Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division
of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. Though the
Scuderia and Ferrari Corse Clienti continue to manage the racing
activities of numerous Ferrari customers and private teams, Ferrari's
racing division has completely devoted its attention and funding to its
Formula One team, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro. Scuderia is Italian for
"Stable", and Ferrari is the name of its founder. The prancing horse
was the symbol on Italian World War I ace Francesco Baracca's fighter
plane, and became the logo of Ferrari after the fallen ace's parents,
good friends with Enzo Ferrari, asked him so, to continue his tradition
of sportsmanship, gallantry and boldness.
Scuderia Ferrari was
founded in 1929, and raced for Alfa Romeo until 1939. Ferrari first
competed in F1 in 1948 (the team's first F1 car was the Tipo 125 F1),
making it the oldest team left in the championship and statistically
the most successful one (with a record of 15 drivers' championships and
15 constructors' championships won). The team's numerous and ardent
Italian fans are known as tifosi, though the team also has a vibrant
international following.