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Lancia Corse HF gains valuable experience at Acropolis Rally Greece and looks ahead to upcoming international events
(++) Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret finish sixth after a demanding Acropolis Rally
(++) Seventh place for Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche following a mature performance on the challenging Greek gravel roads
(++) Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand forced to retire on SS10, while Conner Martell and Alessandro Gelsomino exit on SS14 after a rollover with no injuries to the crew
(++) Lancia Corse HF continues its gravel development programme and now turns its attention to Rally di Roma Capitale in the FIA European Rally Championship
Acropolis Rally Greece once again lived up to its reputation as one of the toughest events in the FIA World Rally Championship. Extreme temperatures, heavily deteriorated roads and more than 320 kilometres of competitive stages put both crews and machinery under intense pressure, providing Lancia Corse HF with another important opportunity to further develop the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on gravel.
The best result for the Italian manufacturer came courtesy of Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret, who secured sixth place after delivering a consistent and determined performance throughout the “Rally of the Gods”. Close behind, Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche completed a positive weekend in seventh position, adding valuable experience in one of the most demanding rallies on the WRC calendar.
Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand had shown promising pace during the early stages of the event and were among the leading contenders before a problem on Special Stage 10 brought their rally to a premature end. It was an unfortunate setback for the French crew, who once again demonstrated strong speed and competitiveness on gravel.
Conner Martell and Alessandro Gelsomino also endured a difficult end to their rally. Making their World Championship appearance with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, the crew was forced to retire on Special Stage 14 following a rollover. Fortunately, both driver and co-driver emerged uninjured from the incident.
Despite a weekend marked by extremely demanding conditions and a degree of misfortune, the overall outcome remains positive for Lancia Corse HF. Acropolis Rally Greece provided encouraging indications regarding the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on gravel while allowing the team to gather valuable data and experience ahead of the next rounds of the season.
The focus now shifts to the team's upcoming international commitments. As early as next week, Lancia Corse HF will be back in action in the FIA European Rally Championship at Rally di Roma Capitale, where both Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin will be competing on the spectacular asphalt stages of Italy’s premier ERC event.
Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“The Acropolis rally is one of the most demanding rallies for mechanics and crews. We have many sources of satisfaction, even if we were hoping for a better result. After a lot of development work after the Portugal rally, we made great progress on this surface. Yohan Rossel demonstrated progress despite his handicap of starting 1st on the WRC2 road. Unfortunately, an engine issue stopped his momentum. Léo Rossel, for his return to gravel, improved his speed over the stages to reach a promising level. Pablo Sarrazin has achieved his most successful WRC race of his young career and Conner Martell impressed the observers for his first appearance at this level. Enough to build bright hopes for the upcoming rounds”
Source Lancia
Lancia goes global: its world debut (FIA World Rally Championship - WRC2) set in Monte Carlo, January 2026
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Dibalancia
- Posts: 752
- Joined: 16 Oct 2019, 12:34
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Dibalancia
- Posts: 752
- Joined: 16 Oct 2019, 12:34
Re: Lancia goes global: its world debut (FIA World Rally Championship - WRC2) set in Monte Carlo, January 2026
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Lancia Corse HF heads to legendary Rally Finland with five Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale entries
(++) Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin lead Lancia Corse HF's challenge in round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship
(++) Five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars entered, with Léo Rossel, Pablo Sarrazin and Conner Martell joining the factory crews
(++) Lancia Corse HF arrives in Finland second in the WRC2 Teams' Championship and firmly in contention for the title
(++) Twenty special stages and 316.04 competitive kilometres on the world's fastest gravel roads, with more than 60 per cent of the route redesigned from last year
The FIA World Rally Championship heads to one of its most iconic events with Secto Rally Finland, round ten of the season, taking place from 30 July to 2 August. Formerly known as the legendary Rally of the Thousand Lakes, the Finnish classic remains one of the most spectacular and demanding events in world rallying, where outright speed, absolute commitment and perfect driver/co-driver synchronisation are essential on roads packed with crests, jumps and blind corners taken at average speeds exceeding 120 km/h.
Lancia Corse HF arrives in Jyväskylä holding second place in the WRC2 Teams' Championship and fielding one of the strongest line-ups in the category, with five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale entries.
Leading the factory effort will be Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, currently sixth in the WRC2 standings following their victory in Japan, alongside Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand, who sit seventh overall and are aiming to reignite their championship campaign.
Joining the official crews will be Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret, currently fourth in the championship after an impressive season, together with Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche, while American driver Conner Martell and Italian co-driver Alessandro Gelsomino complete an impressive five-car Lancia line-up that further highlights the growing international appeal of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.
With five rounds remaining, Rally Finland marks a crucial point in both championship battles. Lancia Corse HF will be aiming to score valuable points in its pursuit of the WRC2 Teams' title, while Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin and Léo Rossel continue their fight at the sharp end of the Drivers' Championship. At the same time, the event will provide another important opportunity to further develop the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the fastest and most demanding gravel rallies in the FIA World Rally Championship.
