CHRISTIAN Mansell has been to the Australian grand prix once before.
It was 2019 and before the Hunter product relocated to the other side of the world to pursue his motorsport dream.
At the end of next month, Mansell will return to Melbourne but as a driver having been promoted to the Formula 3 category for 2023.
He only turned 18 last week.
"Yeah I did, once [attend the Aussie GP] and that was back in 2019 I think," Mansell said.
"Obviously it was a little bit ago and I've been busy doing my thing so I haven't really had time to watch the grand prix, but now I'm actually going to be in the grand prix itself. The contrast of that kid that went [to Melbourne], never would have thought four years later he's racing on the same track."
Melbourne's Albert Park circuit was added to the F3 schedule last year when the code's elite F1 class announced it would remain in the Victorian capital until 2035.
Mansell, back briefly over summer but still based in the UK, couldn't believe his luck on what is normally a European-dominated program.
He will get the chance to race on home soil from March 31 to April 2 just ahead of a much-anticipated F1 return Down Under (April 8-10).
"It doesn't really get more special than that," he said.
"Obviously as a kid you're like 'right, a home race is only going to come if I'm an F1 driver so I better get my stuff sorted'.
"Even then, I saw that [F3 announcement] and I wasn't signed to a team but I was already excited because I knew that was the trajectory.
"I was already 'no way, this is mega'. I think the excitement far outweighs the nerves."
Mansell, a former Hunter Valley Grammar School student signed with Campos Racing, is currently in Bahrain for testing ahead of the F3 season opener at Sakhir on March 3-5.
There are 10 rounds all up, featuring stops at Monaco (May 25-28), Silverstone (July 7-9) and Monza (September 1-3).
It will be his first full campaign in F3, having made a couple of cameos last year.
Mansell's end goal stays the same, reaching the top and following in the footsteps of fellow countrymen like Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo.
"Australia's one of those countries, we only get a few F1 drivers every few years. Webber, Ricciardo, we've now got Oscar [Piastri], potentially Jack Doohan and next in line is me. It's more than achievable if I work my hardest," he said.
Mansell, who can hit speeds of 300 kilometres per hour while racing but still doesn't have his regular learner's licence, has worked his way up the ranks since moving from Bolwarra Heights to England with his parents in 2020.
The family generally travel to meets together in a motorhome, helping to manage Mansell's type 1 diabetes via well-prepared meals, monitoring blood-sugar levels and nearby access for rest.
"You either tackle it and crack on because if I don't, I can't do what I love," he said.
Mansell says he has put last year's nasty crash in the Euroformula Open Championship behind him.
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