Max Biaggi

Being one of the greatest riders of all times, his ultra-determined character has turned Max Biaggi into a celebrity inside and outside the world of two-wheel racing. With more than 40 GP wins and 56 pole positions behind him, his status on the track is beyond doubt, and his off-track personality ensures he is the focus of attention in the media and among fans.

During the years he competed in two-stroke GP bikes, the Italian became the first man to win four consecutive 250cc World Championship titles. Another memorable deed of the fastest Roman of the world happened in 1998, when Max became the first rider of the last quarter of the century to win first time out on a 500cc GP.

Biaggi’s riding technique is pure art and he is probably the smoothest and neatest rider of the World Championship. He eschews the sideways antics employed by many of his rivals, preferring a rapier-sharp style that keeps both wheels in line, a legacy of his 250 days.

Biaggi made his name on 250s and his record in quarter-litre racing is unmatched. During six seasons he scored 29 GP wins and 33 pole positions to make him the second most successful 250cc rider in history. He won his first three titles in ’94, ’95 and ’96 with the Italian Chesterfield Aprilia team, and then switched the team to clinch the same year his fourth World Championship title on the NSR250 with the Marlboro Team Kanemoto.

Considering the success he has enjoyed, it is perhaps surprising that Biaggi was no boy racer. As a child he was football crazy and dreamed of playing for AC Roma. Indeed he’s still a regular player, taking part in numerous charity matches with fellow celebrities. Biaggi got into racing purely by chance, when a friend invited him to the Vallelunga racetrack in 1988. He was immediately hooked and made his race debut the following year with his father helping out as mechanic.

The next season a professional mechanic volunteered his services for Biaggi’s attack on the Italian Sport Production series. This expertise made all the difference and Biaggi won the title with six wins from seven races. That success got him his big break: a ride on a 125 GP bike in an Italian Championship race. Biaggi didn’t waste his chance and finished third, ahead of new 125cc World Champion Loris Capirossi.

It was a crucial performance, for Biaggi had shone in front of Italy’s top race bosses and was signed by Aprilia to contest the ’91 250 European Championship. It was the Italian’s first season on a race bike and despite his lack of experience he scored points enough points to win the title in his European Championship debut. He was promoted to full-time GP duties the following year, justifying Aprilia’s faith by taking fifth overall in the World Championship and scoring his first GP win at the season-ending South African GP.

Despite a perfect end to his debut campaign, Biaggi accepted an offer to join Erv Kanemoto’s Honda team for ’93. Kanemoto had won the previous two 250 titles with Luca Cadalora and the new partnership promised much. But he was troubled by tyre problems and won just one GP to finish fourth overall.

The following season Biaggi rejoined Aprilia, and with two full world campaigns behind him showed how fast he could really be. He won the first two races to establish an early points advantage, only to lose it after a fall. He regained the lead with victory at Assen, then fell at two of the next three races to lose the advantage once more. A great ride to victory at Brno put him back on top and he secured the title with a runaway win at the Catalunya finale.

That first world title was the perfect reward for Biaggi’s talent and dedication but his second championship success was even more impressive. Psychologically stronger, he towered over the ’95 250 season, he won eight GPs, stood on the podium 12 times and was the only rider to score points at all 13 rounds.

In ’96 he took even more victories – nine from 15 rides – but only just beat rival Ralf Waldmann to the title. He won five of the first six GPs to establish an apparently unassailable lead but then fell heavily during Dutch GP practice and struggled at the next two races. All seemed back to normal when he scored another dominant win at the British GP. With a 53 point cushion over Waldmann, Biaggi’s results then took a bizarre turn. He fell in Austria, won at Brno, fell at Imola and won at Catalunya. Then he crashed out of the penultimate Rio GP, leaving him just one point ahead with one race to go. In Australia he bounced back to defeat Waldmann and take his third title.

In 1997 Biaggi won five GPs to secure his most impressive title. A return to Kanemoto Honda and a late start to pre-season testing left him at a disadvantage and he battled chassis problems throughout. Yet he immediately proved he could win without the Aprilia’s speed, dominating the opening Malaysian GP. The next few events were tougher but another fairytale win in front of his home crowd at Mugello put him back ahead.

Bad luck struck again at Assen where he was disqualified for ignoring a stop-and-go penalty. That cost him the series lead but he retook the advantage with a masterful win at Imola. Handling problems at the next few races dropped him to third overall but once again he staged a remarkable comeback, winning two more races to clinch the title at the Australian finale.

Biaggi stayed with Marlboro Team Kanemoto the following year, and tried his luck moving to the 500cc. He made an instant impact, taking a runaway win at the season-opening Japanese GP, becoming the first man to win first time out on a 500 since the late Jarno Saarinen in 1973. He discovered the harsher realities of 500 racing at the next two GPs, where he lost the series lead but a win at Brno put him back on top of the world. Biaggi may even have won the title if he hadn’t been disqualified at Catalunya for ignoring, again, a stop-and-go penalty. He nevertheless finished the year second overall.

