On February 23, 1958, five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio was taken at gunpoint from the lobby of the Hotel Lincoln in Havana by rebels from Fidel Castro’s 26th of July Movement. They wanted to embarrass the Batista government on the eve of its showcase race.

Fangio was held about 26 hours. He was fed steak, given a bed, and offered a radio to follow the race. He turned it down. When his captors asked about Stirling Moss, Fangio told them Moss was away on his honeymoon — protecting his rival from the same fate.

He never made the grid. The race ran without him and ended in disaster: Armando Garcia Cifuentes lost control on an oil slick and went into the crowd, killing seven spectators and injuring around forty. The race was stopped after six laps. Stirling Moss was declared the winner.

Fangio was released unharmed and later said he understood why they did it. He held no grudge against the men who took him.

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