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DNA Test Confirms Juan Manuel Fangio Had at Least One Son

A DNA test has recently confirmed that 77-year-old Oscar Espinoza is the son of five-time Formula 1 World Champion and one of the best drivers in history, Juan Manuel Fangio.
Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes-Benz SLR 1 photo
Photo: Daimler AG
Fangio’s body was exhumed by court order in August to test his DNA and determine if two men, Oscar Espinoza and Ruben Vasquez, were his real sons.

On Wednesday, an Argentinian judge, Rodrigo Cataldo, announced that Espinoza is indeed the biological son of the Formula 1 legend. Apparently, the two even had a close relationship for several years, and Oscar himself had a short racing career in Formula 3.

The other case, that of Ruben Vasquez, is expected to be resolved this week. Vasquez claims that his mother confessed to him in 2005 that he was the fruit of a short relationship she had with Fangio in the 1940s. According to Motorsport, he also said that the only thing he wanted was to be recognized for the Fangio surname.

Juan Manuel Fangio, or The Master, was one of Formula 1’s greatest drivers, who simply dominated the first decade of F1 racing. He won the World Championship title 5 times, a record that stood for 47 years, until beaten by Michael Schumacher.

The Argentinian racing car driver started his racing career in 1938, when he competed in a Ford V8 in Turismo Carretera. In 1940, he won the Grand Prix International Championship, and between 1947 and 1949, he came to Europe, where he achieved further success.

Fangio is a member of the Formula 1 Hall Of Fame and is considered one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time. He still holds the highest winning percentage in Formula 1, of 46.15%, having won 24 of the 52 races he ever entered.

During his life, he was never married nor had any recognized children until his death in 1995, so Espinoza being recognized as his biological son should be a pretty big deal for most of his fans.
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