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Christian Mansell has explained how he approaches racing in the FIA Formula 3 Championship with type 1 diabetes.
The Australian recorded his first career podium at Silverstone last weekend, backing it up with fifth in Sunday’s race.
It was a breakthrough performance for the 18-year-old as he finds his feet in the F1-feeder series.
Mansell was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2019 and threatened to derail his motorsport aspirations.
However, he has since learned to manage his condition as he prepares and races.
Since being diagnosed, he’s risen through the ranks in Britain and finished third in last year’s Euroformula Open Championship – taking three wins along the way.
This year, he’s graduated to Formula 3 where he drives for Campos Racing.
“This is a very real reality, and it’s the life that I live,” he explained.
“And, you know, bad things do happen… The last time anything bad happened in the car with diabetes, it was when I was first starting back in F4.
“I have a constant glucose monitor which is with me at all times in the car – it’s actually connected to me physically, there’s a needle inside of me as we speak, that monitors my blood sugar.
“We prepare on the Wednesday,” he added.
“I have to start preparing myself; eating the right foods and making sure I’m in the right window because I do insulin injections six times a day, to keep myself at a stable level.
“That’s six needles a day.
“It’s tough because sometimes you have good days, sometimes you have bad days.
“But the one saving grace is that F3 is so action-packed that when I have an adrenaline spike, that also tends to bring my sugars up, so the risk of dropping is much lower than it normally would be on a day-to-day basis.
“But I’m preparing my blood sugar easily three hours before I get in the car.
“From the moment I wake up, it’s on that straight away – I have a separate phone, I’m on my other phone, checking my numbers making sure that I’ve slept well; if I’m too low, I’ll do this at breakfast; if I’m too high, I’ll adjust breakfast.
“It’s a constant battle, I guess, trying to nail it and trying to put yourself in the window.
“But I manage. It’s just one of those things.”
Mansell sits 14th in the F3 points standings with three rounds remaining, the next at the Hungaroring next weekend.
The competition then follows F1 to Belgium and the Spa-Francorchamps circuit before drawing to a close In Monza following the summer break.
