![]() 1951 Germany 1951 Italy 1952 Belgium 1952 France 1952 Britain 1952 Germany 1952 Holland 1952 Italy 1953 Argentina 1953 Holland 1953 Belgium 1953 Britain 1953 Switzerland |
1954 had been an immensely frustrating year for the world champion of 52 and 53. He had walked out on Ferrari at the end of 1953 and on 1 January 1954 had signed for the ambitious Lancia company, who had designed and built an innovative new Grand Prix car, the first in their history. Progress however was slow, and the cars debut was delayed again and again. Meanwhile consternation reigned in Northern Italy when Mercedes Benz announced that revolutionary new streamlined "Silver Arrows" were to be ready to race in the French GP in July. Accordingly Alberto together with friend and mentor Luigi Villoresi were released by Lancia to drive 250F Maseratis to meet this threat to Italian supremacy. They shouldnt have bothered. Fangio and Kling in the W196s blew all the other competitors off the track; only six out of the twenty-one starters survived. Along with many others Alberto blew his engine on lap 2 trying to keep up with the two Mercedes.
Clearly something had to be done, and so two Lancias, maroon-red paint barely dry, were rushed out to make their debut at the final race of 1954, the Spanish GP, held on October 24 round the Pedralbes circuit. Alberto started impressively and by lap 8 had built up a big lead. On lap 9 however, a moan of dismay went up as he stopped with clutch problems. After one more slow lap, Ascari retired. Villoresi had already retired on lap 4. Although Hawthorns Ferrari won the race, Fangio won the World Championship of 1954, thanks to the Mercedes Benz W196, and due to the belated arrival of the Lancia D50. Although all 3 Lancias retired in the Argentinean GP of 16 January 1955, the D50s won two minor F1 races and with the powerful team of Italians, Ascari, Gigi Villoresi, and young Eugenio Castellotti, Lancia was well placed to take on and even beat the hitherto all-conquering Germans.
As Ascari drove up towards the Casino on that fateful 81st lap the loudspeakers were telling the crowds what he could not know; that Moss was out of his car and the mechanics were gazing hopelessly at the ruined engine. As he took the Casino corner and wound the Lancia round the sinuous bends by the station Alberto noticed that the spectators were waving and signaling to him. He had no way of knowing that they were trying to tell him that when he reached the pits he would be the leader. His deadly concentration on the task of taking the Lancia round the city circuit a little faster than seemed possible was broken. He sensed that something was wrong as he swung round the station bends and turned on to the Corniche road. He flashed into the tunnel and out into the brilliant sunshine to be confronted with the same gesticulations and excitement. It distracted his attention for a vital second as he covered the downhill approach to the chicane and the corner became impossible. He chose the only way out and took the Lancia clean through the barriers into the sea. Concealed among the straw bales was an iron bollard the size of a small barrel. The car missed it by about 12 inches.
Trintignant won the race in a Ferrari. He had driven a fast but steady race and had seen the successive elimination of all the eight drivers who had been in front of him at the end of the tenth lap. Meanwhile Alberto was lying in a hospital bed suffering from nothing worse than a broken nose, and, not surprisingly, shock. It was a miraculous deliverance. Four days later, at Monza, Ascari was on his feet again, watching the practicing for the Supercortemaggiore race. Just before going home to lunch with his wife he decided to try a few laps with the Sports Ferrari of his friend Castellotti. In shirt sleeves, ordinary trousers and Castellottis helmet he set off. As it emerged from a fast curve on the third lap the car unaccountably skidded, turned on its nose and somersaulted twice. Thrown out on the track, Ascari suffered multiple injuries and died a few minutes later. Alberto Ascari was born in Milan on July 13, 1918. His father Antonio was the greatest Italian driver of his day and frequently used to take his son with him to races in which he competed. A fortnight before Albertos seventh birthday, Antonio Ascari was killed while leading the French Grand Prix at Montlehry. From then on it was Albertos passion to become a racing driver like his father. So absorbed was he with this ambition that he twice ran away from school and at the first possible moment bought himself a motor-bike. Ascari began his
racing career with motorcycles, then drifted into cars. His
father Antonio had been a top driver, winning many races
for Alfa Romeo before losing his life, while leading, in the
French Grand Prix at Montlhéry in 1925, when Alberto
was seven years old. At the age of twenty one, took part in the 1940 Mille Miglia, and his car – Despite a suspension of the Mille Miglia by Mussolini due to the fatal accident in 1938 that resulted in the death of 10 spectators a smaller version of the event, officially called the Gran Premio di Brescia was held over a triangular course with Brescia, Mantua and Cremona at its apexes. The race entailed nine laps over the 104 mile circuit. Two 815s were entered in the race to be driven by Lotario Rangoni and the son of Antonio Ascari, Alberto. Both had to retire with mechanical failures. In 1940 he married a Milan girl and they had two children. The boy was named Antonio in memory of his grandfather and the girl was called Patrizia. Ascari was devoted to his family.
Enzo Ferrari, who had been a great friend and team mate of Albertos father, had been taking a keen interest in Albertos successes, and he signed both Ascari and Villoresi in 1949. That year Ascari had five victories plus another win at Buenos Aires in the Peron GP.
Ascari was most relaxed when out in front of a race, and was unlike most drivers in that he appeared not to give of his best when further back. As Enzo Ferrari later recalled, "When leading, he could not easily be overtaken indeed it was virtually impossible to overtake him."
He was not a relaxed driver. With his mouth set and his eyes concentrated he seemed to whip his car along and his sensitive hands constantly manipulated the steering wheel. When he was really in a hurry he took his bends in a series of dicey jerks rather than in one controlled slide. To have Ascari on your tail was a truly unnerving experience. The knowledge that he would have to find an opportunity to pass seemed to worry him.
Most people don't have a large funeral like one held for Alberto Ascari. What does a funeral cost? The average funeral costs less than ten thousand dollars, but wealthy and famous people can spend millions on their funerals.
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