Alberto Ascari

Early life

Alberto Ascari was born in Milan to Antonio Ascari, a Grand Prix racing star of the 1920s who drove Alfa Romeos. Two weeks before Alberto's seventh birthday, his father died while leading the 1925 French Grand Prix at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry. Despite this, the younger Ascari pursued racing, twice running away from school and selling his school books to fund his passion. He began racing motorcycles and at 19 was signed to ride for Bianchi. In 1940, he entered the Mille Miglia in an Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 supplied by Enzo Ferrari, a close friend of his father, and soon raced on four wheels regularly. Ascari married a local girl in 1940.

Career

Nicknamed Ciccio, he won the 1948 San Remo Grand Prix and placed second at the 1948 British Grand Prix. With Maserati he won the first 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. He and Villoresi then signed for Scuderia Ferrari, where team boss Enzo Ferrari had been a friend of Ascari's father. In 1949, Ascari won three more races with Ferrari, including the third 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix.

The Ferrari team debuted in the Formula One World Championship at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, where Ascari finished second, becoming the youngest driver to score points and a podium at 31 years, 312 days. The supercharged Ferrari 125 F1 was too slow to challenge Alfa Romeo, so Ferrari developed an unblown 4.5-litre car. At the 1950 Italian Grand Prix, Ascari gave Alfa Romeo its sternest challenge before retiring, then took over teammate Dorino Serafini's car to finish second. The new Ferrari won the non-championship 1950 Penya Rhin Grand Prix.

Death

On 26 May 1955, Ascari visited the Autodromo Nazionale Monza to watch Eugenio Castellotti test a Ferrari 750 Monza sports car, which they were to co-drive in the 1000 km Monza race with special dispensation from Lancia. Though not scheduled to drive, Ascari decided to try a few laps, wearing street clothes and Castellotti's white helmet. On the third lap, emerging from a fast curve, the car skidded, turned on its nose, and somersaulted twice. Thrown onto the track, Ascari suffered multiple injuries and died minutes later at the Curva del Vialone, a high-speed corner later renamed in his honor and replaced by the Variante Ascari chicane.

The reasons for the accident, including why Ascari drove another's car without his lucky blue helmet, never came to light. In 2001, a witness reported seeing two workers near the curve; another witness in 2014 confirmed the car spun and overturned, excluding the hypothesis of a spectator crossing the track.

Legacy

Ascari was popular for his modesty and eagerness to praise rivals, and is considered one of the hardest drivers to pass. Enzo Ferrari noted that Ascari suffered nervousness when chasing for the lead but was almost unbeatable when leading from the start. BBC Sport's Andrew Benson described Ascari as having a double chin and chubby frame, yet being a ruthless winning machine with an analytical style, sitting upright in his pale blue shirt and matching helmet.

Ferrari added that Ascari's driving style was precise and distinctive, most superb when playing the hare. A street in Rome's Esposizione Universale Roma area is named for him. Chicanes or track portions at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the Autodromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, and the Circuito del Jarama bear his name; the Variante Ascari at Monza was named in 1972. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992.

The British sports car manufacturer Ascari Cars, founded in 1994, is named in his honor. Mario Andretti counts Ascari among his racing heroes. Ascari was inducted into the FIA Hall of Fame in December 2017 and appears in Mark Sullivan's novel Beneath a Scarlet Sky.