The story behind Ferrari's first win

**siberianlady** · 15th July 2011, 21:28

Meiga is a true gift! Thanks for that gal!
But just keep on the lookout....the guy that made the Senna film's next project is FERRARI from 1951 on......should be out sometime next year so let's hope he does a good job!

**Meiga** · 16th July 2011, 13:09

Thank you all for your kind words

- all we need now is to have a perfect ending for that film on Ferrari, by winning this year's Championship!

**sagi58** · 16th July 2011, 13:42

Originally Posted by Meiga

... all we need now is to have a perfect ending for that film on Ferrari, by winning this year's Championship!

Hey!! What if you be the screenplay writer

and I'll be the director!!

**Alessandra** · 16th July 2011, 17:00

I finished your excellent translation of a great story with a lump in my throat! I'm not sure why.............I must be getting to be a real Ferrari fan

Thank you so much.

Did the bells of the castle ring out last weekend in Maranello?

**M.K** · 16th July 2011, 18:37

Great story! Thanks for translating this for us

By the way can anyone suggest some books about Ferrari and also about Gilles?

**815** · 16th July 2011, 19:43

Being a new member, I have looked through a lot of the posts here, but this has to be one of the best. Many thanks Meiga for all the work and a fascinating read

.

**SilverSpeed** · 16th July 2011, 20:34

wow awsome post!!! Thanks for the translation.

**steelstallions** · 17th July 2011, 06:45

José Froilán González is now 88 years old and the most recent interview i can find was last month. Here is what he had to say: -
http://www.motorsport.com/#/f1/news/...il-n-gonz-lez/

Gonzalez: “Ferrari is always in my heart”

Silverstone, 10 June – In four days time there will be an evening in celebration of Pepe Gonzalez, organised in Buenos Aires, by the Ferrari Club of Argentina, in memory of his British Grand Prix win. However, today is also special because the actual car driven by “El Cabezon” to record the first of Scuderia Ferrari’s 215 victories to date in the Formula 1 World Championship, will be back in action at the Silverstone circuit.

We got in touch with Gonzalez in Buenos Aires and asked him some questions which have come in over the past few days from Prancing Horse fans through the www.ferrari.com site. Here is that exclusive interview.
What do you remember of that day in Silverstone?

“I was very nervous before the start. Fangio told me he felt I could win and I knew I was in with a chance. There were four cars on the front row: the two Alfas of Fangio and Farina, Ascari’s Ferrari and my 375 F1. All four of us got wheelspin at the start and those on the second row passed by easily, so that I found myself fourth at the first corner, with Fangio and Ascari behind me.

Then I got past Villoresi, Bonetto and Sanesi and, by the end of the second lap, I was in the lead. But Fangio was right behind me and then he overtook. I did not lose heart, because I knew Juan had to stop sooner or later to refuel whereas maybe I would not need to, so I stayed close for around 30 laps. When Juan pitted, I went by. In the Ferrari pits, they were worried I could run out of petrol so at one point they called me in and stuck 20 litres in the tank: but I still managed to get back on track with more than 50 seconds in hand over Fangio and, in the end I did not have to push so hard to the line and I won the race.”
What does it mean to you to be the first person to win a Grand Prix for Ferrari and therefore be such an important part of the Prancing Horse story?

“I only realised what winning this race really meant on the Wednesday after, when I met Don Enzo at Maranello. In his office hung a big photo of the win right behind his desk! He asked me to sign it and describe the race down to the smallest detail and then he gave me a gold watch with the Prancing Horse on its face. Only three days later did I really understand that it was a special victory.”

What does Ferrari mean to you? Are you still a fan?

“Ferrari is the very top level of motoring. For me, it’s always been a matter of pride to have managed to take this first win, especially when you consider what the marque has done in the past sixty years all over the world.”
Do you like the Formula 1 of today?

“Yes, there are some truly great drivers, even if everything is very different to my day. I always watch every Grand Prix on television.”
Even here there are so many differences: the progress made in terms of car technology is incredible

Would you change something about this Formula 1?

“It’s hard to say, because I see it from the outside, as part of the general public and I don’t see all the details.”
What difference do you see between the drivers of your era and those of today?

“Back then, we were amateurs! If at the start of your career, you didn’t have a helmet, you raced with something that kept your hair in place but did not protect you at all…Today, a lot of work goes into physical preparation, they all train on the simulator: we had no idea about that sort of thing.”
And comparing the cars?

”Even here there are so many differences: the progress made in terms of car technology is incredible. In my day, we only had the steering wheel, the gearlever, one for the brake and the pedals and nothing else. The most important thing is that today’s cars are much safer…”
What message would you like to send to all fans of the Reds?

“Ferrari is the top: it is always in my heart and it’s a passion that can be felt and experienced around the world.”

**Meiga** · 17th July 2011, 12:16

I found some other details about the race:
- apparently there is a mistake in the article: at the French GP 1951 Fangio was on pole, it was Fagioli's Alfa Romeo that was starting 7th
-as Steelstallion said, on the start of the British GP 1951, the front row drivers were momentarily overtaken by those on the second row - but by the second lap they were back up front. Some comments indicate that the front row guys were concerned of potential penalties on the start, which made them be over-cautious.
- also, I have read elsewhere that the bells that toll for Ferrari's wins are the ones at the church of San Biagio - no idea if that is the same as the Marano castle the article talks about, maybe somebody could confirm this point. Edit: OK, this description may shed some light "Within the fortified enclosure (Maranello castle) lies the church of San Biagio, long deconsecrated, built in the 18th century on the ruins of a former religious building and flanked by a slender bell tower, probably adapted from one of the original towers of the castle."
- ENzo Ferrari gave Pepe Gonzalez a gold watch as a present for his win; it seems Ferrai had been promising for a long time that he would do so for his cars's first win.

