Alberto Ascari
Alberto Ascari (13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two-time Formula One World Champion. Noted for careful precision and finely-judged accuracy, Ascari was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. He won consecutive Formula One world titles in 1952 and 1953 for Scuderia Ferrari, being the team's first World Champion, and the last Italian to win the title as of 2024. This was sandwiched by an appearance in the 1952 Indianapolis 500, and winning the 1954 Mille Miglia.
Ascari before a test in Montecarlo, 1955 | |||||||||
| Born | 13 July 1918 Milan, Kingdom of Italy | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Died | 26 May 1955 (aged 36) Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy | ||||||||
| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||
| Nationality | Italian | ||||||||
| Active years | 1950–1955 | ||||||||
| Teams | Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia | ||||||||
| Entries | 34 (32 starts) | ||||||||
| Championships | 2 (1952, 1953) | ||||||||
| Wins | 13 | ||||||||
| Podiums | 17 | ||||||||
| Career points | 107 9⁄14 (140 1⁄7) | ||||||||
| Pole positions | 14 | ||||||||
| Fastest laps | 12 | ||||||||
| First entry | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||
| First win | 1951 German Grand Prix | ||||||||
| Last win | 1953 Swiss Grand Prix | ||||||||
| Last entry | 1955 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||
| |||||||||
As of 2024, Ascari and Michael Schumacher are Ferrari's only back-to-back World Champions, and Ascari remains Ferrari's sole Italian champion. As the first driver to win multiple World Championship titles, he held the record for most World Championship titles from 1952 to 1954, becoming one of four drivers to have held the record for most World Championship titles. Juan Manuel Fangio held the record from 1954 to 2002 (jointly with Ascari in 1954) and Schumacher has held the record since 2002, although Schumacher also shares that record with Lewis Hamilton since 2020.
When Ascari was a young child, his father Antonio Ascari, also a famous racing driver, died in an accident at the 1925 French Grand Prix. Ascari himself was later killed during a test session for Ferrari at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in 1955.