Juan Manuel Fangio became known simply and universally as "The Maestro". He was for many, the greatest racing driver the world has ever seen, winning five World Championships and winning 24 races from 51 starts - a record at the time.

Born in 1911, the son of an Italian immigrant in in Balcarce, Argentina, Fangio's childhood passion was football. His friends nicknamed him El Chueco - "Bandy Legs" because of his playing style. It was while riding as a mechanic in a Chevrolet driven by a customer of the garage for which he worked, that he got his first taste of motor racing. After completing military service, Fangio opened his own garage and began competing in South American road races. These were long, arduous and hazardous races in which he enjoyed great success until wartime restrictions put a halt to their running. With no races, Fangio would practice his high speed driving, covering huge distances. When racing returned in 1947, Fangio was instrigued and inspired by the visiting Italian drivers, Achille Varzi and Luigi Villoresi. To compete, the Argentine Automobile Club bought two Maseratis, one placed in Fangios care. While racing in Europe, Fangio was impressed by the racing scene and leading driver Jean-Pierre Wimille. On his return home to Argentina however, a road-race crash killed his co-driver and close friend, and shortly after Wimille was killed in Argentina, putting Fangio on the edge of retiring from racing before acheiving any of his fame.

With the backing of the Peron regime, and a Maserati, Fangio moved to Europe and began to win races regularly in 1949. Wimille's death and later that of Varzi, had left Alfa Romeo without drivers and for the inaugural World Championship in 1950, Fangio was given a drive. After a close fought season, he finished second to his team-mate Nino Farina, but gained his first championship crown the next season. With the Alfa now old and uncompetitive, he moved to Ferrari, but a crash at Monza in which he broke his neck, kept Fangio out of the cockpit until the folling season. Returning in 1953 with Maserati, he took the Italian grand Prix win, but the title was dominated by his old Ferrari team and he finished second overall.

Back on winning form in 1954, Fangio won the first couple of races for Maserati, before moving to Mercedes and taking a further four wins in the silver arrows, and his second title. With Mercedes again, Fangio's third championship title came in 1955, but the team withdrew at the end of the season and he retrned Ferrari. In '56, the championship was a close battle between Fangio, his team-mate Peter Collins and Stirling Moss. At Monza, Fangio's car had failed and Collins handed over his own car, ensuring him title number four.

In 1957, Fangio returned once more to Maserati for his fifth and final title. The race in which he took the title, the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring is remembered as his greatest. Peter Collins and Nike Hawthorn were challenging with Ferrari and Maserati had opted for a light initial fuel load for him to build up an early lead. A slow fuel stop saw him rejoin the track with a heavy fuel load and around 45 seconds to make up on the British pair. Driving like a man posessed, he started to gain six seconds or more per lap over the Ferraris. He flew past Collins with a lap and a half to go, then, in a breathtaking performance, forced his way past Hawthorn.

In 1958 Fangio was fourth in his home Grand Prix and finished fourth again in France which was to be his final race. With his Maserati in trouble, Hawthorn caught him just as he was about to cross the line. Hawthorn braked and allowed Fangio to finish ahead of him - a sign of respect for the man whom his contemporaries regarded as the master.

Fangio retired as the reigning champion, a title which Hawthorn took at the end of the season. He then turned to business at home in Buenos Aires, a highly regarded sportsman with an air of dignity. Juan Manuel Fangio, died in 1995 at the age of 84.