Juan Manuel Fangio (June 24, 1911 - July 17, 1995) was a race car driver from Argentina, who dominated the first decade of Formula One racing. He won five World Championship titles — a record which stood for 46 years — with four different teams (Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Maserati), a feat that has not been repeated since. For these achievements, and because of the time they were accomplished, he is considered by many as the "greatest driver of all time".
Early life and racing
Fangio was born on San Juan's day in 1911 in Balcarce, Argentina to Italian parents from the small central Italian village of Castiglione Messer Marino, near Chieti. He began his racing career in Argentina in 1934, driving a Ford Model T 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 1949, funded by the Argentinian Automobile Club and the Argentinian government.
Formula One racing
Juan Manuel Fangio, unlike most later Formula One drivers, started his racing career at a mature age and was the oldest driver in many of his races. During his career, drivers raced almost without protective equipment. The notable rivals he had to face consisted of the likes of Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina and Stirling Moss.
Initially Fangio was not particularly successful until racing an Alfa Romeo in 1950. He finished second in the world championship in 1950 and won his first title in 1951. He was competing well in 1952 in a Maserati until a serious accident at Monza, Italy ended his season with a neck injury. Fangio soon returned to win La Carrera Panamericana, the 2000-mile Mexican road race the following year in a Lancia D24. In 1954 he raced with Maserati until Mercedes-Benz entered competition in mid-season. Winning eight out of twelve races (six out of eight in the championship) in that year, he continued to race again with Mercedes—driving the superb W196 Monoposto—in 1955 (in a dream team that included Stirling Moss). At the end of the second successful season (which was overshadowed by the 1955 Le Mans disaster in which more than 80 spectators were killed) Mercedes withdrew from racing.
In 1956 Fangio moved to Ferrari, replacing Alberto Ascari, who had been killed in an accident, to win his fourth title. He finished first in three races and second in all the other championship races. In 1957 he returned to Maserati and won his fifth title, notable for an extraordinary performance to secure his final win at the Nurburgring in Germany. After his series of back-to-back championships he retired in 1958, following the French Grand Prix. He won 24 World Championship Grands Prix from 51 starts, the best winning percentage in the sport's history.
Later life and death
During the rest of his life, Fangio represented Mercedes-Benz, often driving his former race cars in demonstration laps. In 1974 he was appointed President of Mercedes-Benz Argentina, and in 1987 he was made Honorary President for Life of that corporation.
Cuban rebels kidnapped him on February 23, 1958, but he was later freed.
In 1990, he was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Juan Manuel Fangio died in Buenos Aires in 1995, at the age of 84. He was buried in his home town of Balcarce in Argentina.
Legacy
According to the official Formula One website, "Many consider him to be the greatest driver of all time.". Many later drivers, such as Jim Clark, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher, have been compared with Fangio. It is generally acknowledged that such comparisons are not realistic, given that the qualities required for success and the levels of competition have varied over time. Additionally, the rules have varied considerably. In Fangio's era, for example, drivers were permitted to use multiple cars in the same race.
His record of 5 World Championship titles stood for 45 years until German driver Michael Schumacher took his sixth title in 2003. Schumacher said, "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."
In his home country, Argentina, Fangio is revered as one of the greatest sportsmen the nation has ever produced. Argentinians often referred to him as The Maestro, and a poll of sports journalists and commentators placed him as the second best Argentine sportsman of the 20th century, second only to Diego Maradona.
His nephew, Juan Manuel Fangio II, was also a successful racing driver.
Five statues of Fangio, sculpted by Catalan artist Joaquim Ros Sabate, are erected around the world: at Puerto Madero, Buenos Aires; Monte Carlo, Monaco; Montmelo, Spain; Nurburgring, Germany; and Monza, Italy.
As an homage to him, Argentina's former national oil and gas company, Repsol YPF, launched the "Fangio XXI" gas brand. In 2005, the Zonda 2005 C12 F was named after him due to the endorsement from Fangio for Pagani. In 2007 Maserati created a special website to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his fifth and final world championship triumph.
Formula One world championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
References
External links
Other pages about Argentine Formula One drivers
-Adolfo Schwelm Cruz -Alberto Crespo -Alberto Rodriguez Larreta -Alejandro de Tomaso -Alfredo Pian -Carlos Menditeguy -Carlos Reutemann -Clemar Bucci -Esteban Tuero -Gaston Mazzacane -Jesus Iglesias -Jorge Daponte -Jose Froilan Gonzalez -Juan Manuel Bordeu -Juan Manuel Fangio -Miguel Angel Guerra -Nasif Estefano -Norberto Fontana -Onofre Marimon -Oscar Alfredo Galvez -Oscar Larrauri -Pablo Birger -Ricardo Zunino -Roberto Bonomi -Roberto Miè?
