Nigel Mansell has labelled Sebastian Vettel's F1 title win as 'good for the sport' following the German's impressive showing in the final round of the season in Abu Dhabi.

The former Williams, Ferrari, Lotus and McLaren driver, and winner of 31 Grands Prix, gave Vettel full praise for defying the odds and taking the drivers' title from the grasp of Fernando Alonso, who was odds on to clinch his third championship having gone into the final race with a 15 point cushion over the Red Bull driver.

However the Spaniard and his team covered the wrong man in Mark Webber and as a result got stuck in traffic which affectively wrecked the title chances of both men, leaving the way clear for Vettel to win his third race in four and clinch his maiden title.

Mansell himself was involved in a titanic championship climax in 1986 when he, Alain Prost and team-mate Nelson Piquet could have been crowned champion. The Englishman, originally from Worcestershire, was well on his way to achieving a sufficient third place, but his tyre blew laps from the end and Prost took his second championship in as many seasons.

The 1992 Champion was impressed with Vettel's calmness under pressure and said Ferrari gave a poor showing after such a strong second half to the season.

Speaking at the launch of the Beaujolais Run at Brands Hatch recently he told Pitpass: "Sebastian went out and won it and that's what he had to do. It was a very dull performance from Ferrari and they made a bad decision following Webber into the pits. If both had stayed out we would have had a heck of championship race.

"It played into the hands of Vettel; he drove a flawless weekend and came out the true champion. It was great for Formula One and good for the fans."

When asked if Vettel had won the title or Alonso had lost it, he was quick to point out the dominance of the German throughout the weekend and that he delivered exactly what was required.

"Vettel won it," he said. "He got pole position, he went and won the race and you can't do better than that," he said. "If Ferrari hadn't of pitted Alonso he probably would have won it."

Many have suggested 2010 to be the best ever F1 season with five men in the hunt for the championship throughout the majority of the year, and although Mansell believed it to be fascinating he thinks each season should be judged separately:

"Every season you have to look at it on its own merit," he said. "This was a phenomenal and exciting season but 86 was phenomenal too, but back then you had other things to cater for. Reliability wasn't taken for granted and all the cars more or less finish now."

Sebastian Vettel has become the youngest ever F1 Drivers' Champion at the tender age of just 23, and having been referred to as the young 'Schumi' many believe he could emulate the successes of his fellow countryman. However the 1993 Indy Car Champion believes they cannot be compared at this moment in time:

"It's too early to tell but he's the right age, in the right team and in the right place and when you start your career in the right place, win the World Championship and be the youngest ever its not a bad start is it?"