Mansell is competing in his second season of Formula 3 an d remains an outside chance of claiming the title at the season-finale in Italy next month.

The 19-year-old Australian has visited the podium four times this season to sit sixth in the drivers’ championship.

The Novocastrian has previously opened up on his battle with type 1 diabetes, revealing he races with a glucose monitor connected to him.

“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,” he explained in July last year.

In addition to the needle, Mansell also competes with a mobile phone in his cockpit.

The unusual additional device has the blessing of the FIA, which has worked with him to develop a system that allows him to monitor his condition.

“It’s actually quite simple,” Mansell began when asked about his use of the phone, and the solution that was found with the FIA.

“I basically have a fibreglass case that my phone gets mounted to the cockpit with.

“Obviously I can’t do anything to it; the FIA actually locked the phone, they set a password on it. They’ve been really helpful in the whole process.”

The phone helps Mansell monitor his blood sugar levels, and works in addition to pre-race preparations to ensure his body is in the right place.

“As far as being physically fit, I have to get my blood sugar levels in a good window,” he explained.

“That’s hard, but it’s doable, because I do it every day.

“I try and separate racing diabetes and normal diabetes as best I can because, at the end of the day, there is a difference.

“There’s a lot of preparation behind the scenes and I think what’s helped me most.

“Actually being able to do my job is already such a feat in itself that I’m already very proud of myself,” he added.

“Even being able to sit here in front of you today and discuss such a crazy thing that I live through every day…

“I’ve spoken to a few of the drivers in the paddock, and they’ve come up to me and said, ‘I don’t even know how you go it’.

“But it’s just through trial and error that we managed to get it down to a tee.”

It’s expected Mansell will graduate to Formula 2 next year, the Australian having admitted he’s had discussions with a number of parties about the next step in his career.

He hopes that, as his career progresses, that he is able to use his platform to raise awareness and show what is possible for those in a similar position.

“It sounds very cliché, but it’s true; if you do put your mind towards it, you genuinely can do anything,” he declared.

“That’s why I’m such a big advocate for mental health, and that’s why I’m such a big advocate for sports people living with diabetes, because at the end of the day, we can do it.

“I think the more and more that I put myself on the world stage and show kids…

“I actually recently had a mother text me in my Instagram request saying that their child is now doing karting, so it’s very, very sweet.”