How Ascari's final F1 race ended with dramatic drop into Monaco harbour

For many, Alberto Ascari remains the greatest Italian to have ever competed in Formula 1. Making his debut at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, he competed in 32 races and won 13 of them to earn one of the highest winning ratios the championship will ever see – second only to Juan Manuel Fangio. 

However, Ascari’s last race – the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix – was brought to a premature end in the most bizarre circumstances when he crashed his Lancia, and found both himself and his car flying into the principality’s harbour.

Ascari started on the front row for Lancia, sandwiched between the Silver Arrows of pole-sitter Fangio and third-placed Stirling Moss. Once racing got underway it was Fangio who stormed ahead, creating a nine-second gap to team-mate Moss in second by the tenth lap.  

Despite losing out on positions during the first stint of the race, Ascari was able to benefit from problems for Eugenio Castellotti and Jean Behra ahead to secure himself a comfortable third place by lap 35, although Fangio was now more than 40 seconds ahead. 

However, at the halfway point of the race, Fangio came to a sudden stop at the side of the circuit when his transmission broke. Moss now led, but not for long as 30 laps later he too suffered a terminal problem with his Mercedes. His engine had burst and in the process chucked oil onto the track and the exhaust pipes of his Mercedes-Benz W196.

How did Ascari crash into the Monaco Harbour? 

After problems for Fangio and Moss, Ascari very briefly led the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. However, as he came down the hill towards the chicane, the Lancia driver encountered a patch of rogue oil from Moss’ broken car. This, paired with the car’s problematic brakes, saw him slide right off the edge of the circuit, through the straw bales and sand-bags and straight into the harbour. 

As reported by Motor Sport at the time, Ascari plunged into around 15 feet of water with the car’s hot engine sending up an enormous cloud of steam as people came to the rescue. 

“For some moments there was chaos, and while men in ‘Frogmen’ suits swam to where the Lancia had disappeared and boats sped across the harbour, Ascari surfaced and was retrieved suffering only a slight cut on the nose, but very lucky to have escaped drowning,” the Motor Sport race report stated. 

Footage from the day shows Ascari being bundled into the back of a vehicle and likely transported to hospital, where eventual race winner Maurice Trintignant would visit him the following day. 

“Alberto was sitting up in bed, sucking oranges, and he was in great form – if it hadn’t been for the little bandage on his nose you’d never have known he’d had such a narrow escape,” Trintignant said.

“He said he knew he couldn’t catch Moss, and his pit had told him I was catching him. ‘To stop you,’ he said, ‘I had to take risks. At the chicane I slid on oil, and found myself heading for the sea. I went into the water in the car, but I managed to get out just as we were going down – it was a hell of a dive, and I hit the bottom. I was a bit stunned, but the cold of the water woke me up, and when I got to the surface a frogman was there to help me…’”

Ascari rested at his Milan apartment in the days following the crash, but made his way to Monza for a test with fellow compatriot Castellotti as they were both driving a Ferrari for a sports car event the following weekend. 

Although he had superstitions about racing on the 26th – having lost his father Antonio on that day of the month 30 years prior – Ascari surprised many when he got behind the wheel to see if there were any effects from his Monaco harbour incident. Despite promising to take it easy, the 36-year-old was up to speed by the third lap but left the track at the Vialone corner and was thrown from the car, tragically dying from his injuries.

Has anyone else crashed into the Monaco Harbour? 

Yes, they have. Ten years after Ascari’s incident, Paul Hawkins and his Lotus struck the wooden barriers and went over the edge of the quay into the harbour during the 1965 Monaco Grand Prix. The F1 car sank but Hawkins was able to stay afloat before being rescued by boats. 

The following year Hollywood actor James Garner filmed a scene for Grand Prix ahead of the 1966 Monaco race, which saw him simulate a crash into the famous harbour. 

Does Monaco hire scuba divers for the F1 race?

Respected motor sport YouTuber Matt Amys shared a video which revealed that the Automobile Club de Monaco used to hire scuba divers for the unlikely instance that a car could crash into the nearby waters. There were previously teams situated by Portier, just before the tunnel, but recent construction eliminated the need for the extra safety precaution. There are still divers that are in place for guests and fans in the harbour though – perhaps a precaution for all that champagne drinking on yachts?