The Magazine

It’s all done with the hands!

In our PostWarCar period of time (say 1945 to roughly 1965) there is in our opinion no greater Formula I driver than Fangio. Full stop. No argument! Have you ever seen him drive? Probably not, so check this YouTube video where he demonstrates and explains his skill during a practice run at Monaco with the Ferrari D50. It's no problem if you don't speak Spanish as Fangio's hands do all the talking. See the master go, it's pure poetry in motion!
(photo: still from YouTube video)

Sunday, 06 May 2012

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Comments

#4 2012-05-06 23:40

Now this is a proper racing car driver in a proper racing car What more can you want than Juan Manuel Fangio in a Lancia Ferrari at Monaco.
None of those weird modern 'preying mantis' things with advertising all over and the drivers covered up so you can't recognise them !!!
lovely!

Tony.

#3 2012-05-06 23:15

I think I commented before on this forum about Fangio's sheer genius in the car. It seems to me there will never be another driver just like him in Formula 1. Considering the poor downforce of those cars it's not very surprising to see lap-times having gone down by 30 seconds. It's actually surprising that it's just 30 seconds. Just look at that ferrari's back end dancing around when accelerating out of the corner. Last time we've seen anything like that was Ayrton Senna in the 1989 Lotus.

Fangio was one of the few top drivers to actually survive this deadly era of Formula 1 racing and this video shows exactly why: total control! Too bad about the sound track tough... could have done with just the engine noise.

#2 2012-05-06 10:01

It’s fashionable, these days, to be a bit sniffy about Fangio’s achievements. So lets make a few points:

After racing from his teenaged days in South American road racing, Fangio made his European Grand Prix debut in 1949. At the age of 36! He then raced until he retired after just two races of the 1958 season.

As there was no World Championship in 1949, and he missed the entire 1952 season due to a neck injury, he only took part in seven full World-Championship seasons. Yet he still managed to be World Champion five times, for four different manufacturers.

Not too bad, eh ?

It took Shoey 12 years from 1994 to do 5
Stuart

#1 2012-05-06 01:29

aaahhhhh ! ! Nostalgia isn't what it used to be ! !
It's the sheer bravery of those guys, sitting in cars, without all the modern aids and protection, that makes them so, fantastic to watch.
Sliding round the curves, ....
See how the lap times have come down by 30seconds from Fangio's time to Shue's

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=852275

Stuart

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