Topic: It was 50 Years ago today...

[Otto Puzzell]

4 August, 1957 : Fangio wins last race

Juan Fangio won his last auto race and captured the world auto driving championship for the fifth consecutive year on this day in 1957. Fangio, born in Argentina and of Italian descent, won the World Championship a record five times, as well as capturing 24 Grand Prix titles. He began his career as a mechanic, but eventually started racing in South America with a car he built himself. After his retirement from racing, Fangio went to work for Mercedes-Benz in Argentina.

[D-type]

This is Fangio's last win in a World Championship Grand Prix, but not his last race or even his last win!.

His last win was a heat of the 1958 Buenos Aires City Grand Prix and his last race was the 1958 French GP when he finished 4th.

But the 1957 German GP is generally reckoned to be his greatest drive.  He made a planned mid race pitstop to change tyres and to refuel.  The pitstop went wrong and he was left with a big deficit to Hawthorn and Collins in Ferraris.  He reeled them in and regained the lead.  His win clinched his fith World Championship.

[Tifosi]

And, don't forget that Fangio also practiced at Indy in 1958, at least part of the time in a Novi...


Dan