Manuel Gião

Son of champion and renowned pilot M. Gion (ex. National Rally and Speed Champion), the Gião family junior soon took its first steps into motor sport.
With the help of his father, the little "Manel" began long before they can accept your application at official events, the karts run on specially adapted to their age.

At just 10 years, Gião was already a reference in the national and all predicted that its entry into the competition would be a real success, as it turned out.
The onset of competition came in 1983 with the creation of a new category in Portugal - Junior Category, which allowed Manuel Gião and many other youths of the time, realize the dream of competing with just 12 years.
Gião could not have started better as his sporting career, reaching two junior titles in his first two stakes and pulling out to a distinguished career in national karting. On four occasions he reached the title of National Champion, winning the Cup once again in Portugal.

In 1989 would make his debut in cars, being the Formula Ford category chosen. Gião won on his first race as many other titles on his 3 seasons participation. In 1992, after being Formula Ford National Champion with five wins in eight races, Gião headed for an international career, alongside his opponents so far: Castro Santos, Lamy or Couceiro.

The European Formula Opel Championship would be his "home" in 1992, 1993 and 1995. His persistence in trying to reach the maximum step "Formula 1" led him down in paths as diverse as the Super Formula, Formula Nissan and Italian Formula 3000. Gião would be champion in the Super Formula and one of the front drivers of the Italian Fórmula 3000, but it would be in Formula Nissan that he would reach his higher position, getting the 2nd place after fighting until the last race for the title with the champion World Formula 1 — Fernando Alonso.

Manuel Gião moved to GT competition in 2004 with the participation in the Daytona 24 hours and in 2005 and 2006 he was the Spanish Vice-Champion in the category.
In 2007, the year he celebrates 25-year career, he joined Pedro Couceiro to compete once again in the Spanish GT Championship and reached the title. In 2008, Gião debuted at the International GT Open with Pedro Couceiro, fighting for the leadership til the last race. The pair reached the third position.