Miki Biasion
Biasion at 2018 Estoril Classic Week
Personal information
NationalityItaly Italian
Born (1958-01-07) 7 January 1958 (age 66)
Bassano del Grappa, Veneto
World Rally Championship record
Active years1980–1994
Co-driverItaly Tiziano Siviero
Italy Carlo Cassina
TeamsLancia, Ford
Rallies78
Championships2 (1988, 1989)
Rally wins17
Podiums40
Stage wins373
Total points768
First rally1980 Rallye Sanremo
First win1986 Rally Argentina
Last win1993 Acropolis Rally
Last rally1994 RAC Rally

Massimo "Miki" Biasion (born 7 January 1958) is an Italian rally driver, two-time World Rally champion.

Career

Biasion's Lancia Delta S4.

Biasion was born in Bassano del Grappa, Veneto.

Biasion came to prominence in the early 1980s, winning both the Italian and European Rally Championships in 1983, driving a Lancia 037. He began competing in 1979, in an Opel Kadett GT/E.[1] He was later drafted in to play a key role for the works Lancia World Rally Championship team in the mid-1980s as the squad sought to regroup after previous star driver Henri Toivonen's fatal crash, and would go on to dominate early Group A rallying, taking the world championship in the years 1988 and 1989. At his peak, Biasion was notching victories in almost three quarters of all events he entered. He also was only the second driver to successfully defend his title (after Juha Kankkunen) and the third one to win two titles (after Kankkunen and Walter Röhrl).

After his championship years, Biasion was never able to achieve that level of success again. He failed to win an event for Lancia in 1991, and switched to Ford for 1992 on a contract that made him the highest-paid driver of his day, and gave him some managerial input. The optimism did not last. Biasion reputedly described the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 as "a pile of shit" after his first event for the team (the 1992 Monte Carlo Rally), although on the Portuguese Rally he did give the car its best WRC result by finishing second. The following year, driving the new Ford Escort RS Cosworth, he won the Acropolis Rally and led the driver's championship for part of the season.

Biasion driving a Lancia Delta Integrale 16v at 2006 Rally Legend in San Marino.

Throughout Biasion's tenure at Ford he was overshadowed by the younger François Delecour, who generally proved to be faster, especially on tarmac. Moreover, Delecour's road accident, which forced him to sit out much of the 1994 season, exposed the weaknesses in the team. Insufficient resources meant that development of the Escort slipped behind its rivals, and Biasion's relationship with the team worsened as the season progressed. He was subsequently dropped for the following year. After contesting a couple of rallies for private teams, he retired quietly at the end of the 1995 season (his two last WRC events were part of the 2LWC prior to the late Colin McRae's honor as 1995 World Rally Champion, but this truly last WRC event was the RAC (now Wales Rally GB) in 1994 when it was won by McRae himself and Didier Auriol's honor as 1994 World Rally Champion).

Throughout his entire career he was co-driven by Tiziano Siviero, the sole exception being the Portuguese Rally of 1988, where Siviero was replaced by Carlo Cassina due to health problems.

Biasion won the World Truck Championship in 1998 and 1999 driving an Iveco.

Personal life

Biasion was married to Italian rally driver Chantal Galli, who won the Italian women's rally championship several times.[1] They had four children, named Bettina, Isotta, Jacobo, and Olivia. The pair are now divorced, and Biasion is currently married to Paola.[2][3][4]

WRC victories

 #  Event Season Co-driver Car
1 Argentina Rally Argentina 1986 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta S4
2 Monaco Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
3 Argentina Rally Argentina 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
4 Italy Rallye Sanremo 1987 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta HF 4WD
5 Portugal Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1988 Carlo Cassina Lancia Delta Integrale
6 Kenya Safari Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
7 Greece Acropolis Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
8 United States Olympus Rally 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
9 Italy Rallye Sanremo – Rallye d'Italia 1988 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
10 Monaco Rallye Automobile de Monte-Carlo 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
11 Portugal Rallye de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
12 Kenya Safari Rally 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
13 Greece Acropolis Rally 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale
14 Italy Rallye Sanremo – Rallye d'Italia 1989 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
15 Portugal Rally de Portugal Vinho do Porto 1990 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
16 Argentina Rally Argentina 1990 Tiziano Siviero Lancia Delta Integrale 16V
17 Greece Acropolis Rally 1993 Tiziano Siviero Ford Escort RS Cosworth

