Juan Manuel Fangio

This article is about the Formula One World Champion. For his nephew, also a racing driver, see Juan Manuel Fangio II.

Juan Manuel Fangio
Fangio in 1955
Born(1911-06-24)24 June 1911
Balcarce, Argentina
Died17 July 1995(1995-07-17) (aged 84)
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityArgentina Argentine
Active years1950–1951, 1953–1958
TeamsAlfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari
Entries52 (51 starts)
Championships5 (1951, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957)
Wins24
Podiums35
Career points245 (277 9⁄14)[a]
Pole positions29
Fastest laps23
First entry1950 British Grand Prix
First win1950 Monaco Grand Prix
Last win1957 German Grand Prix
Last entry1958 French Grand Prix
Personal details
Children3

Juan Manuel Fangio (Spanish: [ˈxwan maˈnwel ˈfaŋxjo], Italian: [ˈfandʒo]; 24 June 1911 – 17 July 1995),[1] was an Argentine racing driver. Nicknamed El Chueco ("the bowlegged" or "bandy legged one") or El Maestro ("The Master" or "The Teacher"), he dominated the first decade of Formula One racing, winning the World Drivers' Championship five times.[2]

From childhood, he abandoned his studies to pursue auto mechanics. In 1938, he debuted in the newly-formed Argentine stock car racing series Turismo Carretera, competing in a Ford V8. In 1940, he competed with Chevrolet, winning the Grand Prix International Championship and devoted his time to the Turismo Carretera becoming its champion, a title he successfully defended a year later. Fangio then competed in Europe between 1947 and 1949, where he achieved further success.

One of the most successful drivers in Formula One history, he made his debut in the inaugural Formula One season to become a pioneer of the sport. He went on to win the World Drivers' Championship five times—a record that stood for 46 years—making him the only driver in F1 history to win titles with four different teams: Alfa Romeo (1951), Maserati (1954 and 1957), Mercedes-Benz (1954 and 1955), and Ferrari (1956).[b] He holds the highest winning percentage in Formula One at 46.15%, winning 24 of 52 Formula One races he entered.[4] Additionally, Fangio also holds the record for the highest pole percentage at 55.77%, achieving 29 pole positions from 52 entries.[5] Fangio is the only Argentine driver to have won the Argentine Grand Prix, which he won four times in his career, more than any other driver. He is also the only Argentine to win the World Drivers' Championship.[6][7]

After retirement, Fangio presided as the honorary president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina from 1987, a year after the inauguration of his museum, until his death in 1995. In 2011, on the centenary of his birth, Fangio was remembered around the world and various activities were held in his honor.


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  1. ^ Joseph Siano (18 July 1995). "Juan Manuel Fangio, 84, Racer Who Captured 5 World Titles". The New York Times. p. B6. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Juan Manuel FANGIO". statsf1.com. Archived from the original on 12 February 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  3. ^ Jones, Bruce (2015). The Story of Formula One: 65 Years of Life in the Fast Lane. London, England: Carlton Books. pp. 29, 33, 37, 119, 343. ISBN 978-1-78177-270-6.
  4. ^ "Statistics Drivers - Wins - By number". statsf1.com. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  5. ^ "Top 15 Formula 1 Drivers Ranked by Pole Percentage: Ayrton Senna Is No. 4". Autoweek. 5 May 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2023.
  6. ^ "Statistics Drivers - Wins - By national GP". statsf1.com. Archived from the original on 14 April 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Grands Prix Argentina". statsf1.com. Archived from the original on 2 October 2010. Retrieved 31 October 2018.