Happy birthday to El Maestro! | FerrariChat
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Happy birthday to El Maestro!

Discussion in 'F1' started by Gatorrari, Jun 24, 2019.

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  1. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #1 Gatorrari, Jun 24, 2019
    Today is the birthday of the great Juan Manuel Fangio, still one of the best to have ever sat in an F1 car. Of course, he won more than just the 1956 championship, but this image came from Ferrari:
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    tomc, 375+, jgonzalesm6 and 1 other person like this.
  2. jgonzalesm6

    jgonzalesm6 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 jgonzalesm6, Jun 24, 2019
    Buen Cumpleanos "El Chueco" !!
     
  3. zygomatic

    zygomatic F1 Veteran
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    Chris
    #3 zygomatic, Jun 24, 2019
    tomc and william like this.
  4. william

    william Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #4 william, Jun 24, 2019

    I think there was no love lost between Enzo Ferrari and Juan Manual Fangio. Reading both their memoirs, they are full of mutual accusations and récriminations.
    When Fangio came at Ferrari, he was already 3 times WDC and of advancing age; he refused to be intimidated by the Commandatore who was used to unquestioned obedience from the drivers who wanted to be in his Scuderia. For Fangio, it was an opportunity, having just lost his drive at Mercedes because of the team withdrawing from motor racing at the creast of a wave. Fangio needed a car, and Ferrari needed a top driver: he had now the best.
    The atmosphere between the 2 men was tense, and soon Fangio started looking for another team for the following year. He found one at Maserati.
    Ferrari was outraged by that! Soon the Italian media started to print how bad Fangio was, how disloyal he could be, etc ...
    The following year at Maserati was the last full season for Fangio. I think his proudest achievement was to defeat Ferrari at the Nurburgring when, following an enforced pit stop, he beat Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins in an epic drive. He said later than that day, he took more risks than he ever did, and he would never drive like that again. But he had defeated Ferrari, and won his 5th WDC title ! .
     
  5. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    #5 Gatorrari, Jun 24, 2019
    Fangio had the knack of picking the best car in any given year, and in 1956 he realized that his best chance to win another title was with Ferrari, so it was purely a marriage of convenience. From the day he arrived in Maranello, he was probably hoping to go elsewhere in '57. One wonders what might have been if Peter Collins hadn't given up his chance to be '56 World Champion.....
     
    william likes this.

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