Fast, Foul-Mouthed, but most importantly, First
Glitter Guardian Motorsports Archive
14th November 1994 by Charlotte Blackwood
A glorious end to a turbulent season for Stinger Formula Limited and first-time Champion of the World Pete Mitchell. Bright Australia’s ideal race conditions left the Englishman with a similar sunny demeanour. Joining the ranks of British motorsports legends like James Hunt and Graham Hill, the 24-year-old has now achieved what many drivers could only dream of.
Despite the many disagreements between Stinger and Mitchell all throughout this season, no one could have predicted the joyous scenes at the Adelaide Street Circuit yesterday. Celebrating their joint win marked the first demonstration of genuine team spirit we have seen all year, a shock- not only to the audience but also Mitchell’s race engineer, Goose aka Nick Bradshaw.
“When he (Tom Jardin) came up to us to congratulate Mav, my first Instinct was to hold him back because I thought he would deck him,” Bradshaw admitted. “But at the end of the day, Mav is here to win, and Stinger Formula Limited has him under contract for that reason. Now that all trouble and hard work is in the past, the taste of victory is a lot sweeter than anyone could have imagined.”
And while it was a sweet victory indeed, the 1994 season will be remembered as one of the most dramatic ones in recent history. The tough rivalry between Tom Kazansky and Mitchell left all motorsports fans on the edge of their seats all year. It was “Maverick”- not only Mitchell’s nickname, but also the only word to capture the essence of this tumultuous season. Both behind the scenes and on track, it was defined by tension & rebellion.
Mitchell repeatedly clashed with Stinger Formula Limited’s leadership, treating team orders like they meant nothing. At the beginning of the season, during both the Monaco Grand Prix and the Canadian Grand Prix, Mitchell refused to hold position behind his teammate Bill “Cougar” Cortell.
In Monaco, the call came on Lap 55, with Mitchell on fresher tires running P3 behind Cortell. Mitchell only answered with a flat “Tell Bill he can wave when I pass,” in response and ignored any further protest. Two corners later, Mitchell daringly squeezed through a tight gap in the tunnel and brushed past the barrier like he meant to kiss it, with surprisingly no damage. And just to prove a point, he overtook Kazansky on lap 57, unebelivably securing P1 for himself.
In Canada, a strategic error left him dropped in traffic after a poorly executed pit stop. When he was asked to switch strategy again and let Cortell overtake things quite literally went nuclear, with Mitchel exploding over the radio.
Mitchell: “What the hell was that?”
Stinger Engineer: “We’re reviewing-”
Mitchell: “You had one fucking job! Should I do the tyres myself next time?”
Stinger Engineer: “Pete, strategy change, save your fuel from now on-”
Mitchell: “You cost me pole and want me to- Right, I’m done! FUCK!”
Mitchell: “Goose you still there?”
Bradshaw: “Still here Mav, fuel is ok for now.”
Mitchell: “Good. You talk. Everyone else, zip it.”
From that point on, "Goose" became the only person Mitchell would listen to. During the Grand Prix at Monza, even telling everyone flat out,
“If your name’s not Goose, shut your mouth. You're background noise in a fire suit.”
In June, the situation escalated with Mitchell not only publicly criticising the performance of the car but also the Stinger Team principal, Tom Jardin. “I’m not gonna let someone who hasn’t sat in a racing car for the last twenty years tell me how the car is fine. If I say it’s fucked, then it’s fucked.” When asked how he felt about the possibility of Jardin personally testing the car and what his pointers would be, he just joked: “The brake is the pedal on the left. But I’m sure his chauffeur will be happy to jump in if needed.”
But what looked like career suicide turned out to be the birth of a legend. Mitchell’s stubborn refusal to listen, his on-track aggression, and the trust in his race engineer only made his ultimate victory on Sunday more electrifying.
When he crossed the line in Adelaide to clinch the championship, he didn’t thank the team, wave to the cameras, or acknowledge the pit wall.
The first thing he did was scream into the radio: “We did it, Goose. You and me.”
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