Attilio Bettega
Attilio Bettega (19 February 1953 – 2 May 1985) was an Italian rally driver.[1]
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Italian |
| Born | 19 February 1953 Trento, Italy |
| Died | 2 May 1985 (aged 32) Zérubia, Corsica |
| World Rally Championship record | |
| Active years | 1978–1985 |
| Co-driver | Maurizio Perissinot Sergio Cresto Arnaldo Bernacchini |
| Teams | Fiat, Lancia |
| Rallies | 26 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Rally wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 6 |
| Stage wins | 47 |
| Total points | 130 |
| First rally | 1978 San Remo Rally |
| Last rally | 1985 Tour de Corse |
Biography
Bettega was born in Molveno, Trentino. In 1982, he joined the Lancia team driving the Lancia 037 after some years with Fiat. In his Lancia years he gained four podium finishes in rallies counting towards the World Rally Championship. His last podium was also his best one, driving his Lancia to second place at the 1984 Rallye Sanremo. In the 1985 season, he entered the Safari Rally and the Tour de Corse. In Corsica, on the fourth stage of the rally – Zerubia, Bettega lost control of his Lancia and crashed into a tree which simply ruptured into the driver's seat and killed him instantly. His co-driver Maurizio Perissinot survived the crash uninjured.
Bettega's accident pressured the safety aspects of Group B cars. Exactly one year later his former teammate Henri Toivonen and his co-pilot Sergio Cresto with the Lancia Delta S4 #4 (same number of the Bettega's car) died in a fireball accident at the same event, causing the ban for Group B.
Bettega's son, Alessandro Bettega, has followed his father's footsteps and is also a rally driver.
