I hear that Fangio was offered and accepted a drive of a "modern" F1 car when he was in his 70's. That would have been an early 80's F1 car.
Is this true, does anyone have any info on it?
Like a promotional thing like Alain Prost did with the Red Bull last year?
Last F1 car Fangio drove
Started by
Gold
, Jan 30 2013 19:54
9 replies to this topic
Advertisement
#2
eibyyz
-
- 2,098 posts
- Joined: March 10
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 03:50
I hear that Fangio was offered and accepted a drive of a "modern" F1 car when he was in his 70's. That would have been an early 80's F1 car.
Is this true, does anyone have any info on it?
Like a promotional thing like Alain Prost did with the Red Bull last year?
I thought it was a Merc W125(?) at the Gunnar Nilsson tribute in 1979.
#3
Ralliart
-
- 669 posts
- Joined: June 02
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 04:45
Could it have been when he and Hakkinen (sp?) tested some cars at the Mercedes facility? The heavily-banked test circuit. I believe they were doing a feature that appeared in Auto Motor und Sport.
#4
Stephen W
-
- 15,965 posts
- Joined: December 04
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 08:35
I thought it was a Merc W125(?) at the Gunnar Nilsson tribute in 1979.
Fangio at Donington
#5
fbarrett
-
- 1,172 posts
- Joined: January 08
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 17:52
I seem to recall him driving a Mercedes-Benz W196(?) in 1986 at the Monterey Historics, marking the 100th anniversary of Daimler-Benz.
#6
Jimisgod
-
- 4,954 posts
- Joined: July 09
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 18:18
Sandown 1978
too early?
too early?
#7
D-Type
-
- 9,759 posts
- Joined: February 03
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 21:14
I don't know if he ever tested a rear-engined F1 car but I did read that some years after his retirement when an Argentine consortium purchased a Formula Junior car he gave it a spin and lapped as fast as the young hotshoes.
#8
Tuboscocca
-
- 1,324 posts
- Joined: February 08
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 21:35
Maybe not perfectly helpful:
the Argetinian book 'Siglo Fangio' states the 19. September 1993 as the last appearance in a racing car. That was the 'Gran Premio Costa Esmeralda' (an exhibition of historic racing cars).
At this occasion he drove (for the last time) an Alfa Romeo 159.
That does not answer the original question for more modern cars...
Regards Michael
the Argetinian book 'Siglo Fangio' states the 19. September 1993 as the last appearance in a racing car. That was the 'Gran Premio Costa Esmeralda' (an exhibition of historic racing cars).
At this occasion he drove (for the last time) an Alfa Romeo 159.
That does not answer the original question for more modern cars...
Regards Michael
#9
Tim Murray
-
- 24,929 posts
- Joined: May 02
Moderator
Posted 31 January 2013 - 21:45
Well, as Duncan posted earlier, he managed to get himself into a F3 (not FJ) Brabham in 1965:
Did Fangio ever drive a rear engined single seater??
Fangio and the Formula Three Brabham
Did Fangio ever drive a rear engined single seater??
Fangio and the Formula Three Brabham
#10
Ray Bell
-
- 82,318 posts
- Joined: December 99
Member
Posted 31 January 2013 - 22:04
Originally posted by Jimisgod
Sandown 1978
too early?
Too early? Too late? I think it was too late, but Jack Brabham made this comment to me at the time:
"It gives you a lot of heart to see him still able to drive like that at his age!"
Something that Jack also did when he reached the same age, of course...
