Christian Mansell has announced he is to “step away from racing” for personal reasons, just weeks before his scheduled Formula 2 debut.
The Australian, who was due to race for Rodin Motorsports this year in what would be his first full F2 campaign, made the announcement on his social media channels.
Mansell made his F2 debut last year at Baku with Trident, and competed in the final six rounds of the campaign, scoring 10 points.
The Australian competed in the races upon the conclusion of the Formula 3 championship [his third year competing in the series], in which he finished 5th in the standings.
In the statement posted on both his X and Instagram accounts, Mansell concluded: “I will keep you updated as to future plans.”
There is no indication as of yet as to the reasons behind the decision, with fans speculating on social media already that a lack of funding or his health [Mansell is a Type 1 diabetic] might be the cause.
The news will come as a disappointment to his ever-growing fanbase, which has grown in recent years, not only because of his racing abilities, but due to his outspoken support of various social issues, including LGBTQ+ rights and disabilities.
Rodin has announced it will “share further details on our line-up soon”.