Modena, Italy - Maserati is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the F1 title won by Juan Manuel Fangio in 1957 with a series of special events and a website which honors both the man and the season.
Driving for Maserati in 1957, Fangio dominated. In sixteen races where he appeared in Maserati colors, including Formula 1 events that did not count towards the championship and Sports Car races, Fangio won ten. At the age of 46, the Argentine won the last World Championship for both himself and Maserati.
Juan Manuel Fangio held a personal affection for Maserati, having once said “I've raced and won in cars of all marques but I always had a special relationship with Maserati: not only were the cars safe, reliable and always absolutely technically avant-garde, but there was a very special friendship and atmosphere between myself and the marque. I felt completely at home.”
Then as now the feeling of affection for Fangio remains within the brick walls of Modena.
'The Maestro', as he was named by the other drivers, won a legendary victory at the Nuerburgring circuit (on the famous 22 km long Nordschleife) on August 4, 1957. Driving a Maserati 250F, the triumph all but made the title his although he secured it in the next race at the Grand Prix of Pescara where he finished second behind Sterling Moss.
The 1957 Grand Prix at the Nuerburgring is regarded by many to be the most significant race in Formula 1 history. Fangio had a clear strategy for victory which was undone during a pit stop to change tires and refuel. The veteran lost 45 seconds after a wheel nut ended up under his single seater. It was at this point where the actions of Fangio became legend as he finessed the incredible balance of the Maserati 250F around the German circuit.
Fangio launched himself into a comeback lowering the track record lap after lap. He made up over forty seconds in seven laps on Hawthorn and Collins' V8 Ferraris, who were leading at the time. The two Ferraris could never have expected Fangio to catch and overtake them but he did. At the end of the race, the Argentine struggled to take in what he had achieved: "I have never driven that quickly before in my life and I don't think I will ever be able to do it again".
Maserati would not be the company it is today without this historic season and virtuoso performance. The 250F that Fangio drove at Nuerburgring in 1957 will be at the Maserati stand at the Frankfurt Motorshow alongside the current Maserati range including the GranTurismo and the Quattroporte.
The race at the old German circuit was a moment where excellence in many forms came together. From Modena came the final version of the 250F- the clearest example of the ideal Maserati- a car with exceptional balance and poise which allowed the finest driver to attain what he thought impossible.
In appreciation Maserati welcomes all to experience the sights and sounds of the magical 1957 season including rare film footage at a new website
http://www.maseraticelebratesfangio.com
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