El Maestro
El Maestro
Mixed media on paper; framed original SOLD
Prints available in the shop
This sketched portrait depicts Juan Manuel Fangio after winning the 1957 German GP at the Nurburgring in the Maserati 250F – regarded by many as the greatest drive in the history of Formula One. From pole, he dropped to third behind the Ferraris of Hawthorn and Collins but managed to get past both by the end of the third lap. Fangio had started with half-full tanks since he expected that he would need new tyres half-way through the race. In the event he pitted on lap 13 with a 30-second lead, but a disastrous stop left him back in third place and 50 seconds behind Collins and Hawthorn. The master – El Maestro – came into his own, setting one fastest lap after another, culminating in a record-breaking time on lap 20 a full eleven seconds faster than the best the Ferraris could manage. On the penultimate lap Fangio overtook the two British drivers, and held on to take the win by just over three seconds. With Musso finishing down in fourth place, Fangio claimed his fifth title.
The quotes collaged onto the portrait are taken from Fangio after this famous race.