1953 - Spa - Juan Manuel Fangio Big Crash.

[coland]

Found a newspaper article talking about this serious crash Fangio had in the last lap of the 1953 Belgian Gp with the driver ejected from the car and being taken to hospital with fortunatelly only minor wounds. Do anyone has anything more about this one?

[Everso Biggyballies]

Only that his own car had retired whilst he was leading with an engine problem after a dozen or so laps, so he had taken over the Johnny Claes Maserati, and was charging hard, having taken over Claes 9th position he was up to 3rd, when the steering broke on the last lap and he crashed heavily. He was, as you say, not badly injured.... he was back in action for the next GP two weeks later so any injuries must have been minor.

[Jesper Hvid]

http://www.jmfangio.org/gp195304belgica.htm

Nothing here, but it says he retired on lap 13, maybe that's a mistake.

[Everso Biggyballies]

It was perhaps when his original car retired (I think that was lap 13*, as I said before with engine problems.) He then commandeered Claes's car, did 22 laps in that, before crashing that car on the last lap, ie total 35 completed laps (13 in his own car, plus 22 in Claes's.)

* Checked and yes he retired his own car on lap 13 taking over Claes's entry.

[coland]

Yes that' s all correct, actually when he took over Claes' car was in 14th position, when he crashed he was 3rd and catching Villoresi in 2nd...

OT I've read hundreds of newspaper articles from 1950 to 1955 looking for info on Alberto Ascari (His Italian wikipedia page was a shame and wanted to make a new one) and you can't imagine how many interesting informations I found in the process.

[Jesper Hvid]

That's fair enough, but then pedantically it should say in the combined stats for the two of them that the car did 35 laps.

As I read it, Fangio RET 13 laps, Claes/Fangio RET 22 laps.

[Jesper Hvid]

Nothing about this in the book I just bought, unfortunately.