Juan Manuel Fangio: the real master of Formula One

Fangio returned as a privateer in 1958, but came fourth in both the races he participated in and finally ended up as a distant 14^th in the championship. He ended his Grand Prix career where he had first begun, at the French Grand Prix at Reims. He made an unsuccessful attempt to revive his career at Indianopolis 500, but at 47, he realised that age was not on his side and he rightly decided to call it a day.

Thus ended the marvellous career of the father of F1 racing – Juan Manuel Fangio, who won 24 races out of the 52 he had participated in with a win percentage of 46%, a record that stands to this day.

Statue of Formula one legend Juan Manuel Fangio during the 12th Monte Carlo Historical Rally on January 31, 2009 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. (Getty Images)

Fangio’s life was even more fascinating off the track. He was kidnapped on the eve of the 1958 Cuban Grand Prix and spent 29 hours in captivity before being released. He is also known to have famously challenged the traffic personnel in his home province of Buenos Aires to a race when he was denied a drivers’ license owing to his old age. Fangio was never one to retreat from a fight.

It has been eighteen years since Fangio breathed his last in Buenos Aires at the ripe age of 84 but his legend still lives on. No matter how many great drivers have come and gone, be it Jackie Stewart, Alain Prost or Senna or any other F1 great for that matter, none have been able to outclass the great that was Fangio.

And the fact that he remains in the records book as the oldest world champion at 43 years, twice the age of the youngest ever world champion, Sebastian Vettel, it just goes to show Fangio’s calibre and never-say-die attitude.

Fangio competed with drivers almost half his age in his heyday and still came out victorious. His age is long gone and his bones have long turned to dust, but his indomitable spirit lives on, for now and forever. He was the master of his art, the primeval great of this wonderful sport, the true hero of his country, the real maestro of racing.