Monaco GP of 1950: the day Juan Manuel Fangio dodged the wave and achieved his first success in F1

An unexpected fact brought nine rivals of the ‘Chueco’, who stayed with the first of his 24 victories in F1, nothing less than in the glamorous principality.

Juan Manuel Fangio was to lead the Great Britain of 1950, the race that marked the baptism of Formula 1. An oil leak in the engine of his alpha Romeo would force him to leave, while Nino Farina was aimed at victory. Just eight days later, the Argentine would have revenge in the Monaco GP, with a brilliant victory that deserves to be remembered on the 30th anniversary of his death.

The Argentine domain began in the classification of Saturday, May 20, when keeping the pole position for 2s6 about Farina. An oil trail that had remained on the track due to the breakage of an engine made someone approach. The race was missing, which was then 100 laps. And something absolutely incredible would happen.

In the startFangio lost his tip with Farina, but recovered it after Tabac. And suddenly, in the pool area, a wave. As? Yes, a huge wave of the sea exceeded the height and reached the track! Fangio dodged her and moved on. Behind, Farina did not have the same skill, she entered a troll and a chain shock was armed that involved nine cars! In addition to Nino, Lugi Fagioli, Louis Rosier, Robert Manzon, Harry Schell, Emmanuel de Graffenried, Maurice Trintingnant, CUTH Harrison and Franco Rol were out of combat. And the ‘chueco’ left. It is worth clarifying something: it was 1950. Neither red, nor self -safety or anything like it.

The race continued, of course, forward. In the first round, the Argentine José Froilán González left with a fire in his Maserati. It seemed incredible, but it was real: fire on the same track where a wave had arrived. Fangio applied his talent and led all the laps of the race to achieve his first triumph in F1.

Alberto Ascari was Fangio’s second on a return! Ascari would also make history that day because it was Ferrari’s debut in the World Cup and he did it with the Italian podium. The Scuderia is the only Team with a perfect presence in all seasons in the category. The success in Monaco would be the first of the 24 that Crengio would achieve in F1 in 51 large prizes disputed. 75 years of the first triumph of Balcarceño were turned, the same as the category. A statue of the ‘chueco’ in the area of the Anthony Noghes curve is the sample of how important it was in the history of F1. And it is not the only one in the world.