Italian double world champion, whom the legendary Fangio described as my greatest opponent, Alberto Ascari raced Bianchi motorcycles, then drove the very first Ferrari T815 sports car in the 1940 Mille Miglia. He won the 1948 San Remo Grand Prix in a Maserati, learning much racecraft from his team-mate Luigi Villoresi. Joining Ferrari in 1950 Ascari had spectacular success, and won back-to-back world titles in 1952 and 1953. A move to Lancia in 1954 proved frustrating as the F1 car was delayed until late that year, but he won the Mille Miglia in a Lancia sports car. At the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix he famously crashed his Lancia D50 into the harbour. Four days later he appeared unexpectedly at Monza to test a Ferrari for the Supercortemaggiore race, but inexplicably crashed the car and was killed.