Champion rally driver Alex Fiorio dies aged 61

Alex Fiorio, a champion rally driver with a successful career in the 1980s and 1990s, has passed away at the age of 61 after a battle with cancer. Born on March 10, 1965, Fiorio made his name in rallying, the sport his father Cesare Fiorio, a Ferrari Formula 1 sporting director and Lancia WRC boss, had once pioneered. Fiorio's WRC debut came in 1986 where he drove a Fiat Uno Turbo for the Jolly Club team.

His career took off the following season when he switched to a Lancia Delta HF, which led him to win the WRC 1987 Group N title. Fiorio claimed his first WRC points finish during that season, following a seventh-place finish at his home Rallye Sanremo. His talent was on full display in 1988 and 1989, as he finished third behind Lancia drivers Miki Biasion and Markku Alen both years, claiming five podiums in 1988 and four in 1989.

His breakthrough came in 1989 when he secured the runner-up position in the title race to factory Lancia driver Biasion. Fiorio switched to Ford in 1991, but was unable to replicate his Lancia success. Despite not winning the WRC outright, Fiorio had success in the European Rally Championship, winning six times, including the final one in 1998 at Rally Turkey.

Fiorio's career transitioned from rallying to team management at the start of the new millennium, where he served as team manager of the Honda Benetton Playlife Racing team in MotoGP, winning the manufacturers title. Fiorio had been active in the rally scene before a June diagnosis of an incurable disease. The Fiorio family released a statement expressing their gratitude for the love and support offered during this difficult time.