Giandomenico Basso

Giandomenico Basso is an Italian rally driver who occasionally competes in World Rally Championship events but he achieved his greatest results in other rally competitions. Most recently, he won Italian rally championship title in 2019.

His most successful season was 2006 whan he was a double champion, winning both the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and European Rally Championship. He repeats ERC title in 2009. On his home soil, he was the Italian rally champion in 2007, 2016, and 2019.

Giandomenico Basso

Basso made WRC debut at 1998 Rallye Sanremo

Born in Montebelluna near Venice in 1973, Giandomenico competed in karting races as a kid. His first rally efforts followed in the late 1990s when he was driving a Fiat Cinquecento or Fiat Seicento. In October 1998, Basso made a debut in WRC event, participating at Rallye Sanremo – Rallye d'Italia in a Fiat Seicento Sporting. He retired early, during the second special stage.

The next WRC appearance was more successful. It was at 1999 Rallye Monte-Carlo when Basso was driving Fiat Cinquecento Sporting. His navigator was Flavio Guglielmini. Basso finished 23rd overall and the winner in the A5 classification. In 1999, Basso continued to drive in the Italian rally championship, switching to Fiat Punto Kit Car in 2000.

In 2002, Basso was driving Fiat Punto S1600 in the Junior WRC

Two seasons in the Junior WRC

In 2001, Basso stepped in the Junior WRC competition, driving a Fiat Punto S1600 for Top Run team. In six appearances, he retired four times and reached podiums two times. He was second at Rallye Catalunya and third at Tour de Corse. He finished fifth in the points, the champion was Sebastien Loeb.

Basso spent one more season in the JWRC, finishing fourth in the 2002 classification. He was on a podium three times, in Spain, Italy and Great Britain. Dani Sola was the 2002 Junior WRC champion.

Focusing on ERC since 2003

From 2003, the European Rally Championship was Basso's main competition. Driving a Fiat Punto S1600, he was the winner once (Rally del Cioco) to finish 11th in the final standings. In the same time, he was second in the Italian championship with three wins on his account.

In 2004, his only ERC victory was at Rally Mille Miglia. Mittia Dotta became his co-driver. They also participated at Spanish WRC event, finishing second in the A6 class with Fiat Punto S1600. In 2005, Basso has won two times (Rally Bulgaria and EKO Rally) to finish as a runner-up in the European Rally Championship, losing a title to Renato Travaglia.

In 2006, Basso was a double champion

Abarth factory driver became a double champion

For the 2006 rally season, Fiat and Abarth launched Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000. Basso was hired as a factory driver for Abarth and he ended that season crowned as a double champion. He finally reached a top spot in the European Rally Championship, winning four times – Fiat Rally (Turkey), Ypres Rally (Belgium), Rally Bulgaria and Rali Vinho de Madeira (Portugal).

Two of those four events counted for the inaugural Intercontinental Rally Challenge. Two wins were enough for Basso to take IRC title.

Basso was Italian champion for the first time in 2007

2007 - Italian rally champion for the first time

In 2007, Basso participated in just two IRC events, winning at Madeira and finishing second at Sanremo, focusing his interest to the Italian rally championship. In the national championship, he won three times in a Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000 to take his first domestic rally title.

In 2008, Basso returned full-time to the Intercontinental Rally Challenge, participating in nine IRC events. He won two times and reached two more podiums, finishing third in the final standings, behind Nicolas Vouilloz and Freddy Loix.

Basso captured his secondf ERC title in 2009

European rally champion again in 2009

In 2009, Basso captured his second European Rally Championship title. He participated in the same time in the IRC and ERC, with some events counting for both championships. In the IRC standings, Basso was fifth with one victory, in the ERC classification he dominantly took the title with seven wins.

The season 2010 was his last with Abarth. He didn't win any of rallies he entered with Fiat Abarth Grande Punto S2000.

Giandomenico Basso's Proton Satria Neo S2000

One season with Proton Motorsport

In 2011, Basso started a season with in his private Peugeot 207 S2000 at Rallye Monte-Carlo, finishing in the ninth place. For the rest of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge season, he joined Proton Motorsport to drive a Proton Satria Neo S2000. His best result was ninth place at the Canary Islands and he finished 27th in the final IRC classification.

Basso entered the 2012 Rallye Monte-Carlo in a Proton and it was his last event with Malaysian manufacturer. For the rest of the 2012 season, he was driving Ford Fiesta RRC. He was the winner at Rally Mille Miglia, Rally di San Marino and Rally Sanremo, finishing fifth in the IRC standings and second in the European Rally Cup South.

Basso captured his second national title driving a Ford

Chasing the second Italian championship title

In 2013, Basso was driving a Peugeot 207 S2000, participating mostly in national rally events and finishing fifth in the points. His only international race was the Rali Vinho de Madeira, where he won. In 2014, Basso switched to LPG-powered Ford Fiesta R5, winning two times and finishing second in the Italian championship, tied in the points with Paolo Andreucci.

Basso was the championship runner-up again in 2015, one more time losing a title to Paolo Andreucci. And then, finally, in 2016, Basso became the Italian champion for the second time in a career. He was driving two versions of Ford Fiesta R5 for BRC Racing Team, winning two times and beating Andreucci in the final standings.

In 2017, Basso captured ERT title in a Hyundai i20 R5

European Rally Trophy title in 2017

In 2017, Basso started a season with his return to WRC after five years of absence, participating at Rallye Monte-Carlo in a Ford Fiesta R5. He retired due to mechanical troubles.

After that, BRC Racing Team switched to Hyundai i20 R5, entering the European Rally Trophy as the main competition. Basso scored three wins and took the title. In 2018, Basso continued to drive Hyundai i20 R5 but also is using Škoda Fabia R5 and tried Ford Fiesta RS WRC in one Swiss rally event.

Giandomenico Basso (right) and Lorenzo Granai, Italian rally champions in 2019

Italian rally champion again in 2019

In 2019, his racing machine was Škoda Fabia R5 and his greatest international success was a victory at Rally di Roma Capitale, the round of the European Rally Championship. That win also counted for the Italian championship.

In a dramatic finale, the Tuscan Rewind rally, he took one more national victory and captured his third Italian rally championship title.

Photos: Tiago Sousa, giandomenicobasso.it, Giandomenico Basso FB, Daniel Hlinka, Petr Sagner, Giuseppe Depalmas, Vit Bezdekovsky, Petr Fitz/ewrc-results.com,