Juan Manuel Fangio is undoubtedly one of the greatest racing car drivers that history remembers. And this is not only because of five Formula One World Championships he won - a record that was unmatched for a long time - but also for his superlative driving style, which combined computer-like precision with the extraordinary ability to calculate and take risks.
When he arrived at the old continent at the end of the 1940s, already famous and celebrated in Argentina but still unknown and regarded with a certain sufficiency in Europe, Fangio was no longer the age of a debutante and no one would have predicted a long period of triumph.
Instead, the "gaucho" astonished everyone and won with the ease and continuity of a champion racer. Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Mercedes, Ferrari: these were the cars with which Fangio formed a winning combination over a decade.
Tactical intelligence, driving ability and surprising athletic freshness were the atout that Fangio was able to play against his most formidable adversaries. But also contributing to transforming him into a mythical figure in the eyes of the public were certain traits that were unfortunately rare in the drivers who came after him, such as loyalty and an innate sense of chivalry.
Fangio Pirelli Album, a volume published in 1991, with the support of Mercedes-Benz, pays him a unique homage, retracing his career with the aid of an excellent iconographic collection.
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