FANGIO VERSUS ASCARI IN FERRARIS – IN ITALY
1949 MONZA GP
5The second running of the Gran Premio di Monza was held on 26 June 1949 over the same distance as the later Italian GP. That makes this the longest F2 race ever at 313.2 miles.
The GP stars were Alberto Ascari, his experienced mentor Luigi Villoresi, Hans Stuck and, in his debut season in Europe, Juan Manuel Fangio. Sponsored for seven selected F1 races, the Argentinian was unbeaten aside from a retirement at Spa!
Ascari was back after recovering from injuries sustained in March in Brazil, so Fangio requested funds for a Ferrari for this important F2 race. The $11,000 was only delivered by IOU as the grid formed, allowing Fangio to join them.
Villoresi had secured pole by 1.8s from Ascari, Felice Bonetto (all works Ferraris) and Stuck’s AFM-BMW. Fangio and Chico Landi occupied row two. All six battled for the lead, and all but Landi (Ferrari) led at some point.
Villoresi dropped out after 18 of the 80 laps and Stuck pitted twice, so at half distance it was Ascari, Fangio and Bonetto together.
Fuel and tyre stops left Fangio with a deficit of 19s. He closed fast on Ascari, who pulled away again as Fangio encountered overheating. On lap 67 Ascari got stuck in third gear and pitted for a cure, while Fangio’s issues increased
with low oil pressure and broken wheel spokes causing a vibration.
And yet, after 3h08m49s, Fangio won in his “mobile furnace” from a closing Bonetto, with Ascari a lap back. Scuderia Ferrari had been beaten by the ‘outsider’ on its home circuit, albeit one using the same Ferrari 166C as the works drivers. Only Ascari could have beaten him, but would he have done so? Fangio’s fastest lap surpassed Villoresi’s pole time by a whole 2s at nearly 103mph.
Fangio returned home to a hero’s welcome. With six wins from eight races, was 1949 Fangio’s best year? It’s hard to say, but this was the first European battle of two giants en route to legendary status.