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1954 Argentine Grand Prix


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#1 F1Frog

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 09:17

I have read on three sources that in this race, Juan Manuel Fangio pitted for rain tyres on lap 61 and came out behind the Ferraris. Ferrari then lodged a protest against the pitstop, saying that more than the three permitted mechanics had worked on the car, so ordered their drivers to slow and Fangio passed Farina for victory. The protest was not upheld and Fangio kept his victory.

 

Is any more information known about this race? Was the protest not upheld because Ferrari had been wrong to think there had been more than three mechanics, because they were wrong about the existence of this rule, or because the organisers not following their own rules and Fangio should have been disqualified?



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#2 Collombin

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 09:39

Maybe the officials wanted to leave the circuit alive?

#3 small block

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 10:08

From The Autocar 19 February 1954

'The Ferrari protest against the victory of Fangio's Maserati in the Argentine GP has been rejected by the Argentine club's commission sportive. The protest alleged that Fangio's car had been worked on by five people during a pit stop; the club however, points out that infringement of this rule did not, by the regulations necessarily mean disqualification. The club has fined Maserati and Ferrari 1,000 pesos each; the former for lack of pit discipline, the latter for the action of the team manager (Nello Ugolini) in slowing down Farina (then in second place) without consulting the race director to make sure that Fangio would be disqualified!'

 

NB: The exclamation mark is in the Autocar report, and is not my addition...


Edited by small block, 21 August 2023 - 11:02.


#4 Porsche718

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 10:37

From what I understand, the post-race review by race officials agreed that five mechanics were attending to Fangio during his pitstop. Three were utilised in changing to the experimental rain tyres, the other two busied themselves in fitting a new rain visor to his helmet.

 

As the rules were slightly ambiguous and not clearly differentiating between the rule applying to the "car" or "car/driver" combination. The race organisers opted for a separation of the car from driver, therefore only three mechanics were in fact attending to the "car".

 

However, if one thinks about it further, why were Maserati fined for "lack of discipline" if they were viewed to be within the rules?

 

I can hear Toto Wolff screaming into the radio system now "what are you doing Michael!"


Edited by Porsche718, 21 August 2023 - 12:29.


#5 F1Frog

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 11:44

Thank you to those who have helped so far, it does seem to be quite a confusing situation. 



#6 DCapps

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 13:01

Of course, there is the question regarding the rule regarding the number of mechanics  attending a car during a pitstop in the first place.

In other words, whose rule was it? The organizers or those in the rather sparse set governing the Championnat du Monde des Conducteurs?

Just an observation...



#7 Sterzo

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 14:06

Just to add to the confusion, "My Twenty Years of Racing", ghosted by Giambertone, asserts the two extra mechanics were looking at a suspected leak but didn't touch the car, hence no penalty. Which flatly contradicts the story that there was a penalty, but only a financial one. But the Autocar story itself is contradictory, saying the protest was rejected yet Maserati was fined.

 

In "My Racing Life" written with Roberto Carozzo, Fangio says Carlos Menditeguy handed him his rain vizor while the three mechanics were working. The book says the race result was confirmed by the club 25 days later, and they decided to fine Maserati but not punish the driver because he wasn't able to check how many people were working...

 

"The Argentine Temporada Motor Races" converts the vizor to goggles and simply says the protest "wasn't upheld."

 

(I realise you've probably consulted these sources, F1Frog).

 

Collombin's comment is probably the best analysis we can achieve:

 

Maybe the officials wanted to leave the circuit alive?

To echo Willam Boddy's famous quote: "Pity the poor historian."



#8 DCapps

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Posted 21 August 2023 - 15:13

Speaking of pitying the poor historian...

 

What does the local press have to say about the indecent?

What does the archive/records of the ACA have regarding the incident and the protest?

Anyone have a copy of the regulations for the race?

And so forth and so on...

 

Another Cold Case needing some attention?