Lancia has achieved its first victory in the WRC2 category at the Croatia rally, an event that marks the return of the Italian manufacturer to the World Rally Championship after more than three decades. This success was celebrated as an “exceptional result” during its second competition since reintroduction.
With a record of ten manufacturers’ titles in the WRC, Lancia has returned to competition in this lower category, WRC2, after withdrawing at the end of the 1992 season. After a difficult debut at the Monte Carlo rally, where its vehicles were out of the race, Lancia’s drivers showed great pace in Croatia, finishing fourth overall.
Yohan Rossel, who drove the vehicle, delivered an impeccable performance to secure the WRC2 victory. This victory represents Lancia’s best performance since Alex Fiorio achieved fourth place at the 1994 Acropolis Rally, and the first win since 1992, when Andrea Aghini triumphed at the Sanremo Rally.
The competition car, the Lancia Ypsilon HF Integrale, has demonstrated its potential with Nikolay Gryazin, who, after being affected by a minor technical issue, finished third in WRC2.
Didier Clement, the director of the Lancia Corse team, expressed his satisfaction with the drivers’ performance and the car’s reliability. “We are proud of our two teams and confident about the future of the season with the Rally of the Canary Islands on the horizon,” said Clement.
Rossel’s victory marks a significant moment in Lancia’s history, and the French driver will join the legend of names like Miki Biasion and Juha Kankkunen, who also won competitions for the brand. Rossel has commented that, after a challenging start in Monte Carlo, he felt more comfortable in Croatia, which bodes well for future competitions.
The company has worked intensively with the Stellantis group to develop the Ypsilon, and the victory in Croatia is the result of this joint effort. Now, Rossel and his team look forward to the next challenge with hopes of maintaining the good pace in upcoming races.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
