STORY OF THE DAY: Fangio leads Mercedes at Monza

Juan Manuel Fangio drove the number 18 Mercedes-Benz W196 to victory at Monza on 5 September 1955, heading teammate Piero Taruffi. The result confirmed Fangio’s authority during a season in which he secured his third World Championship and his second successive title with Mercedes-Benz.

Monza’s newly constructed high-speed banking placed exceptional demands on cars and tyres. Mercedes prepared streamlined bodywork for the circuit, and Fangio combined speed with restraint over the punishing distance. Stirling Moss challenged before mechanical trouble intervened, leaving Fangio to complete a commanding Mercedes performance.

The W196 used a fuel-injected 2.5-litre straight-eight engine with desmodromic valve operation. Its sophisticated spaceframe chassis, inboard brakes and interchangeable open-wheel and streamlined body configurations reflected Mercedes-Benz’s unusually comprehensive engineering programme under the 1954–55 Formula One regulations.

Fangio brought to Mercedes the experience of an Argentine career forged in long-distance road races and European Grands Prix. Calm, mechanically sensitive and remarkably consistent, he won championships with four manufacturers. His Monza success formed part of Mercedes-Benz’s brief but formidable mid-century campaign before the company withdrew from top-level racing after 1955.