Antonio Ascari | |
|---|---|
 Antonio in anAlfa Romeo P2 in 1925 | |
| Born | (1888-09-15)15 September 1888 |
| Died | 26 July 1925(1925-07-26) (aged 36) |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Children | Alberto Ascari |
Antonio Ascari (15 September 1888 – 26 July 1925) was an ItalianGrand Prix motor racing champion. He won four Grands Prix before his premature death at the1925 French Grand Prix. He was the father of two-time World ChampionAlberto Ascari.
Ascari was born atBonferraro Di Sorgà, nearMantua but in theVeneto region ofItaly, as the son of a wheat salesman.[1] He left school early and worked for some time in a blacksmith's forge.[1] After moving toMilan with his family, he worked as a mechanic with car manufacturersDi Vecchi [it]; while there he was given his first drive at atouring car event inModena in 1911.[2] he spent theFirst World War servicing aircraft.[2] When the war ended he set up anAlfa Romeo dealership in Milan.[1]
He began racing cars at the top level in 1919. WhenFiat withdrew from theParma–Poggio di Berceto hillclimb [de] that year, he bought one of their cars, a Fiat Grand Prix 4500, entered the competition (which was also the debut race forEnzo Ferrari), and won.[1][2] He followed it up with a win in the Consumahillclimb.[3] He drove the same car in the 1919Targa Florio, and was performing well until he skidded off the racetrack into a deep ravine; despite this, his bosses took note of his talent and recruited him into theAlfa Romeo team.[4] The company also granted him the concession for the whole ofLombardy. As well as sales, he had a role in development, and was involved in the production of theAlfa Romeo ES Sport.[4] He raced for Alfa Romeo in the 1920 and 1921 Targa Florio, without great success, but in 1922 he finished fourth.[5] He was leading the 1923 race when his car broke down just short of the finish line. He got it going again, but his teammate,Ugo Sivocci, passed him to win the race, with Ascari finishing second.[4] A month later, at theCremona Circuit, he drove to his first major Grand Prix victory, driving anAlfa Romeo RL TF.[4] He entered the1923 Italian Grand Prix, where he was to drive the newP1 car, but the team withdrew from the race after Sivocci was killed during practice.[3]
In 1924, Ascari was again the winner at Cremona, in the first race of the newP2, designed byVittorio Jano.[3] He suffered frustration again in the 1924 Targa Florio when his car failed within a few hundred yards of victory; Ascari, his mechanic,Giulio Ramponi, and some spectators pushed the car over the line but he was disqualified for receiving outside assistance.[4] He suffered a similar fate in theFrench Grand Prix, then went on toMonza where he won theItalian Grand Prix, leading the race from start to finish.[3]
In 1925, theAIACR introduced theWorld Manufacturers' Championship. Alfa Romeo did not contest the first race, theIndianapolis 500, but instead headed toSpa-Francorchamps for theBelgian Grand Prix.[6] Twelve drivers from four teams entered the race, but only seven turned up, from two teams: Alfa Romeo andDelage. By half way, four of the seven had retired, and by two-thirds way, only Ascari and his team-mateGiuseppe Campari remained. Ascari won the race by 21 minutes 58 seconds, with Campari having to drive twice around the circuit on his own to complete his race.[6]
On 26 July 1925, Ascari took part in theFrench Grand Prix at theAutodrome de Montlhéry, south of Paris. He was leading the race when, on lap 23, he swerved at a left handed corner and got caught in some wooden fencing, which caused his car to overturn. One of his legs was almost severed, and he was bleeding heavily from several wounds, including a head wound; medical help was slow in coming, and Ascari died in the ambulance on his way to hospital.[7] He was 36 years old. Alfa withdrew their other cars from the race, and race winnersRobert Benoist andAlbert Divo drove to the scene of the crash and laid their winners' garlands there.[8]
Ascari's death led to an outpouring of grief, both in France and in Italy. His body was put on display in Montlhéry, where locals filed past it. During its journey to Milan by train, flowers were laid at each stop on the carriage containing his coffin. In Milan, the coffin was displayed in the Alfa Romeo building, where throngs of people filed past. Thousands lined the route of the funeral procession to theCimitero Monumentale, where he was buried.[7]
Ascari's son,Alberto, who was seven at the time of Antonio's death, also became a racing driver, and was two-timeFormula One champion in 1952–53. He also died behind the wheel at age 36, and on the 26th of the month.[9]
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