The 2026 edition features a substantially revised route, with around 65 per cent of the competitive distance changed compared to last year. The rally begins on Thursday evening with the traditional Harju Super Special Stage in downtown Jyväskylä before Friday and Saturday deliver the bulk of the 316.04 competitive kilometres across the ultra-fast stages of Laukaa, Saarikas, Sydänmaa, Parkkola, Västilä and Leustu.
Sunday's finale centres on the brand-new Himos-Jämsä stage, a spectacular 30.02 km stage run twice, with the second pass serving as the Wolf Power Stage. The rally's longest stage perfectly encapsulates everything that makes Rally Finland unique: breathtaking speed, endless rhythm changes, blind crests and huge jumps demanding absolute confidence in the pace notes, all in front of thousands of passionate fans who create one of the most iconic atmospheres in world rallying.
Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“The Lancia brand has enjoyed great success on this legendary rally in the past. It is therefore with great anticipation and pride that our crews will line up at the start of this major event in the WRC season. We have prepared thoroughly for this rally with an extensive testing programme on the rally's highly distinctive roads, and the results have been very encouraging, allowing us to broaden the range of rallies where our crews can excel. Given the strength of the competition and the large number of Nordic drivers in the field, we approach this rally with humility, but also with great determination and enthusiasm. We are convinced that our crews have everything it takes to deliver a strong performance and give Lancia supporters plenty of reasons to cheer throughout this Finnish weekend.”
Source Lancia
Lancia Corse HF heads to legendary Rally Finland with five Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale entries
(++) Yohan Rossel and Nikolay Gryazin lead Lancia Corse HF's challenge in round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship
(++) Five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars entered, with Léo Rossel, Pablo Sarrazin and Conner Martell joining the factory crews
(++) Lancia Corse HF arrives in Finland second in the WRC2 Teams' Championship and firmly in contention for the title
(++) Twenty special stages and 316.04 competitive kilometres on the world's fastest gravel roads, with more than 60 per cent of the route redesigned from last year
The FIA World Rally Championship heads to one of its most iconic events with Secto Rally Finland, round ten of the season, taking place from 30 July to 2 August. Formerly known as the legendary Rally of the Thousand Lakes, the Finnish classic remains one of the most spectacular and demanding events in world rallying, where outright speed, absolute commitment and perfect driver/co-driver synchronisation are essential on roads packed with crests, jumps and blind corners taken at average speeds exceeding 120 km/h.
Lancia Corse HF arrives in Jyväskylä holding second place in the WRC2 Teams' Championship and fielding one of the strongest line-ups in the category, with five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale entries.
Leading the factory effort will be Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, currently sixth in the WRC2 standings following their victory in Japan, alongside Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand, who sit seventh overall and are aiming to reignite their championship campaign.
Joining the official crews will be Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret, currently fourth in the championship after an impressive season, together with Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche, while American driver Conner Martell and Italian co-driver Alessandro Gelsomino complete an impressive five-car Lancia line-up that further highlights the growing international appeal of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.
With five rounds remaining, Rally Finland marks a crucial point in both championship battles. Lancia Corse HF will be aiming to score valuable points in its pursuit of the WRC2 Teams' title, while Yohan Rossel, Nikolay Gryazin and Léo Rossel continue their fight at the sharp end of the Drivers' Championship. At the same time, the event will provide another important opportunity to further develop the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the fastest and most demanding gravel rallies in the FIA World Rally Championship.
The 2026 edition features a substantially revised route, with around 65 per cent of the competitive distance changed compared to last year. The rally begins on Thursday evening with the traditional Harju Super Special Stage in downtown Jyväskylä before Friday and Saturday deliver the bulk of the 316.04 competitive kilometres across the ultra-fast stages of Laukaa, Saarikas, Sydänmaa, Parkkola, Västilä and Leustu.
Sunday's finale centres on the brand-new Himos-Jämsä stage, a spectacular 30.02 km stage run twice, with the second pass serving as the Wolf Power Stage. The rally's longest stage perfectly encapsulates everything that makes Rally Finland unique: breathtaking speed, endless rhythm changes, blind crests and huge jumps demanding absolute confidence in the pace notes, all in front of thousands of passionate fans who create one of the most iconic atmospheres in world rallying.
Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“The Lancia brand has enjoyed great success on this legendary rally in the past. It is therefore with great anticipation and pride that our crews will line up at the start of this major event in the WRC season. We have prepared thoroughly for this rally with an extensive testing programme on the rally's highly distinctive roads, and the results have been very encouraging, allowing us to broaden the range of rallies where our crews can excel. Given the strength of the competition and the large number of Nordic drivers in the field, we approach this rally with humility, but also with great determination and enthusiasm. We are convinced that our crews have everything it takes to deliver a strong performance and give Lancia supporters plenty of reasons to cheer throughout this Finnish weekend.”
