Overview

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Ferrari is a name shrouded in myth and legend, the only team to compete in Formula One from sport's very first season in 1950 to the present day. In that time the Italian marque has achieved unparalleled success, winning sixteen constructors' and fifteen drivers' titles courtesy of over two hundred wins and pole positions.

Founded in 1929 by eponymous team principal Enzo Ferrari, at first the team acted as the racing subsidiary of Alfa Romeo. Throughout the thirties the squad fielded some of the most talented names in motor racing, including the likes of Tazio Nuvolari. The relationship foundered towards the end of the decade, and Ferrari became a separate entity - their factory officially opening in Maranello in 1943. From this base they competed in numerous events, including the Mille Miglia and numerous non-championship races. Ferrari retains a proud heritage in different series, winning the World Sportscar Championship on thirteen occasions and the Le Mans 24 Hours nine times.

Ferrari signed up to participate in the newly established Formula One World Championship in 1950, although they missed the first race at Silverstone in a debate over prize money. The season was dominated by Alfa Romeo, but in 1951 Ferrari took their first victory inBritainwith José Froilán González at the wheel. Alfa Romeo's withdrawal at the end of the year ensured that Ferrari were left to dominate the sport between 1952 and 1953, winning both titles with star driver Alberto Ascari. Successes throughout the rest of the fifties were more sporadic, although the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio bought the team a third title in 1956.

The sixties marked a renaissance in the Prancing Horse's fortunes, as a new design brought success in 1961. Team-mates Phil Hill and Wolfgang von Trips fought over the title, but the latter was killed at the final round inMonzaand the American won the championship for the Italian team. Ferrari struggled for pace in subsequent years, but excellent reliability ensured that eight times world motorcycle champion John Surtees was able to bring the title back to Maranello in 1964. The rest of the decade's campaigns were hindered by disagreements, injuries and the death of Lorenzo Bandini in 1967. Money was also an issue, and Enzo opted to sell half of his road car business to Fiat in 1968, using the money to revitalise his team.

After a poor start to the seventies, the hiring of Niki Lauda proved a decisive moment for the team's resurgence. The Austrian led the team back to prominence, winning the 1975 world championship and leading James Hunt in 1976 before nearly losing his life in a fiery crash at the Nürburgring. He lost out to the Englishman that year, but returned to reclaim his title the following year. A falling-out ensued soon after, and Ferrari only managed to challenge Lotus for more honours in 1979, winning both titles with Jody Scheckter. It was to be the start of a twenty-one year wait for another drivers' title.

The 1980s started in disastrous fashion, their title defence consisting of just eight points. The team rallied for 1981, the talismanic Gilles Villenueve taking two victories for the Scuderia. The Canadian fell out with team-mate Didier Pironi the following year, and was killed attempting to outpace the Frenchman in qualifying for the Belgian GP at Zolder. This devastated team founder Enzo Ferrari, who had developed a close bond with the young driver. Later that year Pironi's career was ended in a wet weather crash at the German Grand Prix. The team signed Arnoux and Tambay, who brought home another constructor's title for the team in 1983. It was to be their last in sixteen years, as the team failed to consistently rise to the standard set by Williams and McLaren in the mid-to-late eighties. The iconic Enzo died in 1988, just weeks before his team scored a fortuitous 1-2 in front of their home fans inMonza.

At the beginning of the nineties, Ferrari looked strong enough to challenge once more. They signed disgruntled McLaren star Alain Prost in 1990, and the Frenchman took the title fight to the final round inJapan, but Ayrton Senna forced his rival off the circuit to win the championship. The following year was less successful, and Prost left the team under a cloud. Years in the wilderness followed, until the surprise coup of Michael Schumacher in 1996. The double world champion set about rebuilding the team, bringing in the likes of Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne to return the famous marque to the top. His efforts bore fruit, but a combination of penalties, bad luck and a broken leg put an end to several strong title challenges in the second half of the decade. There was some glory for the Scuderia, which won the Constructors' championship for the first time in sixteen years in 1999.

The noughties saw Ferrari return to the top of the sport in considerable fashion. They gave Schumacher clear number one status within the team and a series of formidable cars, culminating in five consecutive drivers and constructors titles between 2000 and 2004, and unprecedented period of dominance. Schumacher lost his title to Renault's Fernando Alonso in 2005, and retired the following year. His replacement, Kimi Raikkonen, won the title in his debut year with the team having mounted a late challenge - and the team also won another constructor's title following the disqualification of McLaren. A year later and Felipe Massa missed out on a maiden championship by a whisker, being pipped at the post at his home race inBrazil. However, the team fell from grace in 2009, misinterpreting the rules and coming a distant fourth in the title standings.

The team marked sixty years in Formula One by signing double world champion Alonso to the team, in a three year deal which was later extended to 2016. The Spaniard mounted a late title challenge in his first year for the team, but missed out due to poor strategy. The team was unable to consistently challenge the following year, winning just one race - the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, on the anniversary of their first victory in the sport at the same venue sixty years earlier.

In 2012, Ferrari will again field Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa. They will be aiming to return the drivers and constructors titles to Maranello for the first time in several years, and ensure their own place in a proud legacy which has seen the Italian team win more points, races and titles than any other in the history of the sport. With the team currently in the self-induced state of flux, it remains to be seen if the pair can take on the rampant Red Bulls and usher in yet another era of success for the Prancing Horse.