Complete WRC results

Year Entrant Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 WDC Points
1980 Miki Biasion Opel Ascona MON SWE POR KEN GRC ARG FIN NZL ITA
Ret 		FRA GBR CIV - 0
1981 Hawk Racing Club Opel Ascona 400 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC ARG BRA FIN ITA
6 		CIV GBR 33rd 6
1982 Conrero Opel Ascona 400 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL BRA FIN ITA
8 		CIV GBR 49th 3
1983 Jolly Club Totip Lancia Rally 037 MON SWE POR KEN FRA GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA
5 		CIV GBR 21st 8
1984 Jolly Club Totip Lancia Rally 037 MON
6 		SWE POR
4 		KEN FRA
2 		GRC
Ret 		NZL ARG FIN ITA
3 		CIV GBR 6th 43
1985 Jolly Club Lancia Rally 037 MON
9 		SWE POR
2 		KEN FRA
Ret 		GRC NZL ARG FIN ITA
6 		CIV GBR 12th 23
1986 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta S4 MON
Ret 		SWE POR
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GRC
2 		NZL
3 		ARG
1 		FIN CIV ITA
3[1] 		GBR USA 5th 47
Lancia Rally 037 KEN
Ret
1987 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta HF 4WD MON
1 		SWE POR
8 		KEN FRA
3 		GRC
7 		USA
2 		NZL ARG
1 		FIN CIV ITA
1 		GBR 2nd 94
1988 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta HF 4WD MON
Ret 		SWE 1st 115
Lancia Delta Integrale POR
1 		KEN
1 		FRA GRC
1 		USA
1 		NZL ARG
2 		FIN CIV ITA
1 		GBR
1989 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta Integrale SWE MON
1 		POR
1 		KEN
1 		FRA GRC
1 		NZL ARG FIN
6 		AUS 1st 106
Lancia Delta Integrale 16V ITA
1 		CIV GBR
1990 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta Integrale 16V MON
3 		POR
1 		KEN
Ret 		FRA GRC
3 		NZL ARG
1 		FIN AUS ITA
Ret 		CIV GBR
3 		4th 76
1991 Martini Lancia Lancia Delta Integrale 16V MON
2 		SWE POR
3 		KEN
Ret 		FRA GRC
3 		NZL ARG
2 		FIN AUS ITA
2 		CIV ESP GBR
Ret 		4th 69
1992 Ford Motor Co Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 MON
8 		SWE POR
2 		KEN FRA
7 		GRC
3 		NZL ARG FIN
5 		AUS ITA
4 		CIV ESP GBR
5 		4th 60
1993 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON
3 		SWE POR
2 		KEN FRA
7 		GRC
1 		ARG
2 		NZL
Ret 		FIN AUS
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
4 		GBR 4th 76
1994 Ford Motor Co Ford Escort RS Cosworth MON
4 		POR
3 		KEN FRA
5 		GRC
Ret 		ARG
Ret 		NZL
Ret 		FIN ITA
3 		GBR
Ret 		6th 42
1 The results of the 1986 Rallye Sanremo were annulled by the FIA.

References

  1. ^ a b Kjellström, PeO (1987-08-19). "Rallykometen Miki Biason [sic]: Lancias bäste försäljare" [Rallying comet Miki Biason: Lancia's greatest salesman]. Teknikens Värld (in Swedish). Stockholm, Sweden: Specialtidningsförlaget AB. 39 (18): 21.
  2. ^ "Miki Biasion". Sports Car Legends (in Italian).
  3. ^ "Miki Story – Miki Biasion". Archived from the original on 2014-10-06. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
  4. ^ "Acerca de Massimo "Miki" Biasion". www.iveco.com.

External links

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Awards and achievements Preceded byMarkku Alén AutosportInternational Rally Driver Award 1989 Succeeded byCarlos Sainz Sporting positions Preceded byAntonio Fassina European Rally Champion 1983 Succeeded byCarlo Capone Preceded byJuha Kankkunen World Rally Champion 1988–1989 Succeeded byCarlos Sainz Preceded byWalter Röhrl Race of ChampionsClassic Master 1998 Succeeded byNot held
World Rally Champions
Winners of Autosport's International Rally Driver Award
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