Fangio vs Moss
The Maestro of Formula One
Juan Manuel Fangio was an Argentine racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1950. Nicknamed "el Chueco" and "el Maestro", Fangio won five Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and held records for most wins (24), pole positions (29), fastest laps (23), and podium finishes (35) at the time of his retirement.
Quick Facts
- Fangio role
- Five-time World Champion
- Moss role
- Four-time Runner-up; 'The Master'
- Primary era
- 1950s Formula One
- Key affiliation
- Mercedes-Benz (1954-1955)
- Relationship status
- Mutual Respect and Friendship
Lore & Background
Fangio made his Formula One debut in the inaugural 1950 season. He won the World Drivers' Championship five times with four different teams: Alfa Romeo (1951), Maserati (1954 and 1957), Mercedes-Benz (1954 and 1955), and Ferrari (1956). His fifth and final title came in 1957. Among his greatest wins is the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix, where the 44-year-old drove the entire three-hour race alone in very hot weather and set the fastest lap. His last GP win was for Maserati at the 1957 German Grand Prix, where he overcame a delayed pit stop to catch the leaders by taking unprecedented risks and beating the lap record several times.
Reader's Guide
Fangio holds the highest winning percentage in Formula One at 46.15% (24 wins from 52 entries) and the highest pole percentage at 55.77% (29 poles from 52 entries). He is the only Argentine driver to have won the World Drivers' Championship or the Argentine Grand Prix. After retirement, he presided as honorary president of Mercedes-Benz Argentina from 1987 until his death in 1995.
Did You Know?
- Fangio won five World Drivers' Championship titles, a record that stood for 46 years.
- He is the only driver in F1 history to win titles with four different teams.
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