Three of the Greatest Ferrari F1 Drivers Of All Time

Ferrari is the oldest surviving and most successful Formula One team. The famous prancing horse has been ever-present in every world championship since the 1950 Formula One season. Over the years, Ferrari has enjoyed 16 Constructors’ Championships and 15 Drivers’ Championships. Historically, nobody has been able to lay a glove on Scuderia Ferrari.

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari has seen some of Formula One’s best drivers sit behind the wheels of their famous cars. It is one of the reasons why online sportsbook Bovada regularly pins Ferrari drivers as favorites for glory in Grand Prix. The following trio of Ferrari greats raced 263 times, won 100 Grand Prix, and captured nine championships between them!

Michael Schumacher

Most people think of the legendary Michael Schumacher when they think of great Ferrari drivers, and rightly so. Schumacher is the most decorated Formula One driver of all time, and much of his success happened while he was the Ferrari lead driver.

Schumacher was already a double world champion when he left Benetton for Ferrari at the end of the 1995 season. The super-talented German was tasked with winning Ferrari’s first driver’s championship since 1978. The F310 car was not competitive, yet Schumacher still managed four poles and three wins, including one of the best wet-weather performances ever in Barcelona. Ferrari and Schumacher finished third in his first season.

The following year saw the world championship go down to the wire but ultimately ended in Schumacher’s disqualification after he attempted to take out Jacques Villeneuve. A runner-up finish and a fifth-place finish as the 1990s ended set the tone for what was a dominant period in the early 2000s.

Schumacher won five consecutive world championships between 2000-2004 before finishing third and then second in his final season as a Ferrari driver in 2006. He signed off having competed in 179 races, winning 72 of them and logging five Ferrari titles.

Niki Lauda

Austria’s Niki Lauda is a man that Ferrari fans hold dear in their hearts. Ferrari put their faith in the little-known Lauda in 1974, which more than raised a few eyebrows. However, anyone who questioned the signing of Lauda was soon put right by some spectacular performances from the then-25-year-old.

Lauda finished second in his debut race, and his first victory came only three races later; it was Ferrari’s first win in two years. Amazingly, Lauda achieved six consecutive pole positions during his debut season yet only managed one victory.

The following year saw Lauda initially get off to a shaky start, finishing no better than fifth in the opening four races. However, Lauda won four of the next five Grand Prix, and his first driver’s championship was confirmed with a third-place finish in Italy. Lauda went on to win his fifth race.

Lauda’s form continued into 1976 when he won four of the first six races and finished second in the other two. The Austrian had double the number of points of his nearest rival, and everything pointed towards an easy world championship victory. Unfortunately, Lauda was involved in a severe accident at the Nurburgring at the German Grand Prix, which resulted in him being trapped in the burning wreckage. Lauda suffered burns to his face and hands, in addition to breathing in toxic fumes. He almost died yet returned to racing only two races later. Amazingly, Lauda finished second in the driver’s table, one point behind Hames Hunt.

The Austrian won the 1977 world title before leaving Ferrari at the end of the season. Lauda won 15 of his 57 races in Ferrari colors and won two world championships.

Alberto Ascari

Italy’s Alberto Ascari was Ferrari’s first-ever back-to-back world champion, achieving the remarkable feat in 1952 and 1953. Ascari finished fifth in his first season with Ferrari before progressing to second the following year. 1952 saw Ascari win six of the seven races he entered, earning him his first title. Five victories in 1953 proved enough for Ascari to become the first Ferrari back-to-back world champion.

Ascari had the world at his feet, but disaster struck on May 26, 1955. He went to Monza to watch his friend Eugenio Castellotti test the Ferrari 750 Monza car, which the duo was set to co-drive in the 1,000km Monza race. He was not supposed to drive but decided to get behind the wheel in his shirt, jacket, and tie while wearing Castellotti’s helmet. During the third lap, the car skidded before somersaulting twice, throwing Ascari onto the track, where he died of his injuries.

His short career yielded 13 wins from 27 races and two world titles.