Jose Froilan Gonzalez, the first man to win a round of the Formula One world championship for Ferrari, has passed away in Buenos Aires aged 90, reports in his native Argentina confirmed on Saturday.
Having made his world championship debut for Maserati in 1951, Gonzalez beat friend and compatriot Juan Manuel Fangio to victory in the 1951 British Grand Prix to give the Scuderia their maiden F1 win.
It was to be the first of Gonzalez’s two victories in a Formula One career that spanned 26 Grands Prix, the other - also for Ferrari at Silverstone - coming in 1954 en route to his career-best second place in the driver standings.
Nicknamed the ‘Pampas Bull’, the stocky Gonzalez’s driving talents extended beyond Formula One racing - he famously won the Le Mans 24-hour sportscar race for Ferrari in 1954 alongside Frenchman Maurice Trintignant.
In 2011, he was honoured by Ferrari on the 60th anniversary of his first win, with Fernando Alonso driving the 1950s Ferrari 375 race car around the Silverstone circuit. The Spaniard went on to win the Grand Prix for Ferrari later that day.
Gonzalez’s final F1 outing was for Ferrari at his home Grand Prix in 1960. His death means that three-time world champion Sir Jack Brabham, 87, becomes the oldest living F1 race winner.
RIP to a Legend
ReplyDeleteSo Formula 1 lost 2 people in a week.. #Sadtimes for the sport
ReplyDeleteCelebration of Life!
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