During the early 1950s one of the most challenging world championship grand prix races was held at the popular circuit of Bremgarten located just outside the city of Berne in Switzerland. It was not a circuit for the novice since no part of the track was straight; it continually wound its way around the forested hillside with no roadside barriers and due to the changes of light as cars drove into and out of deep shadows, fatalities were not uncommon.
1953 Swiss GP Ferrari 500 Ascari
Despite this, the majority of the drivers looked forward to the race which attracted huge crowds of spectators. In 1953 the entry was limited to twenty-one cars and Ferrari arrived in force with four factory cars and four private entries while Maserati had six entries. Gordini entered two cars and the remainder of the grid consisted of British cars from HWM, Cooper-Bristol and Frazer-Nash. The Ferrari team drivers were Mike Hawthorn, Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina and Luigi Villoresi but strong opposition was expected from the Maserati of Juan Manuel Fangio. During practice, Farina flung his Ferrari 500 around to take pole position from Ascari who held off a challenge from the Maseratis of Fangio and Marimon. For 1953 the race distance had been increased from 42 to 65 laps, a total of 473 kilometres. When the flag fell, Farina was slow away but Fangio was quickest as he took the lead from Ascari. However, Ascari was in superb form and by the time the cars completed the first lap he had built a substantial lead over Fangio. By half way he had lapped most of the other competitors and seemed well in control since Fangio’s car had retired with a blown engine but fate intervened when Ascari’s Ferrari slowed. A lengthy pitstop to clear a fuel line saw him drop to fourth, a long way behind Farina, Marimon and Hawthorn but he gave chase, breaking the lap record in his pursuit. His cause was aided when the Maserati of Marimon retired and he closed the gap to Hawthorn. The team instructed the three Ferrari drivers to slow in order to ensure a Ferrari clean-sweep but they failed to see the pit board and continued to race. On lap 52 Ascari passed Hawthorn, followed by Farina on the subsequent lap to take a hard-fought victory that secured him the world drivers’ championship title. This race would be his final grand prix victory as he left Ferrari at the end of the season and joined Lancia despite their car not being ready for the 1954 season. Lancia had its D50 ready for 1955 and Ascari won two non-championship races but retired in the first two grand prix of the season, one he was destined not to complete as he was killed in a freak accident while testing a sports car at Monza. The photograph shows Alberto Ascari in the Ferrari Tipo 500 during the 1953 Swiss grand prix at Bremgarten.
