The memory of Albert and Antonio Ascari

Alberto Ascari, the son of one of the greatest Italian racers in the period between the two world wars, became one of the most dominant and popular champions. He was renowned for his careful accuracy and very good view of what was going on, which made him one of the safest drivers in very dangerous times; but he was also notoriously superstitious, and did many things in delaying his fate. But his unexplained fatal accident - at virtually the same age as his father, on the same day of the month and in eeriely similar circumstances - remains one of the greatest mysteries in Formula One history.

Alberto Ascari, born on 13 July 1918 in Milan, was just seven years old when his father Antonio, the current European champion, died in an accident at the French Grand Prix in Montlhéry while leading the race. By then, little Alberto had long been involved in the racing world, meeting many famous racing names, including Antion’s close friend Enzo Ferrari, who occasionally visited Ascari’s flourishing Fiat dealership in Milan. Despite the tragic loss of his dear father, Alberto also succumbed to the magic of racing for the last time. His famous name also helped him in this, although he started on two wheels; at the age of 19 he was accepted into the Bianchi motorcycle team. He drove his first four-wheeled race in 1940 to the Mille Miglia, where Enzo Ferrari offered him a seat in his brand new AAC 815 Spyder. As Italy entered World War II, Ascari’s workshop, now under Albert’s leadership, was seized by the military and maintained by military vehicles. During the war years, he also set up a transport company and supplied fuel to Italian war warehouses in North Africa. In this business was his partner Luigi Villoresi, a racer with whom he established a relationship as a father and son. Towards the end of the war, Alberto became a family man after marrying Mietta and becoming the father of Patrizia and Antonia, named after his famous grandfather.

Given all his family commitments, Alberto was no longer ready to race again, but Villoresi convinced him to continue. In 1949, they became teammates in the Enzo Ferrari team, where Ascari completely dominated and became the first two-time world champion. In 1952, he celebrated with his Ferrari 500 in six of the seven races of the World Championship, and also in 1953 he completely conquered the competition and came to five victories and brought his second consecutive title. Ascari was an exceptional driver who was highly appreciated by his rivals, but at the same time he was also popular and was adored by ordinary crowds as well.

He was helped in this by his exceptional succession, as well as his superior driving skills, and his popularity was also helped by his victorious personality. It was easy to fall in love with a hero who obviously did not wear too high, a driver who aroused the Italian nickname "Ciccio" (abundant) with his physical appearance, and whose open and friendly character could be seen in his wide smile. Even his outright superstitions were acceptable in their own way, after all it was a completely human reaction to the dangers of racing. He avoided black cats as if they were contagious, he was terribly afraid of unfortunate numbers, and he never allowed anyone else to deal with a briefcase in which he had his racing paraphernalia: a happy bright blue helmet and T-shirt, and goggles and gloves.

But perhaps he also had his inner demons, for he was tormented by chronic insomnia, and was susceptible to wounds on his stomach. Enzo Ferrari, who knew Ascari was firmly attached to his family, once asked him why he never showed his kindness. “I want to face them ugly,” Alberto said. “I don’t want them to love me too much. They will probably get over me faster then if I ever die. "

Such thinking seemed utterly unreasonable to the driver, who at every step, if at all possible, avoided the various dangers, who very thoughtfully avoided crossing the boundaries of his car or himself, and whose calm and prudent driving mode worked. without any effort, as if to show that in the event of any rare error he still has an abundance of knowledge to solve the situation.

After his two World Championship titles, he moved to Lancia, which he admitted offered him more money than Ferrari would have been willing to pay him. After sitting on the sidelines for most of the 1954 season because the Lancies were not yet fully ready, he faced the 1955 racing season. sea ​​and sank, its disappearance was only hinted at by bubbles on the surface. Half a minute later, the famous light blue helmet peeked to the surface and the rescuers pulled Ascari to dry land. At the monastic hospital, he was treated for a broken nose, bruises, and treated for shock, and Ascari looked just as embarrassed by his miraculous solution as he was grateful for.

Four days later, he unexpectedly showed up at Monza, where Eugenio Castellotti was testing a Ferrari sports car in tests, with which they intended to compete in the next inertia race. Ascari surprised everyone with the words that he would like to take a few laps to make sure he didn’t lose his feeling. He wore a jacket and tie and left his lucky blue helmet at home, so he borrowed Castellotti’s white helmet and set out on a trip around Monza. In the third lap, Ferrari unexpectedly flew off the track, and Alberto Ascari was dead.

Did he experience a loss in his head as a result of a monastic accident? Was there a sudden gust of wind, or did a braided tie obstruct his view for a moment? Did he turn sharply to avoid a wandering road worker, or an animal — perhaps even a black cat?

The gruesome facts were that Alberto Ascari died on May 26, 1955, at the age of 36. Antonio Ascari, too, was 36 when he died on July 26, 1925; in fact, he was only four days younger than Albert. Both father and son won 13 championship victories, and both died four days after surviving a serious accident. They both met their death at the exit of a very quick but easy left turn, and both left a wife and two children. The inconsolable Mietta Ascari told Enzo Ferrari that if it weren’t for their children, she too would love to go to heaven and join her beloved Albert.

All of Italy mourned the loss, and on the day of the funeral the whole city of Milan fell silent, and at the silent funeral procession a crowd of about one million people dressed in black was to gather. As many as 15 carriages were needed to transport all the flowers and wreaths, while his famous light blue helmet rested on top of a black coffin on a hearse pulled by a team of black crows. In Milan's Cimitero Monumentale cemetery, Alberto Ascari was buried next to his father.

Alberto Ascari is the last Italian to win the World Champion title.

The article was contributed by Tifosi Club.