Fangio was born on San Juan's day in 1911 in Balcarce, to Italian immigrants. He began his racing career in Argentina in 1934, driving a 1929 Ford Model A which he had rebuilt. During his time racing in Argentina, he drove Chevrolet cars and was Argentine National Champion in 1940 and 1941. He first came to Europe to race in 1948, funded by the Argentine Automobile Club and the Argentine government.
Formula One Years...
On May 21, 1950 he obtained his first victory in the World Grand Prix of Monaco, Montecarlo, with an Alfa Romeo 158, after escaping a collision that left nine cars out o the race in the first lap. A few months later he was world champion's runner-up in Italy's Grand Prix, where his teammate Nino Farina got the title.
On October 28, 1951 he obtained the Worlds Drivers Championship Award after winning the Pedralbes Grand Prix in Barcelona, Spain, with an Alfa Romeo 159, being the last race with Alfa Romeo.
In 1952, he debuted with the British BRM of 4500 cm3 in France's Albi Grand Prix, where he abandoned the race; and later that year he suffered the worst accident of his career when he went out of the track during the first lap of the Monza Grand Prix while driving a Formula 2 Maserati A6GCM.
The previous day, Fangio raced in Belfast (Northern Ireland) and lost his connection to Paris, so he drove all night to be on time for the Monza Grand Prix, arriving half an hour prior to the race. With his reflexes notably reduced due to the tiredness, he made a mistake while changing gears and the Maserati hit the side of the track and went flying. Fangio broke his neck and had cervical injuries that forced him to step of for the rest of the season.
He was back on his feet for the 1953 season, and on the 13 of September he won again in the Formula 1 category leading in the Italian Grand Prix, and obtaining the second place in the world championship.
In 1954 he started racing for Mercedes Benz, who allowed him to race for Maserati while the Mercedes cars where not available; and it was then that he obtained the World Championship for the the second time.
Fangio ran twelve Grand Prix for Maserati, winning eight; and leading to the beginning of a winning spree of four consecutive prizes.
In 1955 he won again with Mercedes Benz and his teammate Stirling Moss nicknamed him "El Maestro" (The Teacher) in s sign of respect and admiration. On September 11, 1955, with a win in Italy, he obtained his Third World Championship in Formula 1 and decides to leave Mercedes Benz and join Ferrari with whom he got his Fourth World Championship.
In 1957 he went back to race for Maserati and got his Fifth World Championship on board of a Maserati 250F.
In a race in Nurburgring, while leading by 28 seconds over the Ferraris driven by Hawthorn y Collins; Fangio made a pit stop and lost the 28 seconds he led plus an additional 48 seconds. With only 12 laps left he made an astonishing recovery and in the previous to last lap he passed Collins and subsequently passed Hawthorn near the curves, winning the race by 3.6 seconds. This exceptional maneuver is considered a "driving monument" in the history of formula 1 races.
In February of 1958, Fangio was acknowledged as the author of the "Worlds' Most Outstanding Accomplishment in Sports" and received the Annual Award from the French Academy of Sports.
That unbelievable race was his last conquest in Formula 1 and that same Juan Manuel Fangio decided to retire from the professional circuits after a long list of races and a glorious career.
His Legecy....
May 20, 2003, a life size bronze statue was unveiled at the famous Rascasse bend at the pit-lane entrance on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit. The statue at this traditional location pays homage to a great racing driver and underlines his importance in the world of sport. Over the years, Prince Rainier III formed a close friendship with the Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio, who died on July 17, 1995 at the age of 84.
Quotes about or from Fangio....
"I have never driven that quickly before in my life and I don't think I will ever be able to do it again". - Fangio after 1957 German GP
"Fangio is on a level much higher than I see myself. What he did stands alone and what we have achieved is also unique. I have such respect for what he achieved. You can't take a personality like Fangio and compare him with what has happened today. There is not even the slightest comparison.” - Michael Schumacher
Grrls, you rock... sweet tribute, thanks.
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