- Argentina - Portal público de noticias de la República Argentina.
In the photos you can appreciate the course of Fangio’s life: his brothers, the vehicle repair shop that he had in Balcarce.
In the photos you can appreciate the course of Fangio’s life: his brothers, the vehicle repair shop that he had in Balcarce, the pilots that he knew in the different countries and the triumphs that he won. The anecdotes narrated are about the races in Argentina and Europe.
So, his most dangerous race happened at Reims on July 1 1956. This moment marked the last of this season of F1. Fangio was in the best moment of his career when he felt a cold jet in his thighs that smelt of fuel.
He was first, but he was going through a moment of extremely dangerousness. The oil jet was socking his shirt and just one spark was enough to burn the car and the pilot. He had to stop in boxes where the mechanics started to repair the connection. This action made lost Fangio one minute and a half and also the race.
Other anecdotes are about when he avoided the crash with several cars stranded in one of the European circuits.
The same happened the first time that he made his debut with the Ferrari 125: it was in Monza (Italy) on July 26 1949 and when he won the second title of World Champion in 1954. The race considered “hottest” was when he raced the Grand Prix of Argentina, on January 16, 1955. the sample shows that Fangio needed to win for “his” Mercedes Benz brand. In Argentina was built a fabric and Fangio marketed his cars.
It was a very hot day and the temperatures reached 36°C in the shade and in the asphalt track the thermometer reached 51°C. In the “Flecha del Plata” the mechanics had forgotten to insulate the exhaust pipe of Fangio’s car. So, in every curve when he turned left, his leg touched one of the bodywork sides.
In order to stand the suffocating heat, the sun and the burns in his legs, he told himself “I am lost in the snow… If I stop I will die. I have to go on, I have to go on, I have to go on…”
The heat broke the element of the Ascari first. Then, Froilán González stopped in boxes. Stirling Moss got sunstroke and he was taken from the car, but Fanguio with his 44 years old was still racing.
Finally, only Mieres and Fangio finished the race without alternating with another pilot. When the second one emerged triumphant to the box, the doctor had to see him but he was in a faint.
