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There were four Ferraris entered in the
Monaco Grand Prix sixty two years ago: two
125 F1s, in the GP49 evolution, entrusted to
the Italians Alberto Ascari and Luigi
Villoresi and two 125 F1s for France’s
Raymond Sommer and the British driver Paul
Whitehead. At the end of the race, Ascari
had managed to finish second behind Fangio’s
Alfa Romeo, while Sommer was fourth;
Villoresi had to retire on lap 63 while
Whitehead had failed to start, because of an
engine problem. |
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For Scuderia Ferrari it all began on 21st May, sixty two
years ago, on the very same circuit that wends its way
through the Principality of Monaco and which this coming
Sunday, hosts the sixth round of the 2012 World
Championship as the Italian team made its debut in the
Formula 1 World Championship. There were four Ferraris
entered in the race: two 125 F1s, in the GP49 evolution,
entrusted to the Italians Alberto Ascari and Luigi
Villoresi and two 125 F1s for France’s Raymond Sommer
and the British driver Paul Whitehead. At the end of the
race, Ascari had managed to finish second behind
Fangio’s Alfa Romeo, while Sommer was fourth; Villoresi
had to retire on lap 63 while Whitehead had failed to
start, because of an engine problem.
Many years have passed since then and the Scuderia is
the only team to have taken part in every championship
at this the sport’s highest level. To date, it has
competed in 836 Grands Prix, taken 217 wins, 205 pole
positions and 228 fastest race laps. These numbers are
all records as are the 16 Constructors’ championships
and 15 Drivers’ titles on the Maranello roll of honour:
no other team has won more than Ferrari.
Today, the Scuderia is making last minute preparations
prior to sending off the two F2012 cars to Monaco where,
starting on Thursday morning, Felipe Massa and Fernando
Alonso will try and add to the tally of 47 podium
finishes in this race, albeit only eight of them on the
topmost step. The Monegasque event is one of the ones
that has gone the longest without seeing a Red victory:
the last one dates back to Michael Schumacher’s in 2001.
Since then, there has been just one pole, for Massa in
2008 and a lot of podium finishes, the last one being
Fernando Alonso’s second place last year. Unusual, given
that no less than six times (2002 Barrichello, from 2004
to 2006 Schumacher, 2008 Raikkonen and 2009 Massa) a
Ferrari has set the fastest race lap.
It will be tough to break that negative tradition this
weekend, but one thing is certain, nothing will be left
to chance because, as Chairman Montezemolo stated today
in a letter addressed to all the Scuderia staff,
“Winning the Championship depends only and exclusively
on ourselves, on our desire to show we are the best.”
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