Alberto Ascari

ALBERTO ASCARI d1955. Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion in 1952 and 1953 for Scuderia Ferrari. 34 Entries (32 Starts) / 17 Podiums / 14 Pole Positions / 13 Wins. A multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. He was the team's first World Champion and the last Italian to date to win the title. This was sandwiched by an appearance in the 1952 Indianapolis 500. He also won the Mille Miglia in 1954. He was noted for careful precision and finely-judged accuracy. He remains (along with Michael Schumacher) Ferrari's only back-to-back World Champions and he is also Ferrari's sole Italian champion. When Alberto was a young child, his father (Antonio) who was also a famous racing driver died in an accident at the 1925 French Grand Prix. On May 26th 1955, he went to Monza to watch his friend Eugenio Castellotti test a Ferrari 750 Monza sports car. They were to co-drive the car in the 1000 km Monza race, having been given special dispensation by Lancia. Ascari was not supposed to drive that day, but decided to try a few laps, wearing his jacket & tie / shirt sleeves / ordinary trousers and Castellotti's white helmet. As he emerged from a fast curve on the third lap the car inexplicably skidded, turned on its nose and somersaulted twice. Thrown out onto the track, he suffered multiple injuries and died a few minutes later aged just 36. The crash occurred on the Curva del Vialone, one of the track's challenging high-speed corners. The corner where the accident happened (renamed in his honour) has been subsequently replaced with a chicane now called Variante Ascari. Motor racing fans from all over mourned. He was laid to rest next to the grave of his father in the Cimitero Monumentale in Milan, forever to be remembered as one of the greatest racers of all time