In the world of professional racing, there are few, if any, teams with the same level of prestige attached to them as Scuderia Ferrari.
Part of this is due to their obvious association with the manufacturing side of their brand. According to 2022 statistics, Ferrari is ranked as one of the most valuable car manufacturers — worth an estimated $34.74bn. This is in addition to the value of the brand itself, with the Ferrari logo found on all manner of luxury products.
As a professional team, the racing division of the Italian luxury automaker has similarly stood the test of time. In fact, it is the only team to have competed in the Formula One World Championship continuously since it got started in 1950.
The history of the Scuderia Ferrari team is also a history of Formula One racing itself, with some of the most talented, ground-breaking drivers to have ever graced the tarmac having competed for the team. This includes modern legends such as Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher, as well as the greats of past eras such as Jody Scheckter, Niki Lauda, John Surtees, Phil Hill, Juan Manuel Fangio and Alberto Ascari.
These Formula One legends have drawn in millions of racing fans from across the world to watch their races. When you take a look at online bookmakers on any given race day, the popularity of Scuderia Ferrari is still plainly evident! To this end, the Ferrari Formula One team continues to be one of the most popular online betting choices.
Looking beyond the history of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, however, what is it that has made them so lastingly popular with fans? And what makes them so unique when compared to other Formula One teams?
The origins of the famous ‘prancing horse’ logo
Although it is undeniably one of the most famous logos in the world, many people are surprisingly ignorant about its precise origins.
Enzo Ferrari – who established the brand – was a car-builder and veteran who had fought during the First World War for the Italian Army’s 3rd Mountain Artillery Regiment.
During a visit to the family of a famed Italian fighter pilot who had distinguished himself during the war, Countess Paolina Barraca suggested that Ferrari adopt the symbol that her son — Francesco Baracca — had painted on his plane during the war for good luck.
Francesco Barraca was a flying ace and was credited with 34 aerial victories during the war.
In celebration of his life, Enzo Ferrari agreed to adopt the prancing horse symbol, which has been the official symbol of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team since 1929.
5,000 Sanctioned Ferrari race wins
As a sign of just how successfully the modern team has lived up to their founder’s vision, Scuderia Ferrari has won well over 5,000 sanctioned races to date.
This includes a long list of the world’s most prestigious races – such as the 1990 French Grand Prix victory that saw Ferrari achieve the unique honour of being the first team to reach 100 wins on the racetrack.
This has also been helped by the achievements of highly popular and hugely successful drivers such as Kimi Räikkönen and Michael Schumacher – both of whom helped to raise the profile of the Ferrari team in the mainstream.
According to current records, the Scuderia Ferrari team holds over 5,000 trophies, which includes F1 Grand Prix victories, wins at the Targa Florio, Le Mans 24 Hours victories, Mille Miglia titles, 51 World Drivers’ Championships and various Sports Car Manufacturers’ trophies.
Most notably, Scuderia Ferrari have achieved the most Formula One Grand Prix victories of any professional team. With 240 Grand Prix wins to their name — with their first coming in 1951 and their most recent in 2022 — they are leagues ahead of their closest challenger, who has 183 wins.
They have a theme park named after them
Perhaps one of the most unusual things about Scuderia Ferrari is that they have a theme park in Abu Dhabi.
Ferrari World Abu Dhabi opened in 2010. At that time, it was the world’s largest indoor theme park. Its biggest attraction was the F1-inspired Formula Rossa rollercoaster, which reaches a top speed of 150 miles per hour and is the fastest rollercoaster in the world.
Another popular attraction is the Flying Aces ride, which is dedicated to the memory of Francesco Baracca – who inspired the famous Ferrari ‘prancing horse’ logo.
Despite the steep entrance prices, Ferrari World has proved to be a hit with residents and tourists alike. It is currently one of the top attractions to visit in Abu Dhabi.
They have one of the world’s most valuable brands
In addition to their performances on the track, Ferrari has also helped to build up their brand name thanks to an intelligent branding and licensing strategy, which has earned the company billions of dollars.
The executives at Ferrari have turned their excellence on the track and the quality of their production line into an incredibly valuable brand that is now more valuable than even some of the world’s biggest car manufacturers.
Despite the fact that the vast majority of their fans will never be able to afford a luxury vehicle produced by them, this has not stopped them from buying up the wide range of merchandise licensed and produced by them.
They own their own racetrack
Scuderia Ferrari is also unique in being one of the few teams to have a privately owned racetrack on which to test the latest inventions produced by the incredibly talented Ferrari engineers.
Located close to Maranello — which is where Ferrari has headquarters — in the town of Fiorano Modenese, the Fiorano Circuit is used to develop and test both Ferrari’s road and race cars.
The Fiorano Circuit is a 1.8-mile-long figure-eight circuit which has undergone several variations since it was first opened in 1972. Most notably, it includes several sections that can be fully modified to simulate the driving conditions Ferrari racers will face at their upcoming races around the world.
There are also sections of the track designed to test specific aspects of the vehicle, such as the brakes, engine flexibility and fuel consumption. The track can also be fully wetted to give the engineers and drivers a chance to see how the cars perform in wet conditions.
Some of the records set on the track include a lap record of 55.999 seconds by Michael Schumacher in the Ferrari 2004 and a road car record set in 2019 with the Ferrari SF90 Stradale at 79 seconds.
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