Lancia Corse gains valuable gravel experience at Rally Città di Foligno

• Rally Città di Foligno (6–7 March) marked the opening round of the Campionato Italiano Rally Terra and the first gravel outing for the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale
• The main target of the weekend was to gain experience on gravel and continue the development programme in real rally conditions
• Gryazin secured second place overall after an impressive and competitive performance throughout the rally
• Rossel demonstrated strong pace after some technical issues shifted the focus to setup work
• Next stop for Lancia Corse: Croatia Rally, the upcoming round of the WRC2 championship

Lancia Corse successfully completed its first gravel outing with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale at the Rally Città di Foligno, held on 6–7 March as the opening round of the Campionato Italiano Rally Terra 2026.

The Italian event represented an important milestone in the car’s development programme, marking the first competitive appearance on loose surfaces following an initial phase of testing. Both official crews took part in the rally, with Nikolay Gryazin - Konstantin Aleksandrov and Yohan Rossel - Arnaud Dunand.

The primary target of the weekend was to gain experience on gravel and collect valuable data in the highly competitive environment of the Campionato Italiano Rally Terra. The demanding stages around Foligno, known for their rocky and abrasive surfaces, offered the perfect test to further evaluate performance and reliability.

Nikolay Gryazin delivered a strong and consistent performance throughout the event, securing an excellent second place overall after battling at the front of the field across the rally. The 28-year-old driver sealed his impressive run by setting three fastest stage times, including the best time on the final Power Stage, while finishing all the other stages with the second-fastest time. He eventually crossed the finish line in second place, just 10.2 seconds behind the winner, underlining the competitiveness of the package on gravel.

Yohan Rossel showed steady progress throughout the rally. The French driver, 2021 WRC3 Champion, improved stage after stage, significantly lowering his times and recording several top-three stage results. After experiencing some technical issues, Rossel focused on various setup tests during the remainder of the event. He was classified sixth overall at the end of the final special stage before the team decided to retire the car, completing a weekend primarily focused on data collection and the continued development of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.

Following this encouraging first experience on gravel, Lancia Corse will now turn its focus to the next challenge: the WRC Croatia Rally, where the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale will continue its top-level programme in the WRC2 category.

Nikolay Gryazin, official driver – Team Lancia Corse HF
“Rally Città di Foligno was a very important event for us. It was our first gravel rally with the new Lancia, so the main goal was to learn the car and start building confidence on gravel. We approached it as preparation for the upcoming WRC2 gravel rounds and also to gain experience with the Hankook tyres in rally conditions. The stages here are quite technical and demanding, which made it a very useful test. Step by step we understood more about the car and the setup, and overall it was a productive weekend for the team”.

Yohann Rossel, official driver – Team Lancia Corse HF
“This event marked, above all, a return to action. We encountered a few problems on the first loop, which caused us to lose a lot of time. We therefore decided to use the rest of the rally to test as many settings as possible in preparation for the upcoming gravel events. We are very happy to have been able to drive here at Rally Città di Foligno. It’s encouraging for the future, and we will continue working to improve the car before the next events”.

Didier Clément, Team Principal Lancia Corse HF
"The Rally Città di Foligno, the first appearance of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 Integrale HF on gravel, allowed the team to gather a wealth of information and test different setup philosophies. Considered a “full-scale” test session before the car’s entry into various championships, Yohan and Nikolay thoroughly enjoyed driving their car, and the season looks extremely promising".

Lancia
With 119 years of history, Lancia embodies timeless Italian elegance, a brand that has captured the imagination of the world with its iconic vehicles, the elegance of the Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider, the exceptional performance of the Delta, Stratos and 037, and the eclecticism of the Fulvia, Beta HPE and many others.

Today, Lancia is ready to begin its renaissance with a ten-year strategic plan that is progressing by leaps and bounds.

Innovation and timeless design have always been the brand’s founding principles. Today, sustainability, customer focus and social responsibility are becoming fundamental, as Lancia is determined to look to the future with great commitment and ambition.

LinkedInLancia Instagram Lancia Facebook Lancia X Lancia YouTube Lancia TikTok Lancia