Alberto Ascari gave Ferrari its first World Drivers’ Championship by winning the 1952 title.
Ascari dominated the 1952 season in Ferrari’s powerful 500, winning six of the seven championship races he entered. He also won the Swiss, Belgian, French and British Grands Prix, creating a commanding points advantage over teammate Giuseppe Farina and other rivals. His title was Ferrari’s first in the drivers’ championship.
The 1952 and 1953 seasons were unusual because championship cars followed Formula 2 regulations rather than the normal Formula 1 rules. This change was made after too few cars were available for the top category. Ferrari’s 500 proved exceptionally effective under those regulations, and Ascari became its leading star.
Ascari successfully defended the title in 1953. He remains Ferrari’s first champion, a fact sometimes confused with Juan Manuel Fangio’s later championships for the team in 1956 or Mike Hawthorn’s 1958 Ferrari title.