Remembering Froilán González: Ferrari's First F1 Winner

Thirteen years ago today, the man who gave Ferrari its first Formula 1 victory passed away. José Froilán González died on June 15, 2013, in Buenos Aires at the age of 90.

Back in 1951, Alfa Romeo was unbeatable in F1. The Italian team had won every World Championship race since the series began in 1950 (excluding the Indianapolis 500). Then came González and Ferrari.

On July 14, 1951, at Silverstone, González took pole position – the first for himself and for Ferrari. While the Alfa Romeos were probably faster, their fuel consumption was at an alarming rate.

González stopped only once for fuel and crossed the line more than 50 seconds ahead of the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio.

Enzo Ferrari later wrote about the win: "When González managed for the first time to drop the 159s and the entire Alfa Romeo team, I cried with happiness."

González competed in 26 World Championship Grands Prix across nine seasons. He won two races – both at Silverstone (1951 and 1954) – took three pole positions, set six fastest laps and stood on the podium 15 times.

In 1954, he finished second in the World Championship behind his compatriot Fangio. He also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans that same year, sharing a Ferrari 375 with Maurice Trintignant.

Known as "The Pampas Bull" for his aggressive driving style, González remains a giant of Ferrari's history.

José Froilán González at a glance

See also: F1 all-time statistics archive on F1-Fansite.

Related: Hamilton's First Ferrari Win: Report & Results 2026 Barcelona-Catalunya F1 Grand Prix

About the author

Victor R.

Victor R. López is a Venezuelan journalist from Tumeremo who focuses on Formula 1 and motorsport. He covers driver news, race weekends and key stories from across the sport for F1-Fansite.com.

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