Juan Manuel Fangio was born 112 years ago

On June 24, 2023, the world of Formula 1 will commemorate Juan Manuel Fangio, who was born on this day 112 years ago, and an article by British journalist David Tremaine dedicated to the famous Argentine appeared on the official website of the championship.

The author not only lists the stages of Fangio’s biography and his sporting achievements, but tries to explain why the name of this racer is full of legends and his memory is preserved even now, although he ended his career 65 years ago, and almost three decades have passed since his departure to another world.

Young fans may not know how this man, who made his Formula 1 debut at the age of 38 and competed in just 51 Grands Prix, deserved such an honour. Suffice it to say that in 24 of them Fangio won and from 1951 to 1957. won five titles.

This record lasted 46 years – only in 2003 Michael Schumacher became the first to block it. But another indicator remains unattainable and it is possible that it will remain forever: Fangio crossed the finish line first 47.06% of the time.

He was born in 1911 in the town of Balcarse in the family of a descendant of Italian immigrant Loretto Fangio, who earned money painting houses, who gave birth to six children. Juan Manuel finished fourth.

Popularity at home for the future five-time world champion came in the 1930s and early 1940s, when he performed very well in multi-day supermarathons, the route of which took place across South America, and the distance could reach nearly 10,000 km. Of course, these were extremely dangerous matches, but Juan Manuel got an enviable hardening.

In the late 1940s, the then president of Argentina, Juan Peron, who was a motorsport fan, personally ordered some of the best racers to compete in the US and European championships, and it is quite logical that Fangio in their number was recorded , although he was already almost 40 years old.

In 1950, in his debut year in Formula 1, he became vice-champion, not far behind Giuseppe Farina, who also raced for Alfa Romeo, and won his first title the following season. 1952-1953 Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari dominated the championships, but it should be emphasized that Fangio missed the 1952 season due to a rather serious injury.

But from 1954 to 1957, the Argentine nicknamed El Maesto had no equal, and during this period he managed to change three teams, played for Maserati, Mercedes and Ferrari.

His best race is considered to be the 1957 German Grand Prix at the old Nürburgring. We’ve already talked about it, so we’ll just add that after the finish he admitted that he should never have tried his hardest: “And I don’t want to repeat this experience.”

Here’s what Fangio had to say about the role of racing skill: “When things go well, the driver is just another element. But if the car is unimportant, then really good and strong racers emerge. As in life, success in motorsport is achieved by people of strong character.”

Juan Manuel Fangio ended his career in the middle of the 1958 season, at the age of 47. According to him, champions, actors and dictators should leave the stage when they are at the height of their fame.

On the track, he was distinguished by incredible self-confidence and an aggressive driving style, but at the same time he always remained a gentleman. Behind the wheel of a racing car, he was not always the fastest – the same Askari, Hawthorne or Stirling Moss were not inferior to him in speed, but Sir Stirling always considered him the best racer in the world.

“He didn’t have good days or bad days, good laps or bad laps. He was always consistently fast,” Moss recalled. “Maybe some riders were better than him in certain corners or stronger in something else, but in the end – and this is what matters – when a serious fight started, he always came out victorious.

It is true that he always had the best car, but you are in charge of your happiness. The reason he had the best cars is because he was the best driver!”