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Mansell does not currently have a relationship with an F1 team in a Formula 3 field littered with rivals who are.
Luke Browning is part of the Williams Academy, and Dino Beganovic has a long association with Ferrari.
Gabriele Mini, Arvid Linblad, Tim Tramnitz, Sebastian Montoya, Oliver Goethe, and others enjoy similar relationships.
Without that link, Mansell is working to make his own path but admits he’s open to joining an academy and understands the benefits they can offer.
“There’s pros and cons to everything,” he said when asked by Speedcafe about his position.
“A massive pro being that you really have that connection and that door into Formula 1 and obviously I do not.
“But it’s not something that I’m really consciously going for, I’m not too fussed.
“If I was on an academy in my final year in F2, and then jumped into an F1 car with an F1 team, then I wouldn’t really mind.
“But either way, if the opportunity was offered to me, I would readily take it up, no questions.
“It’s not the main focus, but it’s definitely something that’s in the back of your mind, like, you know, why am I not? And, try and better my odds of being on that, show why I’m valuable, show why should an f1 team pick me up?
“I think that’s just sort of why F3 and F2 is here. It’s a breeding ground for the next young talent and it’s just about finding the right one.
“I’ve just got to try and try and make something work try and show why I deserve to be in that position.”
Most F1 teams operate an academy of some sort, with Red Bull’s programme arguably the highest profile.
Though the Ferrari academy, Oliver Bearman had opportunities with Haas during post-season testing last year while Jack Doohan has had Free Practice 1 outings with Alpine for the last two years courtesy of his association.
In Japan, Ayumu Iwasa will run in the opening practice session thanks to his link with Red Bull, stepping into Daniel Ricciardo’s RB.
“Obviously it’s a massive privilege for me to be on the Williams driver academy,” said Browning.
“I’ve been on both sides of the pond so it was only last year that I got picked up by Williams.
“The benefits that I can say for being on it, it’s just the preparation. It’s huge.
“Having the ability to go into the simulator, chat with F1 engineers, even going to watch on the race weekend, sometimes heading over to the F1 side of it and seeing really what is possible.
“That gives you an added motivation that hey, look, if I do a really good job in F3 and Formula 2 in the future, this is what I could be driving.
“That for me is super exciting. That’s what gives me motivation.”
Beganovic’s experience is different again, having been part of the Ferrari programme for five years already.
“It’s been like a family to me,” he explained.
“I live in Maranello and I’ve been there since 2020.
“Breathing that air of a Formula 1 and an iconic brand like Ferrari, it’s very special. It’s like I’m living in a dream.
“To do the simulator work with them and chat with F1 engineers, it brings motivation because you can see what potentially you can do in a couple years.”
After two events of the 2024 Formula 3 season, Browning heads the title fight with Beganovic fourth and Mansell seventh.
The championship’s next stop is Imola as part of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in mid-May.