To complete the story, I found a few pics pics of the 1951 British GP:

The podium: Gonzalez (Ferrari), Fangio (Alfa Romeo), Villoresi (Ferrari)

And a signed one by Pepe Gonzalez:

Other:

And a more recent one:

Other pics here http://perezloizeau.wordpress.com/20...-de-la-hazana/ and here http://www.jmfangio.org/gp195105inglaterra.htm

**scuderiafan** · 17th July 2011, 12:24

wow. thanks very much.

**gvsnraju85** · 17th July 2011, 12:47

Really good reag...every Tifosi shold read this.....

**sagi58** · 17th July 2011, 13:50

Originally Posted by Meiga

...And a signed one by Pepe Gonzalez:

Isn't this the car that Alonso drove at Silverstone??

WoW!!

What an incredible honour!!

Did I read somewhere that Ecclestone now owns it??

**NJB13** · 17th July 2011, 14:25

Originally Posted by sagi58

Hey!! What if you be the screenplay writer

and I'll be the director!!

If there's room for an oldish Bondish actor who's aspirations are slightly confused with his abilities then I'm your man

**sagi58** · 17th July 2011, 15:25

That's great, NJB!! You're first in line of people to call.
Anyone else interested? You can even create your own role!!

**F1si** · 17th July 2011, 21:16

Really amazing stuff, thank you really much!

**Corey** · 18th July 2011, 05:00

Originally Posted by sagi58

Isn't this the car that Alonso drove at Silverstone??

WoW!!

What an incredible honour!!

Did I read somewhere that Ecclestone now owns it??

Never heard that he owns a Ferrari, but I gotta say that F1 cars back then didn't look too bad

**sagi58** · 18th July 2011, 13:04

Originally Posted by Cathay Pacific

Never heard that [Ecclestone] owns a Ferrari...

Found it!!

...[Alonso] will be at the wheel of the actual 375 F1 car that José Froilan Gonzalez drove to give the Scuderia its maiden win at the highest level of motor sport, when he won the 1951 edition of this race. The car is now part of Bernie Ecclestone’s private collection...

**sv_godspeed** · 18th July 2011, 13:05

this is beautiful, thank you for posting!

**Hornet** · 18th July 2011, 13:36

Wow, I had no idea that car that Alonso drove at Silverstone had much more significance to it than just one of our legendary cars

Thanks for sharing. Amazing stuff

**Ste** · 18th July 2011, 21:53

Awesome and thanks very much for translating Meiga. I enjoyed reading that.

**RockyRaccoon** · 19th July 2011, 00:12

Thanks so much Meiga for putting this thread together, I enjoyed reading it so much!

**sagi58** · 19th July 2011, 13:04

Meiga, I'd like to thank you, once again, for translating and posting this fascinating piece of Ferrari history!!
After the race, I heard about the significance of the Ferrari win at Silverstone; but, until I read about Gonzalez
and that first win, until I saw all these great pictures you've posted, and until I read the recent interview with
him, I really had not appreciated what I should have heard with my heart!!

Here, as a tribute to the past ever being a part of the present, are the two winners of Silverstone:

**Fiondella** · 19th July 2011, 13:37

Originally Posted by sagi58

Meiga, I'd like to thank you, once again, for translating and posting this fascinating piece of Ferrari history!!
After the race, I heard about the significance of the Ferrari win at Silverstone; but, until I read about Gonzalez
and that first win, until I saw all these great pictures you've posted, and until I read the recent interview with
him, I really had not appreciated what I should have heard with my heart!!

Here, as a tribute to the past ever being a part of the present, are the two winners of Silverstone:

So, when was the last F1 race where laurels were awarded after a race?

**Mr Alcatraz** · 19th July 2011, 16:29

Thanks for the read. Great stuff!!

**sagi58** · 19th July 2011, 17:24

Originally Posted by Fiondella

So, when was the last F1 race where laurels were awarded after a race?

Maybe when some of the drivers started sitting on theirs?? :angel
__________________________________________________ _

Seriously? I just found this:

"Could you tell me when, in the history of Formula One, was the last traditional laurel wreath for the podium celebrations? Who was the driver to get it? What year? Jose"

As mentioned in a previous F1 FAZ, the laurel wreath disappeared gradually during the 1980s.
Meanwhile, I've seen a few more photographs and the latest I've found now would be the 1985 Italian Grand Prix,
where Alain Prost was presented with the laurel wreath after winning the race.

And, from the previous F1 FAQ mentioned:

"what ever happened to the traditional laurel wreath for the podium celebrations? I see them draped around many a winning driver in Grand prix podium pictures from yesteryear, but the ritual seemed to have disappeared in recent times."

The traditional laurels indeed have been long gone. At some time during the 1980s it gradually disappeared. I have been looking through a few books on Formula One history and the most recent winner with laurel wreath I came across was John Watson when he won the USA-West Grand Prix at Long Beach in 1983. The reason for getting rid of this tradition? Probably money, since the wreath kept quite a few sponsors' names out of view.