50 Years ago on this day...

[Ciro Pabón]

... on August 4, 1957, Juan Manuel Fangio won his last F1 race. Some people (include me, please) believe that to be his best race. What a way to win! At the Green Hell of Nürburgring, Fangio was in third place and put 10 lap records in 10 consecutive laps to catch Collins and Hawthorn in the penultimate lap and won by 3 seconds. Most people agreed back then on that being the greatest race they've ever seen.

11 years later, on the same day, in the beautiful '68 summer, Jackie Stewart did something similar in the rain: this time he amassed an incredible 4 minutes advantage over Graham Hill. Again, most people thought that to be Stewart's greatest race.

For some of you, not used to the b*ll*cks needed then to race at that particular race, it could be entertaining to check this video, dubbed by Sir Jackie, onboard Howard Ganley's car:

http://video.racing.hu/1973_formula_1_g ... nboard_lap

[DaveKillens]

I've done a few hundreds of laps of Nurburgring on my simulator, and without any doubt, this is a very unique, special track that easily defies mortal description.
As someone very interested in the history of Formula One, I am very familiar with what happed that day, and to me, this ranks as the greatest single drive in the history of racing.
Of course, we're talking about The Maestro, a great driver and a great man. Michael Schumacher said of him..."Fangio is on a level much higher than I see myself. What he did stands alone and what we have achieved is also unique. I have such respect for what he achieved. You can't take a personality like Fangio and compare him with what has happened today. There is not even the slightest comparison."

[Belatti]

Fangio is more than is a legend arround here, as you can imagine. I grew up hearing and reading stories and watching special TV shows dedicated to him. He was not only the best F1 driver ever, but also a gentlemen, inside and outside the track and a humble person.

I also keep "between cottons" a 1957 "La Nacion" newspaper from the day after Fangio´s Nurburgring victory, that my great-grand-father lend me the day that he told me the story.

What can be said? 5 titles with 5 different cars and 4 different teams, almost 50% of the races a victory or a Pole Position and more than 70% of the races in a podium...

[segedunum]

Jim Clark had many such drives, a lot of them you didn't get to hear about because he didn't talk much about them.

There was his incredible driver at Monza in 1967 when he unlapped himself, made up a lap on everybody else and went into the lead - only for the fuel pumps to fail on the last lap.

There was also Spa 1964 when he drove and won one handed because he had to use his other hand to keep the gear level in place that was slipping out.

[Belatti]

Don´t forget Senna at Donington, there was a devil running the McLaren Ford that afternoon... while a little frenchman complained about his car, that was slow, that the gears, that tyres....

[ian7796]

I like this thread. I too agree this to be not only Fangio's greatest races, but also one of the greatest grand prixs of all time, including Nuvolari's demolition of the Auto Unions and Mercedes at Nurburgring and Donnington 93.