Other pages about Argentine racecar drivers
-Adolfo Schwelm Cruz -Alberto Crespo -Alberto Rodriguez Larreta -Alejandro de Tomaso -Alfredo Pian -Carlos Menditeguy -Carlos Reutemann -Clemar Bucci -Enrique Mansilla -Ernesto Bessone -Esteban Guerrieri -Esteban Tuero -Gaston Mazzacane -Ianina Zanazzi -Jesus Iglesias -Jorge Daponte -Jose Froilan Gonzalez -Jose Maria Lopez -Juan Cruz Alvarez -Juan Gaudino -Juan Manuel Bordeu -Juan Manuel Fangio -Juan Manuel Fangio II -Mariano Altuna -Mariano Bainotti -Martin De Alzaga -Martin di Cola -Miguel Angel Guerra -Nasif Estefano -Nicolas Vuyovich -Norberto Fontana -Onofre Marimon -Oscar Alfredo Galvez -Oscar Larrauri -Pablo Birger -Pablo Perez -Raoul Riganti -Ricardo Risatti -Ricardo Zunino -Roberto Bonomi -Roberto Miè? -Vicente Pernia
Other pages about Italian-Argentines
-Agustin Calleri -Albano Bizarri -Alberto Mancini -Alberto Tarantini -Alejandro de Tomaso -Alfio Basile -Alfredo Di Stefano -Alicia Bruzzo -Andres D'Alessandro -Andres Nocioni -Andy Bellatti -Antonino Rocca -Antonio Porchia -Antonio Quarracino -Antonio Roma -Antonio di Benedetto -Argentina Brunetti -Ariel Montenegro -Arturo Frondizi -Arturo Umberto Illia -Astor Piazzolla -Attilio Demaria -Bernardo Romeo -Blas Giunta -Bruno Marioni -Bruno Premiani -Carlos Bianchi -Carlos Delfino -Carlos Marinelli -Carlos Nieto -Carolina Peleritti -Cesar Carignano -Cesar Luis Menotti -Charly Alberti -Claudio Basso -Claudio Borghi -Claudio Caniggia -Daniel Cordone -Daniel Montenegro -Daniel Passarella -Dario Vittori -Delio Onnis -Diego Bucchieri -Diego Cagna -Diego Logrippo -Diego Milito -Diego Peretti -Diego Placente -Eduardo Berizzo -Eduardo Francisco Pironio -Eduardo Tuzzio -Eleonora Cassano -Emiliano Sanchez -Emilio Pettoruti -Enzo Trossero -Erminio Blotta -Ernesto Bessone -Ernesto Sabato -Esteban Cambiasso -Evangelina Carrozzo -Ezequiel Alejo Carboni -Ezequiel Lavezzi -Fabricio Coloccini -Fabricio Oberto -Federico Luppi -Fernando Belluschi -Fernando Forestieri -Fernando Gago -Fernando Tissone -Franco Costanzo -Franco Di Santo -Franco Squillari -Gabriel Batistuta -Gabriel Fernandez (basketball) -Gabriel Milito -Gabriel Paletta -Gabriela Sabatini -Gaston Mazzacane -Gino Padula -Guillermo Ariel Pereyra -Guillermo Barros Schelotto -Guillermo Francella -Guillermo Jose Garlatti -Guillermo Stabile -Gustavo Cerati -Gustavo Reggi -Hernan Cattaneo -Hernan Paolo Dellafiore -Horacio Carbonari -J. Posadas -Javier Mascherano -Javier Zanetti -Javier di Gregorio -Jonas Gutierrez -Jonathan Bottinelli -Jorge Cardinal Bergoglio -Jorge Lanata -Jose Cuneo -Jose Ingenieros -Jose Luis Cuciuffo -Juan Diego Botto -Juan J. Campanella -Juan Manuel Fangio -Juan Manuel Fangio II -Juan Raponi -Juan Zanotto -Julian Speroni -Julio Bocca -Julio Hernan Rossi -Julio Libonatti -Julio Mazzaro -Leandro Cufre -Leandro Grimi -Leandro Somoza -Leo Franco -Leon Ferrari -Leonardo Ponzio -Leonardo Talamonti -Leonor Fini -Leopoldo Galtieri -Lionel Messi -Lionel Scaloni -Luca Prodan -Lucas Bernardi -Luciano Galletti -Lucio Fontana -Luis Cesar Amadori -Luis Monti -Luis Ramacciotti -Manu Ginobili -Marcos di Palma -Maria Emilia Salerni -Mariano Barbosa -Mariano Pavone -Mario Baroffio -Mario Gallo (director) -Mario Soffici -Martin Castrogiovanni -Martin Demichelis -Martin Palermo -Matias Emanuel Lequi -Matias Emilio Delgado -Mauricio Macri -Mauricio Pellegrino -Mauricio Taricco -Mauricio Vincello -Mauro Camoranesi -Maxi Biancucchi -Maxi Lopez -Maxi Rodriguez -Nadia Di Cello -Nicolas Burdisso -Nicolino Locche -Norberto Fontana -Norma Cappagli -Norma Nolan -Oscar Bonavena -Oscar Ruggeri -Oscar Ustari -Pablo Cavallero -Pablo Mastroeni -Pasta Dioguardi -Patricio Borghetti -Patricio Prato -Paulo Ferrari -Pedro Pasculli -Pedro Troglio -Princess Maxima of the Netherlands -Quirino Cristiani -Ramiro Pez -Renato Civelli -Ricardo Caruso Lombardi -Ricardo Giusti -Roberto Abbondanzieri -Roberto Ayala -Roberto Bonano -Roberto Colautti -Roberto Lavagna -Roberto Nanni -Roberto Nestor Sensini -Roberto Pettinato -Rodolfo Ranni -Roman Gonzalez -Sebastian Battaglia -Sebastian Rulli -Sergio Marchi -Sergio Zanetti -Soledad Pastorutti -Tamara Paganini -Valeria Mazza -Vicente Pernia -Yesica Toscanini
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Juan_Manuel_Fangio
