42 replies to this topic

[Claudio Navonne]

José Froilan González died today http://www.carburand...EE19605A320.htm

[Macca]

RIP - one of the greats. I'm honoured to have seen him at Goodwood and to have got his autograph.

Paul M

[jj2728]

RIP - yes, one of the greats.

[GMiranda]

RIP, one of the best

[Hun200kmh]

RIP "Pampas Bull", now in racing Heaven with your friends and compatriots Marimon and Fangio. Have fun!

[JacnGille]

Sad news.

[Ray Bell]

The quick Google translation of the link above:

HUGE SADNESS, DIED FROILÁN

In early today died Jose Froilan Gonzalez, dear "Pepe" was 90 years old, was born on October 5, 1922 in The Colony, near Reef.
He was one of the icons of Formula One in the first stage of the history of the sport. It was and will be the driver who was a milestone in the history of Ferrari.
Froilan house gave the Prancing Horse's first win in F1 at Silverstone (1951).
In F1 ran 26 races, won 2 and in 1954 was sub world champion after his friend, Juan Manuel Fangio.
In 1954 marked another historical fact, won the 24 Hours of Le Mans sharing a Ferrari with French Maurice Trintignant.

He outlived Fangio by almost 18 years, Marimon by almost 60 years, a giant even without these bare facts...

One of the outstanding memories I have of him, I think from the Shell films (someone will know for sure), it shows Fangio and Gonzalez after Marimon's death at the Nurburgring and mentions them crying together. The commentary mentions the great strength these drivers showed and compares it to their open display of grief at the loss of their young countryman.

[Giraffe]

R.I.P. "El Cabazon", proof if ever that you should not judge a book by it's cover.

[Eric Dunsdon]

Inevitable perhaps, but still sad news. I consider myself fortunate to have seen Senor Gonzalez race on several occassions. 'Race' being the operative word!.
His drive in the 1952 British Grand Prix formula libre support race in which he used both his, and Ken Wharton's BRM V16 BRM's will forever live in my memory.
The following year he enlivened the British Grand Prix by turning a blind eye to the black flags being frantically waved at his Maserati and in the following years race he briefly restored the status quo, leading an Italian car 1.2.3 after the crushing return of Mercedes at Rheims. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few years ago at Silverstone and he kindly signed my copy of DCN's BRM volume 1, along with a photo of his winning drive in the 1951 Grand Prix. The 1955 'Annual Automobile' book contained a moving photograph of Fangio and Gonzalez consoling each other after learning of Onofre Marimon's fatal crash. I shall always remember Jose Frolian Gonzalez.

[Richard Jenkins]

Dreadfully sad news, even if it was expected. RIP

[Nanni Dietrich]

Hasta siempre, Cabezon.

[AAA-Eagle]

Por siempre en nuestros corazones

R.I.P.

[D-Type]

Sad to lose another legend, but not unexpected. RIP

[panzani]

The worms will certainly be extremely kind with him!

[Tim Murray]

Damn. Another of my heroes gone. RIP Froilán.

[Repco von Brabham]

Another of our heroes crosses the finishing line today.
Jose Froilan Gonzalez passed away today - he was 90 years young and will forever stay in our memories as a giant of the racing world.

Adiós Pepe... fué un Honor y un privilegio haberte conocido

[Coral]

Awww, very sad news. RIP.

[irvine99]

RIP

[DOHC]

RIP señor Gonzalez.

[cpbell]

RIP, one of the last of the legends of the early 'Fifties.

[Repco von Brabham]

Silverstone 1951, Grand Prix du Grand Bretagne
José Froilán Gonzalez won with Ferrari 375 V12

[Repco von Brabham]

1953 - Maserati A6GCM - Reims
José Froilán González (October 5, 1922 – June 15, 2013)




1954 - Ferrari 625 - Another victory in Silverstone
José Froilán González (October 5, 1922 – June 15, 2013)

[David McKinney]

Silverstone 1951, Grand Prix du Grand Bretagne
José Froilán Gonzalez won with Ferrari 375 V12

Marimón on the left

[Zeroninety]

A "guaranteed to make you feel old" moment:

With Gonzalez's passing, the ten earliest surviving WC GP winners are:
Moss
Brooks
Brabham
Gurney
Surtees
Stewart
Ickx
Fittipaldi
Andretti
Beltoise

[Jack-the-Lad]

A long life, well lived. One could not hope for more.

Adios.

[Andretti Fan]

RIP Sir! You were a great driver and a worthy winner.

I've always loved that picture of him, looking at the rear of a mid to late 60's F1 car that someone captioned with........

" In my day, the drivers were fat and the tires were skinny" !

[brucemoxon]

RIP Sir! You were a great driver and a worthy winner.

I've always loved that picture of him, looking at the rear of a mid to late 60's F1 car that someone captioned with........

" In my day, the drivers were fat and the tires were skinny" !

Exactly. I've been trying to find that exact picture today. I think it was inside the back page of Road and Track.

Another of the greats joins Grand Prix Heaven.




Bruce Moxon

[onelung]

VALE ...

[Gabrci]

I'm really saddened by these news. I would like to say farewell to this wonderful man with a line from an e-mail he sent me as recently as last July through an interpreter (the sales manager of his dealership I believe) and a photo that was attached to the e-mail.

"[...] my beloved Ferrari F375 number 12... every time I see her I can not contain my emotion and tears. In my 89 years my life is full of memories and joy."

