The history of Formula One is filled with fascinating rivalries between the great drivers, but one of the most enduring is that between Stirling Moss and Juan Manuel Fangio. During the late 1950s, these two giants dominated Grand Prix racing with an intense rivalry, but one founded on mutual respect and friendship.
In three exceptional films from the BP Video Library, we witness for ourselves this extraordinary battle between a man who would claim five World Championships and a man who would be cruelly denied that accolade. The fact the pair finished first and second in the Formula One World Championship in each of the years featured on this DVD demonstrates just how complete their domination of this era was.
The first archive film focuses on the 1955 British Grand Prix from Aintree. The colour footage recalls the incredible showdown between the Mercedes-Benz W196 cars of Moss and Fangio, a race which would see the rivals swapping the lead as the laps counted down. Ultimately, Moss would emerge victorious to become the first British driver to win the British Grand Prix.
The next film shows exceptional highlights from the 1956 season, with Fangio now at Ferrari and Moss with Maserati. We are treated to black-and-white footage from seven races, from Argentina, Monaco, Belgium, France, Britain, Germany and Italy, and some truly thrilling racing. Once again, Moss and Fangio dominate, but the likes of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins are waiting in the wings to make their mark.
The action then moves to 1957, and back to Aintree for the British GP, also known as the Grand Prix d’Europe. Fangio struggles with his Maserati, leaving the way clear for Moss, now with Vanwall, to stamp his authority on the race. Hit by mechanical problems, the Briton drops to ninth – and his drive back through the field for an unlikely victory shows just why motorsport fans regard Moss as the greatest driver never to be Formula One World Champion.
Bonus Feature: Tribute to Fangio was made in 1959 to celebrate the career of the Argentinean legend who had retired the previous year. It features archive footage from 1949 to 1958, showing some of Fangio’s greatest victories and his journey to an incredible five World Championships. Most notable is the sequence of on-board footage filmed during a test session at Modena with Maserati – to see a true maestro at work is simply breathtaking.