Lancia will return to the World Rally Championship next year with the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.
The Italian manufacturer confirmed the news after footage of a ‘Ypsilon HF Integrale’ rally car appeared on social media, and a week and a half later, the brand confirmed that it was indeed a new Rally2 car.
Lancia officially announced that it will compete in the WRC2 in 2026, the top support category of the WRC with Rally2 machinery. The Ypsilon Rally2 will make its debut at the Monte Carlo season opener.
With the rapid homologation and the car’s Monte-Carlo debut, an expansion into national championships seems likely. This significantly increases the chances of seeing the new Rally2 on rally stages at national championships next year.
The drivers for Lancia have not yet been revealed. Yohan Rossel, currently competing for Citroën (also part of the Stellantis Group) in WRC2 with the C3 Rally2, has been strongly linked to a seat with Lancia while Andrea Mabellini has been touted by Italian media for the second seat.
Luca Napolitano, CEO of Lancia said:” After the success of the Lancia Trophy and the Ypsilon Rally4 HF, we are ready to take one further step. We can proudly announce that Lancia will return to the WRC, where the brand has written some of the most legendary pages in rallying history. This is a natural return for the most successful rally brand ever, which approaches the future with the same passion and determination that made it a world icon. See you in January, in Monte Carlo, for the first race of the 2026 World Championship”.
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