Lancia wins on debut in Italy and France with the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale

• Andrea Crugnola brings Lancia back to overall victory in the Italian Rally Championship with the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale at Rally Il Ciocco
• Yoann Bonato takes victory in the opening round of the French Rally Championship at Rallye Le Touquet Pas-de-Calais, dominating in extremely challenging conditions
• Simone Di Giovanni wins the opening round of the 2026 Trofeo Lancia
• Lorenzo Verasco confirms the potential of the new Ypsilon HF Racing Rally6 with a solid performance at Rally Il Ciocco
  

The past weekend will go down as a landmark moment in Lancia’s return to motorsport. The Italian brand secured victory on debut in both Italy and France with the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, thanks to two outstanding performances.

Andrea Crugnola, alongside co-driver Luca Beltrame, delivered a strong and composed victory at Rally Il Ciocco, setting the pace during the decisive stages and then managing the lead with authority until the finish. Driving the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale prepared by FPF Sport, the crew built their success stage by stage, finishing with a 17.8-second margin over their closest rivals.

This significant result, achieved already at the opening round of the season, immediately confirms the competitiveness of the project and sends a clear message in the Italian Absolute Rally Championship (CIAR Sparco).

The 49th edition of Rally Il Ciocco & Valle del Serchio, held on the scenic roads of the Garfagnana region, marked the opening round of both the CIAR Sparco and the 2026 Trofeo Lancia. The Tuscan event delivered an intense and spectacular weekend, featuring two long days of competition, night stages, and demanding conditions that tested both crews and cars.

The weekend also highlighted the strong impact of the Trofeo Lancia during the event: its competitors accounted for 27% of the total entries at Rally Il Ciocco, confirming the growing importance of the one-make championship within the CIAR landscape.

The opening round proved highly competitive, with 17 crews on the entry list, six different stage winners, and a fight for the podium that was only decided during the final Power Stage.

Simone Di Giovanni and Andrea Colapietro emerged as winners thanks to a smart and consistent performance. They secured three stage wins but, above all, maintained remarkable consistency throughout the rally, gradually building a decisive advantage.

Behind them, the battle for second place kept fans on the edge of their seats, with Edoardo De Antoni (co-driven by Martina Musiari) and Moreno Cambiaghi (with Giulia Paganoni) delivering strong performances, claiming four and two stage wins respectively. De Antoni ultimately secured second place on the final stage, also earning the five bonus points for best performer thanks to the highest number of stage wins.

Di Giovanni’s victory at Rally Il Ciocco also secures him first place in the Master category, whose podium mirrors the overall classification. Drivers in this category, aged between 25 and 35, demonstrated experience and race management in one of the most demanding events of the season.

Nicolò Ardizzone and Valentina Pasini finished fourth overall and were the best among the Junior category, delivering a clean and controlled performance. They were followed on the Junior podium by the Franco-Swiss duo Yoan Surroca and Pierre Blot—leaders after the first day before a puncture slowed them down—and Federico Gangi with Federico Capilli. Just outside the Junior podium were Jonas and Katharina Muller, followed by Efe Urudul with Nicola Arena and Asia Vidori with Serena Manca.

Christopher Lucchesi and Enrico Bracchi finished fifth overall, ahead of Federico Francia – Marco Nesti, Salvatore Lo Cascio – Alessio Spezzani, and Matteo Greco – Edoardo Brovelli.

In the Expert category, victory went to Christian Casadei and Nadir Bionaz, who managed to secure a place in the overall Top 10 after a consistent performance, ahead of Roberto Gobbin and Ismaele Barra.

Rally Il Ciocco once again proved to be one of the most demanding and selective events on the calendar—a true test where speed, strategy, and endurance make the difference from the very start of the season.

The Trofeo Lancia will return at Rally Due Valli on June 6–7, featuring the major debut of the championship dedicated to the new Ypsilon HF Racing Rally6.

The smallest of the Ypsilon competition cars made its racing debut in Italy at Rally Il Ciocco with Lorenzo Verasco and Isabel Gross. It delivered an encouraging first performance, finishing just behind more powerful Rally4 and Rally5 cars in 42nd overall position.

On the French stages of Rallye Le Touquet Pas-de-Calais, the opening round of the French Rally Championship, Yoann Bonato and Benjamin Boulloud secured victory with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on its debut in the series.

The six-time French Champion built his success with great precision: after an initial learning phase, the Lancia crew took the lead during the second night loop, run in heavy rain and extremely challenging conditions.

From that moment on, Bonato consolidated his advantage stage after stage, setting multiple fastest times and finishing with a commanding margin of 79.9 seconds, emerging as the clear reference of the entire weekend.

This double victory in Italy and France immediately confirms the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale across very different environments, strengthening the international dimension of the Lancia Corse HF project.

Lancia
With 119 years of history, Lancia embodies timeless Italian elegance — a brand that has inspired people all over the world with its iconic cars, from the refined Flaminia and Aurelia B24 Spider to the outstanding performance of Delta, Stratos and 037, as well as the eclectic Fulvia, Beta HPE and many others.

Today, Lancia is ready to embark on its Renaissance, driven by an ambitious ten-year strategic plan that is progressing at full speed.

Innovation and timeless design have always been the brand’s core values, and sustainability, customer centricity and social responsibility are now equally fundamental, as Lancia looks to the future with strong commitment and ambition.

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