Craigh Rahill secures a historic victory at the Barum Rally: the Ypsilon Rally4 HF gains its first success in a European Championship

• A memorable triumph for the young Irish driver, who won the 53^rd edition of the Barum Rally securing the first European victory for the Ypsilon Rally4 HF.
• Thanks to an aggressive but clever race strategy, Craig Rahill has brought continental glory back to the Turin-based brand after more than 30 years.
• With over 100 units already sold, the Ypsilon Rally4 HF is the protagonist of the Italian single-brand cup Trofeo Lancia 2025, which is proving to be one of the most popular and competitive championships of the season, offering the ideal balance between accessibility, performance, and youth.

The new Ypsilon Rally4 HF does not cease to amaze and has just added an important milestone to an already boundless journey: last weekend, Craigh Rahill and his co-driver, Conor Smith, rewrote motorsport history by dominating both the ERC4 and Junior ERC at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, at the wheel of the Lancia rally car. This is the first win for the new Italian car in a European championship, a result which confirms the great potential of a project devised to give young talents the chance to shine and chase a future as professionals.

The Barum Rally, now at its 53^rd edition, is one of the most iconic competitions in the European calendar. Held on the fast and highly technical tarmac roads of Moravia, with more than 200 km of timed stages over three days of racing, it is one of the toughest challenges of the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC). Rahill, the 22-year-old Irishman from Cavan, has shown exceptional speed and maturity right from the get-go, figthing neck and neck with some of the top continental specialists in the category. Thanks to an aggressive but clever race strategy, the young Motorsport Ireland Academy driver gradually built his lead, holding his ground until the last special stage and taking home a result which has brough continental glory back to the Turin-based brand after more than 30 years.

For Lancia, the Czech victory is an important milestone: the new Ypsilon Rally4 HF has found success in an international competition, opening up new possibilities for the sports ambitions of the Turin-based brand. The Barum Rally has thus confirmed its legendary status on the European scene: it is a true proving ground for young talents and a launchpad for vehicles ready to make a name for themselves in continental competitions.

In 2026, the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) will be the hunting ground for the official team Lancia Corse HF, who will also field a vehicle for the winner of the Trofeo Lancia 2025, the single-brand cup which takes place in Italy and follows the stages of the SPARCO Italian Absolute Rally Championship (CIAR). The CIAR will be back in action in mid-September, with the Rally del Lazio before the grand finale at the Rally Sanremo, where every point can make a difference. Let’s not forget that the first four events – Targa Florio, Rally Due Valli and Rally Roma Capitale – have already been packed with excitement and plot twists, resulting in championship standings which can still deliver thrills in the second half of the year. At the moment, Pisani tops both the overall standings and the Master category, with a solid lead on Cogni, Pesavento and Mazzocchi. Among the Junior drivers the fight between Di Pietro and Ardizzone is still wide open while, in the Expert category, Fiore is in the lead, followed by Polonski and Maurino.

With over 100 Ypsilon Rally4 HF vehicles already sold and 40 teams registered, Lancia’s single-brand cup is proving to be one of the most popular and competitive championships of the season, offering the ideal balance between accessibility, performance, and youth. The cup’s star is the Ypsilon Rally4 HF, developed with the technical input of Miki Biasion and capable of combining power and reliability since its first official tests. In short, with simplified regulations, low costs, and highly educational environment, the Trofeo Lancia represents a proving ground for both emerging talents and ambitious drivers. The Ypsilon Rally4 HF, the exciting Trofeo Lancia and now also Craig Rahill’s incredible victory at the Barum Rally, have brought the brand’s racing soul back into the spotlight, reigniting the passion for ‘drifting’ among fans and on the roads, in the natural territory of the most successful brand in the history of motorsport.