saw Blundell win the 1992 24 Hours of Le Mans beside Derek Warwick and Yannick Dalmas. Blundell eventually found another full-time F1 drive in 1993 with Ligier before joining Tyrrell in 1994 and racing a McLaren in 1995.

Blundell initially returned to McLaren as the test driver to Mika Hakkinen and Nigel Mansell. But he earned a promotion during the first year of the McLaren-Mercedes partnership after Mansell retired following only two races. It would also be Blundell’s final year on the F1 grid.