Juan Manuel Fangio, Karl Kling and Alberto Ascari line up at the front of the grid for the 1954 French GP
MORE: Video – Juan Manuel Fangio, five time world champ
Fangio, Kling and Ascari on the front line of the grid before the start of the 1954 French Grand Prix at Reims. They qualified in first, second and third respectively, and would finish the race the same way – aside from Ascari, who would be forced to retire very early on with transmission problems. The race marked the debut of the Mercedes W196 – and Fangio’s first time behind the wheel for the German marque in F1.
Juan Manuel Fangio would go on to win the 1954, 1955, 1956 and 1957 Formula 1 World Championships to add to his title from 1951.
Image: The Cahier Archive
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