In 1999 he made a successful job of switching machinery, working hard with his Marlboro Yamaha Team crew to develop Yamaha’s YZR500 into a winner. But he had more than his fair share of bad luck. A hand injury – sustained when he crashed out of the lead in France – was a handicap and a couple of other falls dented his confidence

But his dedication won out and he was the most successful rider of the season’s closing stages, taking a win in South Africa and second-place finishes in the Australian, Rio and Argentine GPs. During those four races he scored almost twice as many points as any of his rivals

A tireless worker when it comes to testing and development, Biaggi helped Yamaha build a further improved YZR for 2000. Unfortunately another injury-hit start put him out of the title hunt, even though the bike was good enough to win the Manufacturers’ World Championship. Way down on points after unlucky tumbles at three consecutive races, Biaggi’s dogged determination shone through and he got stronger as the year progressed. He stood on the podium for the first time when he scored a majestic win at Brno and followed that with hard-fought thirds at Valencia and Motegi. The Roman crowned his season with a great win at the Australian finale, moving himself to third overall.

Biaggi started 2001 with a run of up-and-down results but a change to the set-up of his YZR500 put him right on the pace from round four. By the mid-season break he was the fastest-scoring rider, taking wins at the French, Dutch and German GPs to close to within ten points of arch-rival Valentino Rossi (Honda). The second half of the year turned out to be altogether tougher and three tumbles dented his title challenge. Nevertheless, Biaggi ended the year a strong second overall, having scored nine podium finishes and no less than seven poles. Away from the GPs he took time out to aid development of Yamaha’s YZR-M1 four-stroke GP bike, the all-new 200 horsepower machine with which he wanted to go for the first-ever MotoGP World Championship.

In 2002 Biaggi raced and developed Yamaha’s new four-stroke bike in the new MotoGP class. Integrated in the Marlboro Yamaha Team with his team-mate Carlos Checa, the Italian took two GP wins and scored eight podium finishes, thus becoming runner-up of for the second time in a row, before announcing that he would return to Honda in 2003 riding for Sito Pons’ Camel Honda team. The whole Marlboro Yamaha Team had a difficult start in the new MotoGP-class. Max Biaggi only scored 7 points in the first 3 GP’s. The all new Yamaha YZR-M1 was much slower than the Honda RCV. But Max and Yamaha pulled themselves together and the better results came quick. Podiums in Le Mans and Mugello, 4th places in Catalunya and Assen. Yamaha was back, with Biaggi at the lead. He finished second in Germany and Britain but it was in Brno, his favourite track where he showed that he is still one of the best riders of the pack. Max scored the hattrick, pole position, new race record and a splendid victory. Before leaving Europe Max finished the Portuguese GP in sixth place. But it was the classical carrot-and stick: Max scored a 2nd place in Rio but had to retire due to tyre problems in Motegi. He stroke back at Sepang, with a stunning victory, but couldnt do better than 6th in Phillip Island after a difficult weekend. The final GP in Valencia was vital for Biaggi, because the second place in the championship was undecided. Max scored the pole position and the 3rd place in the race gave him the vice-championship after finishing ahead of his rival Tohru Ukawa.

2003 was the return to Honda for Max Biaggi. New bike, new team, new teammate, it was definitely a year of serious challenges after 4 years with Yamaha. The season started well, 3 races resulted in 3 podiums. Max had is RC211V under control but missed the total support of the HRC. Nevertheless he was one of Honda’s spearpoints together with Valentino Rossi and Sete Gibernau. Max’ got his first victory in Donington, due to a 10-sec. penalty for Rossi. Max was on full speed during the summer but couldn’t turn it out in results, a crash in Germany and a poor 5th place in Brno.

Motegi was Biaggi’s 2nd, rightfully, victory and despite a disappointing race in Australia the 4th place in Valencia secured him his 3rd place in the final rankings

With the departure of Valentino Rossi to Yamaha Biaggi was one of Honda’s main challengers and a sure favourite for glory in 2004. But the season was filled with ups and downs. In the end, one pole, one GP victory in Germany and nine podium finishes, took him to third overall. It was however a hopeful start of the season because he entered the fight for the Championship from the very beginning. Four consecutive podium finishes were a great way to start the season, but his bad results in Catalunya and Holland set him back from the leading pack. The second place in Brazil and the victory in Germany put him back into the fight. The victory in Germany, which he emotively dedicated to one of his mentors and great friends, Antonio Cobas, who had died three months ago, allowed him to pass Gibernau and become second in the overall standings.

When it seemed that the best of Biaggi was back, a crash in Portugal hindered him from even finishing the first lap. From that moment on the experienced rider became inconsistent again, something very well used by Gibernau and Rossi to open a gap. It wasnt until the end of the season when Biaggi managed to be back on the podium. Two second places in Malaysia and Valencia allowed him to finish the season with a better taste in the mouth.

In early November 2004 he suffered an accident while doing Supermotard in Italy, braking the fibula and the astragalus bone of his left leg. He was operated in Lyon and began rehabilitation only a few days later, making his first steps. The first medical checks were very optimistic as regards the evolution of the Roman rider, but there was yet to be seen how competitive he would be on his new bike, the Honda RC211V. The accident delayed his sign-up by the Repsol Honda Team until January, shortly before the team would travel to Malaysia to do the first tests of the 2005 season. That was the first public appearance of Biaggi dressed with the Repsol colours and despite still being convalescent, his quick adaptation to the team and the bike, as well as the times clocked, surprised in and outsiders.

This season, as part of the official HRC team, Biaggi has the chance to beat his eternal rival Valentino Rossi and to show his complete potential as a rider in his own hands. To do it, hell be counting on the invaluable help of Erv Kanemoto, new Technical Director of the Repsol Honda Team, with whom he already achieved his best results in the past.

When he’s not racing, Biaggi is a big football fan, a great car enthusiast and a huge enthusiast of US Supercross and Supermotard.