Fabrizio Tabaton

WRC driver
Name = Fabrizio Tabaton


Caption =
Nationality = flagicon|Italy Italian
Years = 1979 – 1987, 1999
Teams = Martini Racing, H.F. Grifone
Races = 8
Championships = 0
Wins = 0
Podiums = 0
Stagewins = 5
Points = 18
First race = 1979 Rallye Sanremo
Last race = 1999 Monte Carlo Rally

Fabrizio Tabaton (born 16 May, 1955) is an Italian former rally driver. Competing for the H.F. Grifone team, he had his biggest successes in the European Rally Championship, which he won with a Lancia Delta S4 in 1986, and with a Lancia Delta Integrale and a Delta HF 4WD in 1988. He also finished runner-up twice; in 1985 to Dario Cerrato and in 1991 to Piero Liatti. In 1990, Tabaton placed third in the championship. In the Italian Rally Championship, he captured the title in 1985 with a Lancia Rally 037 and in 1987 with a Delta HF 4WD.cite web | title=Fabrizio Tabaton | work=RallyBase | url=http://www.rallybase.nl/index.php?type=profile&driverid=2278 | accessdate=2009-09-22]

In the World Rally Championship, Tabaton competed at his home event, the Rallye Sanremo, seven times. He retired in all but two occasions; driving for the Grifone team, he took fourth place in 1984 in a 037, and fifth place in 1987 in a Delta HF 4WD. He made a one-off return to the WRC in the 1999 season, competing with a Toyota Corolla WRC at the Monte Carlo Rally, but retired on the ninth stage.

After his racing career, Tabaton has worked as the head of the Grifone and Step2 organizations, which have continued their extensive programmes in European rallying. Grifone was also responsible for MotoGP star Valentino Rossi's WRC debut at the 2002 Wales Rally GB in a Peugeot 206 WRC. [cite web | title=MSA Bulletin, April - July 2006 | work=Motorsport South Africa | url=http://www.motorsport.co.za/scoring/scoresheets/MSA%20Bulletin%20June.pdf | accessdate=2009-09-22]

References