The first of the greats in the championship era, and what a benchmark he set. Only in 2002 did Michael Schumacher finally equal the maestro’s record of five World Championship victories. Fangio triumphed for Alfa Romeo in 1951 but missed the 1952 season with a broken neck. On his return for Maserati in 1953 he won one race.

He dominated the years from 1954-57, winning all four titles and judiciously hand-picking the best machinery available to him. In 1954 he left Maserati for Mercedes and remained there, with Stirling Moss, to win the title again in the curtailed 1955 season. When Mercedes withdrew from international motor sport following the horror crash of Pierre Levegh at Le Mans (which Fangio narrowly escaped himself), Fangio switched to a Ferrari D50 for three wins. He took the title when Peter Collins forfeited his own championship chances to let Fangio take over his car at Monza (driver changes were allowed at the time).

Back with Maserati in 1957 he won his final title. His last victory came at the Nurburgring in one of the greatest drives ever, when he overcame a one-minute deficit to beat the Ferraris. Fangio died in 1995, aged 84.