A lesson in off-road driving with World Rally Champion Miki Biasion

Biasion, however, clearly has other ideas. We clear the marshal, the nose swings down, pointing into the valley, and he pins the throttle to the floor. The Jeep surges forwards, body weaving left and right, axles swinging wildly; I realise very quickly I'm going to have to brace myself against the roll cage a little more firmly.

Over the whine of the turbocharger, the roar of the diesel and the clatter of shrapnel hitting the underside of the Jeep, I manage to ask Biasion what his top tips are for off-road driving.

"You must drive a Jeep," he shouts, beaming, before sawing at the wheel and sending the Jeep into a graceful slide, arcing around the complete length of a corner.

"If you drive fast off road you lose time, though," says Biasion. "The trick is to follow the ground with the car and the wheels, drive very smoothly. If you try to push a little bit and the car starts to jump and shake, it's much more uncomfortable and usually slower."

He puts the Jeep Wrangler through a rut, causing it to bounce hard, and fights to get it pointing back in the right direction – demonstrating his point precisely.

"You have to make good use of the traction, too," he adds, "if you hurry and spin the wheels then you'll lose time." Biasion observes that this is where a lot of people go wrong in off-road hillclimbs too, making rushed, fast ascents – when they should instead take their time and crawl up.

We turn off on to one of the more aggressive tracks, slick with mud and covered in deep ruts. The Jeep representative, who's come along for the ride, points out that the traction control is still on. Biasion flicks the switch, squeezes the throttle and all four wheels spin wildly. This seems to please him, presumably because of the extra degree of control and flexibility, and he pushes on into the woods.

"In the mud you must use the brakes very gently, very smoothly," he observes. "Never lock the wheels; if you do, the mud packs into the tread in the tyres, then it's incredibly difficult to get any grip or traction."

The Jeep ploughs with gusto through the ruts, its speed constant, Biasion just making minor inputs to keep it on the right path. We clear the trail, making our way back on to the gravel section, and he opens the throttle wide again. Gravel is fired backwards at a vast rate of knots, the Wrangler lunges forwards, and the next series of corners is rapidly dispatched in a series of neatly linked drifts. This, I can't help thinking, is mad; this is an SUV, not a hatchback.

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"The electronics these days really help, though," says Biasion. "For example, if you're in dunes you can go anywhere in a new off-roader, but if you try to do the same without you'll get stuck every 10 metres.

"It's the same in snow, but people must understand that while four-wheel drive and electronic systems helps you go, they won't help you stop," he affirms. "If you don't have winter, or even all-season tyres, you won't be able to do anything. You can be the World Rally Champion, but if you don't have the proper tyres then it's dangerous."

A rally car this is not, but everything appears so precise, controlled and moderated that the ride is nothing but intoxicating and invigorating, rather than alarming – despite the severity of the terrain.

Our rapidly travelling Jeep Wrangler closes the distance on a new Renegade that is tiptoeing around the course. Biasion gets within a few feet of it and darts incisively left and right, looking for a gap, pushing closer and closer. It's clear that his competitive edge is still razor sharp.

He manages to get a few feet up the inside of it at one point, but there's simply not enough room. He beeps the horn once, waking the Renegade driver up; they promptly pull over slightly, Biasion guns the engine, waves thankfully and shouts "ciao" out of the window. The driver of the Renegade merrily waves back, despite now being enveloped in a cloud of dust from our rapidly accelerating Wrangler.

The Jeep storms down another gradient, up the next ascent and then – as it breaches the top of the hill – leaps into the air. Biasion keeps his foot in, the Jeep landing squarely and smoothly on the approach to the next hillock, and then repeats the process again. With the terrain, I think, not against it. Clearly he's been around this circuit before.

Suddenly he hammers on the brakes, the Jeep sliding on the loose surface. He pitches the now slowed Wrangler into a corner, and gently rolls past a marshal’s point placed just around the corner with the engine idling. He salutes, a slightly comical smile on his face, waits until they’re out of view and then, lo and behold, wrings the engine out for all it's worth.