Source Lancia
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Dibalancia
- Posts: 752
- Joined: 16 Oct 2019, 12:34
Re: Lancia goes global: its world debut (FIA World Rally Championship - WRC2) set in Monte Carlo, January 2026
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Lancia Corse HF delivers encouraging performance on Rally Finland's legendary gravel
(++) 7th for Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov after a competitive weekend on the Finnish gravel roads
(++) Encouraging performances from Yohan Rossel, Léo Rossel, Pablo Sarrazin and Conner Martell in round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship
(++) Rally Finland confirms the growing competitiveness of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the most specialised gravel events of the season
Secto Rally Finland once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most spectacular and demanding events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. The legendary "Rally of the Thousand Lakes", with its ultra-fast gravel roads, blind crests, huge jumps and significantly revised special stages compared with previous editions, provided an exceptional challenge for crews and machinery alike.
Rapidly changing weather conditions throughout the weekend added another layer of complexity, with grip levels constantly evolving and pushing drivers to the limit. The intensity of the competition was reflected by several incidents involving leading crews, underlining just how demanding every kilometre proved to be on one of the most technically challenging rallies of the season.
Against this backdrop, Lancia Corse HF continued its development programme by fielding five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars. Competing on a specific surface, the team nevertheless gathered highly encouraging data while continuing to expand its experience on one of the fastest and most specialised gravel events in world rallying.
As expected, the battle for victory was largely contested by the Nordic specialists, particularly the Finnish crews, whose intimate knowledge of the unique roads and natural ability to interpret the flowing rhythm of Rally Finland once again proved decisive.
The strongest result for Lancia Corse HF came from Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, who finished seventh, narrowly missing out on a top-five result after delivering a consistently competitive performance throughout the weekend.
Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand also produced another encouraging display. Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret continued their steady progress with another solid performance, while Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche, together with Conner Martell and Alessandro Gelsomino, completed another valuable learning weekend on one of the toughest rallies of the championship.
Rally Finland marks another important milestone in the ongoing development of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The experience and data gathered over the weekend provide valuable foundations for the next rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship, as Lancia Corse HF continues its fight for the WRC2 Teams' Championship during the final events of the season.
Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“Although Rally Finland was not one of our nominated scoring events for the Drivers' Championship, it proved to be an extremely valuable weekend for the entire team. Rally Finland is unlike any other event on the calendar, with its unique high-speed gravel roads demanding absolute precision, complete confidence in the pace notes and perfect harmony between the crews and the car. It was a very challenging rally, but one that allowed us to make further progress in understanding and developing the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the most specialised surfaces in the World Rally Championship.
Looking at the bigger picture, we leave Finland in a strong position. Lancia Corse HF currently occupy second place in the WRC2 Teams' Championship
Source Lancia
Lancia Corse HF delivers encouraging performance on Rally Finland's legendary gravel
(++) 7th for Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov after a competitive weekend on the Finnish gravel roads
(++) Encouraging performances from Yohan Rossel, Léo Rossel, Pablo Sarrazin and Conner Martell in round ten of the FIA World Rally Championship
(++) Rally Finland confirms the growing competitiveness of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the most specialised gravel events of the season
Secto Rally Finland once again lived up to its reputation as one of the most spectacular and demanding events on the FIA World Rally Championship calendar. The legendary "Rally of the Thousand Lakes", with its ultra-fast gravel roads, blind crests, huge jumps and significantly revised special stages compared with previous editions, provided an exceptional challenge for crews and machinery alike.
Rapidly changing weather conditions throughout the weekend added another layer of complexity, with grip levels constantly evolving and pushing drivers to the limit. The intensity of the competition was reflected by several incidents involving leading crews, underlining just how demanding every kilometre proved to be on one of the most technically challenging rallies of the season.
Against this backdrop, Lancia Corse HF continued its development programme by fielding five Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars. Competing on a specific surface, the team nevertheless gathered highly encouraging data while continuing to expand its experience on one of the fastest and most specialised gravel events in world rallying.
As expected, the battle for victory was largely contested by the Nordic specialists, particularly the Finnish crews, whose intimate knowledge of the unique roads and natural ability to interpret the flowing rhythm of Rally Finland once again proved decisive.
The strongest result for Lancia Corse HF came from Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, who finished seventh, narrowly missing out on a top-five result after delivering a consistently competitive performance throughout the weekend.
Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand also produced another encouraging display. Léo Rossel and Guillaume Mercoiret continued their steady progress with another solid performance, while Pablo Sarrazin and Yannick Roche, together with Conner Martell and Alessandro Gelsomino, completed another valuable learning weekend on one of the toughest rallies of the championship.
Rally Finland marks another important milestone in the ongoing development of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The experience and data gathered over the weekend provide valuable foundations for the next rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship, as Lancia Corse HF continues its fight for the WRC2 Teams' Championship during the final events of the season.
Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“Although Rally Finland was not one of our nominated scoring events for the Drivers' Championship, it proved to be an extremely valuable weekend for the entire team. Rally Finland is unlike any other event on the calendar, with its unique high-speed gravel roads demanding absolute precision, complete confidence in the pace notes and perfect harmony between the crews and the car. It was a very challenging rally, but one that allowed us to make further progress in understanding and developing the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on one of the most specialised surfaces in the World Rally Championship.
Looking at the bigger picture, we leave Finland in a strong position. Lancia Corse HF currently occupy second place in the WRC2 Teams' Championship
Source Lancia