[PorcupineTroy]

The first driver to win a World Championship race with Ferrari. May he rest in peace.

[Odseybod]

1954 - Ferrari 625 - Another victory in Silverstone
José Froilán González (October 5, 1922 – June 15, 2013)

Can't help wondering who the dapper photographer with the Speed Graphic (?) is.

[Doug Nye]

With respect - and admiration - and sincere condolences to his surviving family and friends. I believe that Gonzalez's last years were riven by unhappiness and misfortune...but I do hope that he appreciated how well he was regarded, and how fondly he has been remembered by generations of motor racing people.
Jenks described him as being "completely speed happy" - and that, as exemplified surely in the 'Thin Wall Special' shot above, communicated itself to all those who saw The Pampas Bull in action.

All Photos Strictly Copyright: The GP Library

DCN

[brucemoxon]

DCN

And I believe that's that photo.

I've used that line any number of times - including my own small effort in an historic Formula Vee.



Bruce Moxon

[Pablo Vignone]

This should be the 1968 Italian GP. Derek Bell could be seen behind Gonzalez. The man on the left with the glasses talking to Gonzalez is the late Eugenio Zigliotto, at the time correspondent of Autosprint and subsequently of Rombo.

... and the man on the right is a journalist also, but born in Argentina, the late Alberto Hugo Cando.

[Macca]

The great man patiently signing autographs at the 1996 Festival of Speed, and driving Tom Wheatcroft's V16 BRM Mk 1.



and with another great Ferrari driver at Coys at Silverstone in 1997.

Paul

[Roger Clark]

Beating the Alfas (and Fangio) would be enough for most people, beating the Mercedes (and Fangio) was remarkable. His two championship wins might suggest that he was something of a Silverstone specialist, yet he was competive on real road circuits throughout Europe. He started only 26 championship races but apart from the two wins, he finished in the first three 15 times, a record to compare with anybody.

DSJ's remark about Gonzalez being speed happy seems spot on - Jenks coined the phrase 'tiger' for a driver's performance when he is up against it and produces a performance above what he would normally consider possible. Gonzalez seems to have driven like this most of the time.

The remark about fat drivers and skinny drivers is a good one but not really fair. Once when he was in an English hospital following an accident an astonished nurse was heard to say: "it's all muscle!"

[KTF1]

A true legend, R.I.P.

[Eric Dunsdon]

[quote name='Roger Clark' date='Jun 18 2013, 06:06' post='6317623'

The remark about fat drivers and skinny drivers is a good one but not really fair. Once when he was in an English hospital following an accident an astonished nurse was heard to say: "it's all muscle!"
[/quote]
I belive that quote came from the marshalls who were moving Frolian after his crash during practice for the 1954 Dundrod TT. I dont recall him ever crashing badly at any English circuit. In fact for someone described as being 'Speed Happy' he had very few (if any?) racing accidents.

[Doug Nye]

[quote name='Eric Dunsdon' post='6318060' date='Jun 18 2013, 17:38'][quote name='Roger Clark' date='Jun 18 2013, 06:06' post='6317623'

The remark about fat drivers and skinny drivers is a good one but not really fair. Once when he was in an English hospital following an accident an astonished nurse was heard to say: "it's all muscle!"

I belive that quote came from the marshalls who were moving Frolian after his crash during practice for the 1954 Dundrod TT. I dont recall him ever crashing badly at any English circuit. In fact for someone described as being 'Speed Happy' he had very few (if any?) racing accidents.[/quote]

That's why he was happy. The story about his bulk being solid muscle came via Cyril Posthumus and was a remark made to him, in wonderment, by a St John's Ambulance man who had just got back to Dundrod after transporting Gonzalez to hospital. Cyril also checked the spelling of his surname with the great man, and Gonzalez wrote it out for him, with a long flourish to form the final 'z' - instead of an 's' - as Cyril told me "...like a falling leaf..." - a line swooping to the right, then looping back and down to the left, then looping back again and down to the right... etc.

DCN

[P0wderf1nger]

The Times has an obituary this morning. Nothing new, though the fat / muscle point comes up, along with a quote from the man himself.

'I remember when drivers were fat and tyres were skinny.'

[Alan Baker]

The Times has an obituary this morning. Nothing new, though the fat / muscle point comes up, along with a quote from the man himself.

'I remember when drivers were fat and tyres were skinny.'

The Telegraph published it's obit yesterday (with the same fat/skinny quote) but made the silly mistake of saying that Sir Jack Brabham was now the oldest surviving F1 race winner! Not heard of Moss or Brooks then?
The Times' headline for its obit claimed Gonzalez was Ferrari's first F1 GP winner (untrue) but the error was amended to F1 World Championship winner in the piece itself.

[Tim Murray]

Moss and Brooks are both younger than Sir Jack.

ETA: I've just spent an unnecessarily long time trying to find the Telegraph obituary, because they misspelt his name as 'Gonzáles'. To save anyone else similar trouble, here it is:

http://www.telegraph...n-Gonzales.html

Edited by Tim Murray, 19 June 2013 - 10:01.

[Alan Baker]

Moss and Brooks are both younger than Sir Jack.

ETA: I've just spent an unnecessarily long time trying to find the Telegraph obituary, because they misspelt his name as 'Gonzáles'. To save anyone else similar trouble, here it is:

http://www.telegraph...n-Gonzales.html

Quite right! I was thinking in terms of earliest surviving winner.