The Roman Emperor ! Massimiliano Biaggi is building a reputation for himself during the 1991 European Championship 250cc. Unlike 98% of all other motorcycle racers, he only started at age 18 and shot through to the elite in no time. That following year, he contested a full season of 250cc World Championship Grand Prix racing and he made full use of it. Riding for the Valesi team he managed to win his first race in the last round and for 1993, he signed for Erv Kanemoto's Rothmans Honda 250cc team replacing his compatriot and double world champion Luca Cadalora. He managed only one win and for 1994, he rode an Aprilia again and it proved to be a perfect couple. 3 World Titles in a row and in 1997 he returned to Kanemoto on a Honda. He managed to clinch a 4th consecutive title and decided, after 29 250's victories, the time had arrived to move up to the big boys and to challenge Mick Doohan.
Suzuka 1998 : Pole position, fastest lap and win...on his debut in the premier class. Max was a force to be reckoned with. 8 podium finishes ( 2 wins ) led to 2nd place in the final standings of the 500cc World Championship that year. In 1999 he switched to Yamaha and for the next four years it was highs and lows and facing Valentino Rossi on and off the track. They have never ever been friends ( and I guess they never will ) but the mutual respect is there. After a fall out with Honda at the end of the 2005 season, Max was forced to sit out a year and in 2007 came back to world championship racing although in a different category, World Superbikes. 3 wins and 3d place in the standings with Alstare Suzuki was followed by a disappointing season on a satellite Ducati 1098. For 2009, Aprilia had announced their comeback in World Superbikes with a brand new bike and...reunited with Max Biaggi. 1 win and 4th place in 2009 was his share but for 2010, Max and his true love have a good shot at world title glory again...What makes him so special for me ? His charisma, his smooth riding style and having an opinion and not being afraid to express it. He openly criticised Honda when he rode for HRC on the Repsol RCV211. Since the Japanese still consider the rider inferior to the material ( the main reason why Rossi deflected to Yamaha to prove them wrong and so he did ), Biaggi got sacked by Honda and they even vetoed his return to Sito Pons' team on a satellite Honda. Pons had to back out of MotoGP due to lack of sponsorship ( Camel wanted to continue their sponsorship but Biaggi had to be on board ) and no support from Honda to supply bikes if he decided to give Biaggi a ride. Basically, Pons had nowhere to go. Biaggi has ridden almost every bike that has been out there. Aprilia 250, Yamaha 250, Honda 250, Honda 500, Yamaha 500, Honda 990, Yamaha 990, Suzuki 1000 K7, Ducati 1098, Aprilia 1000 RSV4. At age 38, he is backed in a position to fight for the championship and I simply adore his true fighting spirit.
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