Lancia Corse HF shows pace and resilience on gravel debut at Rally Portugal

• First FIA WRC gravel event for the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale in extremely demanding weather conditions
• Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand showed strong pace despite unlucky incident
• Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov finished second among the Rally2 crews, taking two stage wins and valuable points for Lancia Corse HF
• Lancia Corse HF retains the lead in the WRC2 Teams’ standings after one of the toughest rallies of the season
   

Rally Portugal marked an important milestone in the development journey of Lancia Corse HF in the FIA World Rally Championship. On the first world-level gravel appearance for the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, the Italian team faced one of the most demanding and selective events of the season, with highly changeable weather conditions, rain, mud, deeply rutted stages and constantly evolving grip levels.

Following back-to-back asphalt victories in Croatia and Rally Islas Canarias, the switch to gravel proved to be a completely different challenge for Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand. Running immediately behind the Rally1 cars, the French crew faced particularly difficult road conditions throughout Friday, with stages heavily damaged by the ruts created by the top-class machinery. Despite the challenging circumstances, Rossel still demonstrated strong pace remaining in contention in the WRC2 fight.

Saturday further highlighted the progress made by the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on gravel, as Rossel and Dunand delivered increasingly competitive stage times while mounting a strong recovery. However, in the penultimate stage of the day, contact with a rock forced the crew into retirement before rejoining under Super Rally regulations to complete the Portuguese event.

A particularly strong performance came from Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, who finished second overall among the Rally2 crews after a fast and consistent rally. Although not nominated for WRC2 points at this event, Gryazin secured two class stage wins and showcased impressive pace and adaptability on the demanding Portuguese gravel stages. His result nevertheless delivered valuable points for Lancia Corse HF in the Teams’ championship battle.

At one of the most iconic and challenging rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship, Rally Portugal provided positive signs for the gravel potential of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. Despite difficult weather, heavily deteriorated stages and a measure of bad luck, Lancia Corse HF leaves Portugal with valuable experience, encouraging progress and its lead in the WRC2 Teams’ standings still intact.

Roberta Zerbi – CEO Lancia
“A podium finish in Portugal marks another important milestone for Lancia. After our strong performances on asphalt, securing a second place on gravel in one of the most demanding rallies of the WRC calendar confirms the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale and the strength of the entire Lancia Corse HF project. My thanks go to our crews, to Lancia Corse HF and to Stellantis Motorsport for their outstanding work throughout an extremely challenging weekend. This result once again demonstrates that Lancia’s return to rallying is a solid, credible and ambitious project, built with method, passion and strong team spirit.”.

Didier Clément – Team Principal, Lancia Corse HF
“For a first appearance of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally 2 HF Integrale on a gravel rally in the World Championship, we can be satisfied with the level already achieved. We had both our cars on the podium for a long time before the rain reshuffled the deck. There are therefore many reasons to be pleased, as well as many lessons learned. While Yohan was unfortunately caught out under extremely muddy braking, Nikolay and Konstantin finished the rally with a very fine podium. With the relentless pace of the WRC, the whole team is already looking ahead to Rally Japan in less than three weeks”.

Yohan Rossel – Official WRC2 Driver, Lancia Corse HF
“It was a rally that taught us a great deal. The back‑to‑back events just beforehand didn’t help us arrive fully prepared for this first gravel rally, which we knew would bring many new discoveries. While fighting for the win, we unfortunately made a small mistake. The whole team is now back to work so we can be ready for the next rally”.

Nikolay Gryazin – Pilota Ufficiale WRC2 Lancia Corse HF
“Overall, a positive weekend for us finishing P2 in Rally2. As this rally wasn’t nominated for our championship campaign, it was a great opportunity to gain valuable experience on gravel with the car. We showed strong pace throughout the event and learned a lot about the car’s performance on this surface. A good step forward for us and plenty of positives to take into the next events. We know what we can improve for the next rally and we’ll keep working hard”.

Media contact
Lancia:
Simona Magnarelli +39 366 6729414
simona.magnarelli@stellantis.com 

Team Lancia Corse HF / Stellantis Motorsport:
Mathilde Ponceau +33 6 58 81 43 01
mathilde.ponceau@external.stellantis.com

Lancia
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Turin, 10 May 2026