Alberto Ascari, an Italian F1 driver who was born on 13 July 1918 and died on 26 May 1955, won the Formula 1 Drivers’ World Championship title twice.
| Nationality | Italian |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 July 1918 Milan, Kingdom of Italy |
| Died | 26 May 1955 (aged 36) Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Italy |
Before his career in car racing, Ascari competed in motorcycle racing. But his most memorable achievements in motorsport came in F1, where he won back-to-back titles in 1952 and 1953 with Ferrari, making him the team’s first World Champion and the most recent Italian to claim the title. Ascari was also known for his meticulous and precise driving style, which was highlighted by wins at the 1952 Indianapolis 500 and the 1954 Mille Miglia.
Ascari shares the distinction with Michael Schumacher as Ferrari’s only consecutive World Champion, and he remains the only Italian champion for Ferrari. He was the first driver to secure multiple World Championship titles, maintaining the record for the most titles from 1952 to 1954. This achievement places him among the select group of four drivers who have held the record for the most World Championship titles. Juan Manuel Fangio succeeded him in holding this record from 1954 until 2002 (sharing it with Ascari in 1954), with Michael Schumacher and, more recently, Lewis Hamilton currently holding the record.
Alberto’s racing lineage traces back to his father, Antonio Ascari, a respected racing driver himself, who tragically died in an accident at the 1925 French Grand Prix. Alberto Ascari’s own life was cut short during a test session for Ferrari at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza in 1955.
