Widespread acclaim for Lancia’s return to rally

• Lancia took centerstage at the Rally Regione Piemonte with the Lancia Corse HF Village, which featured thrilling test drives on board the hybrid or electric New Ypsilon, an exclusive collection of classic Lancia vehicles, and the display of the 280-hp Ypsilon HF.
• More than 25,000 fans flocked to the Langhe to celebrate Lancia’s return to rally racing, highlighting just how much excitement and passion still surrounds the winningest brand in history.
• The weekend’s highlight was a lap of honor for Miki Biasion, the rally legend and two-time World Champion with Lancia.
• The new Ypsilon Rally4 HF’s debut was honored with a third-place finish by Team Pisani-Biagi in the Sparco Italian Two-Wheel Drive Italian Championship.
• The New Ypsilon Rally4 HF revs its engine in anticipation of the Trofeo Lancia, the one-brand cup featuring 40 crews (25 of which are Under-35) who are ready to battle it out at the upcoming Rally Targa Florio and compete for a place in the official team for the FIA ERC 2026.
  

The Rally Regione Piemonte came to a close yesterday after setting the perfect stage for Lancia’s highly anticipated return to the rally world. The heartbeat of the event could be found in the Lancia Corse HF Village, which welcomed thousands of guests in the center of Alba, providing them with an immersive experience into the world of motorsport, technology, and local culture.

Located in the heart of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lancia Corse HF Village offered a unique blend of heritage and innovation within a jam-packed program of activities: test drives of the New Ypsilon (available in hybrid and electric versions), a display of the sporty 280-hp Ypsilon HF, and spectacular collection of 25 historic Lancia vehicles organized by the Cinzano Rally Team. Naturally, to connect with fans from all over the world, all of the weekend’s most exciting moments were shared live on the official channels of Lancia Corse HF on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

The Lancia event was further evidence of the immense excitement surrounding the Turin-based brand’s return to motorsport. Turnout was amazing at the press conference held within the Lancia Corse HF Village, which featured Luca Napolitano, Lancia CEO, Eugenio Franzetti, Director of Lancia Corse HF Director, and Miki Biasion, spokesperson for Lancia’s return to rally and the star development driver of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF. The weekend’s clear highlight was the lap of honor for Miki Biasion, the two-time World Rally champion and undisputed motorsport legend whose name will always be connected to Lancia.

The star of the week was the New Ypsilon Rally4 HF, which was fine-tuned by Biasion and has already surpassed over 90 units sold in just four months. The ‘first’ Ypsilon in competition was one for the record books. Behind the wheel of one of the Rally4, the Finnish driver Kauppinen immediately won the trial show which opened the Rally Regione Piemonte. Meanwhile, Gianandrea Pisani and Nicola Biagi reached the podium as the new Ypsilon Rally4 HF made its debut in the Sparco Italian Two-Wheel Drive Italian Championship. The finish-line stage in Piazza San Paolo also welcomed the arrival of the Vigliaturo-Corradini, Fiore-Casalini and Kauppinen-Karttunen teams, whose names, together with Pisani-Biagi, will be forever linked to an important day in Lancia racing history. To celebrate these ‘pioneers’ in the brand’s history, Lancia Corse HF presented each of the teams which finished the Rally Regione Piemonte with a special plaque commemorating their participation in such an unforgettable day.

Equipped with a 212-hp, turbo engine paired with a SADEV 5-speed gearbox and adjustable Ohlin shock absorbers, the Ypsilon Rally4 HF is the perfect vehicle for emerging drivers who want to cut their teeth. Unsurprisingly, the Trofeo Lancia—the one-brand cup which officially kicks off on May 8^th at the Rally Targa Florio—is already maxed out at 40 teams, including 25 Under-35 participants, 7 foreign drivers, and 2 female crews. With a €360,000 prize fund and the possibility for a young winner to join the official Lancia Corse HF team for the FIA ERC 2026, the Trofeo Lancia is guaranteed to be one of the most highly anticipated and competitive cups this season.

Miki Biasion stated: “It is incredibly moving to see all of this passion and warmth for a brand which has been absent from racing for some many years! I got emotional when I saw the Lancia HF Village and thought ‘We’re back!’. We are starting out humbly in Rally4, but made a big entrance in pure Lancia style. We look like a team which has been around for twenty years in world rally. Our goal is to help young drivers, discover new talents, and help them kick off their careers. Lancia’s return to rally is big news for everyone: it is huge for Italian motorsport because it brings Italian cars back to the forefront of rally, and big for motorsport in general because other brands will be much more likely to race after seeing Lancia makes it return.”