Following his fourth Mille Miglia victory, Juan Tonconogy reflected on the defining moments of this year’s rally. In the interview AutoClassicNews, he looked back on his debut alongside his sister Margarita, recalled overcoming a mechanical issue, discussed the fight for victory, and explained why this win holds a special place in his career.
-This year you’ve competed together with your sister for the first time. Why have you decided to race together?
-I raced with Margarita because I was looking for a co-driver. She is a driver from Argentina, and she is very competitive. We get along very well, and I thought we would be a great match for the Mille Miglia. We worked well together, supported each other, and had great teamwork and positive energy throughout the race.
-On one of the days, you’ve experienced mechanical issues with the car but you could keep the lead. What was the key factor behind your victory?
-Yes, we had a mechanical issue. I don’t remember whether it happened on the second or third day, but until then we were having a great race. Everything was going very well, and when the mechanical problem occurred, we lost a lot of time. We thought it was a real shame because we had been performing so well.
At first, we believed our race was over. The car wasn’t running properly, so I said, «Let’s go back maybe to Brescia?» Fortunately, the mechanics fixed the problem, and that evening we found ourselves back in first place. It was unbelievable.
The most important thing was that we never gave up. We didn’t know what penalty we might receive, but we kept fighting until the end. It was an incredible experience.
I don’t think there was one single key factor. Inside the car, we had great energy and excellent teamwork. Our main goal was simply to do everything correctly. If something went wrong, we accepted it and moved on.
I was very focused and confident, but at the same time I tried to stay relaxed. Whenever I became too focused or over thought things, my performance suffered. My sister and I would talk for a while, relax, and then everything would return to normal.
I think our success came from a combination of positive energy, teamwork, staying focused, and concentrating on doing our job without worrying about the final result.
-You have won four out of the five stages, finished almost 1,000 points ahead of Vesco/Salvinelli. What was the biggest challenge for you this year?
The biggest challenge was avoiding mistakes and maintaining a consistently high average throughout every regularity section (PC). After the race, looking back at the results, I honestly believe it was one of the best races of my career.
The Mille Miglia is a very long event, and you have to stay focused the entire time. I know Andrea, Fabio, and the whole team—they never give up. It’s possible to perform exceptionally well once or twice, but the real challenge is maintaining that level over four or five series every day. That’s exactly what we managed to do.
I especially remember one stage near San Marino, on the day before the final. Everything felt effortless. I was completely relaxed, and it almost felt magical. Everything happened naturally.
The biggest challenge, however, knew that very strong competitors were right behind us. Until the finish line, you never know what can happen. You have to stay mentally strong and keep doing your job correctly.
-In your finish-line interview in Rimini, you said that you had driven an almost perfect race. In just a few words, what does a perfect race mean to you?
-Regarding the question about the perfect race, I wouldn’t say it was perfect. As I mentioned before, almost every regularity section went very well.
Of course, there were four or five sections where I could have performed better. There was one corner where I made a significant mistake. Fortunately, our competitors also made mistakes there, so it didn’t cost us too much.
Overall, I’m very satisfied with our performance.
-You have become one of only four drivers to win this race four times. Which of those victories is the most meaningful to you?
-Every victory is special, but this one was different. First of all, I raced with my sister. Secondly, I drove an amazing car with a great history.
The last time I won was in 2018, and I hadn’t competed in the Mille Miglia for several years. It felt wonderful to come back and win again. It proved to me that I could still do it, which was very encouraging.
Sharing that victory with my sister made it even more special.
-Does winning feel the same as it did a few years ago, or did sharing this victory with your sister make it a different emotional experience?
-Yes, it’s very interesting that we share the same surname, so every time our names were mentioned together, it felt quite special.
-Next year, the race will celebrate its centenary. Which cities would you like to see included in the route? Is there anything you would like to see changed in the regulations as the event enters its second century?
-Honestly, I don’t have one particular city that stands out. Every place you see during the Mille Miglia is incredible.
This year’s route was beautiful, with so many wonderful towns and landscapes. I really enjoyed all of it, and there isn’t any specific place that I remember more than the others.