Juan Manuel Fangio, born on June 24, 1911, in Balcarce, Argentina, and died on July 17, 1995, was a legendary F1 driver. Known affectionately by nicknames such as “El Chueco” (the bowlegged one) and “El Maestro” (The Master or The Teacher), Fangio was a titan of Formula 1, defining the sport’s earliest seasons.
| Nationality | Argentine |
|---|---|
| Born | 24 June 1911 Balcarce, Argentina |
| Died | 17 July 1995 (aged 84) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Fangio clinched the World Drivers’ Championship five times during his F1 career, an achievement that remained unbeaten for nearly five decades, and at a time when the sport was at its most dangerous.
Fangio’s journey into motor racing began from humble origins, with a youthful dislike for anything academic, he preferred a more practical vocation in auto mechanics. His passion for cars soon propelled him onto the racing scene, where he made his debut in the 1938 Turismo Carretera series, a popular stock car racing series in Argentina, driving a Ford V8. By 1940, now with Chevrolet, he won the championship, in 1940 and the following 1941 season.
In the late 1940s, Fangio expanded his racing career to the European circuits of the time, where he laid the groundwork for his Formula 1 debut.
His entry in the first Formula 1 season of 1950 marked the beginning of an illustrious career that saw him win championships with four different teams: Alfa Romeo in 1951, Maserati in 1954 and 1957, Mercedes-Benz in 1954 and 1955, and Ferrari in 1956. In addition to five drivers’ titles, Fangio left the sport with a staggering winning percentage of 46.15%, 24 victories out of 52 races, and the highest pole position percentage, 55.77%.
Fangio’s legacy remains to this day, he is the only Argentine to win the Argentine Grand Prix—a feat he accomplished four times—and the only Argentine to clinch the World Drivers’ Championship.
Following his retirement from racing, Fangio became the honorary president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina, a role he fulfilled from 1987 until his death in 1995. His contributions to motorsport were celebrated globally, particularly during the centenary of his birth in 2011, through numerous tributes and events honouring his impact on Formula 1 and other motor racing series.
Juan Manuel Fangio Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950–1951, 1953-1958 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari |
| Entries | 52 (51 starts) |
| Championships | 5 (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957) |
| Wins | 24 |
| Podiums | 35 |
| Career points | 245 |
| Pole positions | 29 |
| Fastest laps | 23 |
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| First win | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1957 German Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1958 French Grand Prix |
