Alberto Ascari is a racing driver from Italy who last raced in Formula 1 for Lancia. Ascari is a two-time champion (1952, 1953), with 13 wins and 17 podiums from 32 starts.[1]
A Racer Rating of 5,339 ranks Ascari 212th of 15,348 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the low five figures. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1955-05-22 | Circuit de Monaco | DNF | −30 |
| 1955-01-16 | Autódromo Juan y Oscar Gálvez | DNF | −139 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | ▸Formula 1 | Lancia | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | P26 | −170 | 5,879 |
| 1954 | ▸Formula 1 | Lancia | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | P25 | −477 | 6,048 |
| 1953 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 46 | P1 | +507 | 6,525 |
| 1952 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 7 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 54 | P1 | +573 | 6,018 |
| 1951 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 7 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 28 | P2 | +517 | 5,444 |
| 1950 | ▸Formula 1 | Ferrari | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 11 | P5 | +127 | 4,927 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇮🇹 Nino Farina | 5,565 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 67% |
| 🇫🇷 Louis Rosier | 4,858 | 13 | 12 | 1 | 92% |
| 🇦🇷 Juan Fangio | 6,092 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 36% |
| 🇮🇹 Luigi Villoresi | 5,038 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 100% |
| 🇬🇧 Mike Hawthorn | 5,537 | 10 | 8 | 2 | 80% |
| 🇧🇪 Johnny Claes | 4,371 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 100% |
| 🇦🇷 José Froilán González | 5,180 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% |
| 🇨🇭 Toulo de Graffenried | 4,915 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 75% |
| 🇮🇹 Piero Taruffi | 5,122 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% |
| 🇮🇹 Felice Bonetto | 4,946 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 86% |
Alberto Ascari was an Italian Formula 1 driver who raced from 1950 to 1955 and won back-to-back World Championships in 1952 and 1953. Across 32 starts in the series, he scored 13 wins and 17 podiums, competing primarily for Ferrari. His average classified finish of second place reflects the consistency that defined his career; he finished on the podium in more than half his races and was rarely off the pace. Ascari's Racer Rating of 5,339 places him among the strong professionals of his era, characteristic of a champion-calibre driver capable of leading a competitive field.[1]
Ascari's record against his most frequent rivals tells a clear story of sustained superiority. He had a decisive advantage over Nino Farina, a former champion, winning their head-to-head matchup 12 times to 6; similarly, he dominated Luigi Villoresi and Johnny Claes, finishing ahead of both in every encounter. Against other champions in the same field, the picture was more contested. Ascari beat Mike Hawthorn decisively across ten shared races, but struggled against Juan Fangio, the five-time champion, finishing behind him in seven of their eleven meetings while managing only four victories. This mixed record against Fangio illustrates how even the strongest drivers of the era could find themselves outmatched by Fangio's exceptional calibre.[2]
Ascari's career ended prematurely in 1955 when he competed in only two races, finishing outside the points and retiring shortly after. Before that decline, he had established himself as a dominant force in international single-seater racing and proved capable at the highest level of motorsport; his 1954 Mille Miglia victory in endurance racing underscored his versatility as a driver. The Italian driver's two consecutive championships and consistent podium finishes remain a notable achievement in Formula 1's early years.