It’s Basso! Italian legend wins ERC Greatest Driver vote

He topped a public poll ahead of Kajetan Kajetanowicz with 85 per cent of the votes to secure the coveted recognition.   

The final round of voting was the culmination of a three-week process for fans to decide who, in their view is the best of the best ERC competitor.  

As part of the championship’s 70th-anniversary celebrations, 16 star performers – including multiple champions Gunnar Andersson, Bernard Darniche, Simon Jean-Joseph, Luca Rossetti and Walter Schock – were selected for the ERC Greatest Driver vote.   

FIAERC.com took a data-based approach to pick out 12 drivers who have won the coveted European Rally Championship at least two times. Four wildcards, based on their impact during a certain ERC era, were also selected with Basso and Kajetanowicz making it through to the grand finale after defeating Fabrizio Tabaton and Sobiesław Zasada in their respective semi-finals.  

Iain Campbell, the ERC championship manager, said: “Congratulations to Giandomenico Basso for his achievement in topping the ERC Greatest Driver poll and a big thank you to all the fans who took the time to vote. The response has been fantastic and it was really good to see drivers from all ERC eras receiving votes. Many hundreds of drivers made their mark during the FIA European Rally Championship’s first 70 years, including Basso, and it’s great to see all he has accomplished recognised in this way.”

Giandomenico Basso: the ERC Greatest Driver   

Giandomenico Basso might have turned 50 earlier this year but he’s still going strong with his second-place finish on July’s ERC-counting Rally di Roma Capitale proof that his pace remains potent. European champion in 2006 and again in 2009 driving for the factory Abarth team, the Italian was a rapid exponent of Fiat’s Punto Super 1600 before he stepped up to the Super 2000 equivalent. Twenty wins and 32 podiums from 52 starts are impressive statistics for a driver who also finds time to coach the next generation of talent, including rising star Alberto Battistolli. Basso secured his place in the final after defeating Fabrizio Tabaton in the all-Italian semi-final on Tuesday.  

How Basso became the ERC Greatest Driver:

Round of 16 versus Simon Jean-Joseph: Wins with 75 % of the vote
Quarter-final versus Dario Cerrato: Wins with 97 % of the vote
Semi-final versus Fabrizio Tabaton: Wins with 74 % of the vote
Final versus Kajetan Kajetanowicz: Wins with 85 % of the vote  

Visit FIAERC.com this weekend for all the reaction and an overview of the ERC Greatest Driver vote.