Lancia Corse makes a statement on its WRC2 return at Rallye Monte-Carlo

• Lancia confirms the competitiveness of the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale with an impressive final leg that lifted the brand to the top end of the classification
• Rossel reacts to an early setback and closes the rally with overall Super Sunday victory, wins on all Sunday stages and a clear statement of the team’s determination
• Gryazin finishes sixth in WRC2 after fighting for victory until SS12 in one of the toughest Monte-Carlo editions in recent history
• The Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale makes its race debut with the final WRC2 livery, designed for enhance the car’s dynamic lines and featuring Lancia’s iconic red, black and white colours.
   

The Rallye Monte-Carlo has once again lived up to its legendary reputation, delivering one of the most spectacular, demanding and unpredictable editions of the modern era. From Wednesday 21st to Sunday 26th January, the opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship 2026 confronted crews with conditions rarely seen in the Principality over the past decade, as snow and ice returned in force for the first time in more than 11 years.

Against this dramatic backdrop, Lancia Corse completed its first official outing in the WRC2 category with the long-awaited Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, entering two cars for Yohan Rossel with Arnaund Dunand and Nikolay Gryazin with Konstantin Aleksandrov. The result was a performance that confirmed the competitiveness, resilience and outright pace of the new Rally2 project from its very first appearance on the world stage.
 

EXTREME CONDITIONS, PURE MONTE-CARLO
The 94th edition of the Rallye Monte-Carlo was marked by constantly changing conditions, with crews facing a full spectrum of surfaces: dry asphalt, rain, compacted snow, slush and ice. Tyre choice proved crucial at every stage, placing teams under relentless pressure and rewarding precision, experience and technical preparation.

In this context, the Lancia Corse crews delivered a highly competitive and determined performance, combining outright speed with the ability to react and recover in the face of adversity.
 

STAGE WINS, PERFORMANCE AND DETERMINATION
Across the event, the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale claimed 8 WRC2 stage victories: 7 for Rossel and 1 for Gryazin. Most notably, the Italian marque dominated the entire final leg of the rally, winning all four WRC2 stages on Sunday, including the Power Stage.

Rossel’s performance on the final day was outstanding. Taking full advantage of improved road conditions and the strong balance of the car, he secured four wins out of four stages in WRC2, set consistent top-five times overall, and recorded two second-fastest overall times on SS14 and SS15. His pace culminated in a fifth-fastest time overall on the Power Stage, earning one additional world championship point.

This decisive charge allowed Rossel to claim victory in the Super Sunday classification, awarded based solely on the final leg – an extraordinary result, achieved ahead of Rally1 cars, that underlines both driver performance and the competitive level of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. This allowed the team to leave Monaco leading the WRC2 Teams’ standings.

A RALLY OF ATTACK AND RECOVERY
The rally did not lack drama. Rossel’s hopes of an overall WRC2 victory were compromised early when a minor impact with a wall on the opening stage forced retirement on Thursday. Restarting under Super Rally rules, the Frenchman responded with authority, using the remainder of the event to demonstrate the full potential of the car in some of the most demanding conditions of the season.

Gryazin, meanwhile, immediately showed front-running pace, moving into the WRC2 lead before a light contact on SS2 damaged the left-rear suspension. Together with Aleksandrov, he carried out an excellent repair job before SS3, allowing the crew to remain in the fight and stay firmly in contention for victory until SS12. There, in extreme conditions with full ice and snow cover, the crew slid wide on a fast section, losing rear traction and sliding down the embankment, once again damaging the left-rear suspension and forcing a restart under Super Rally rules.

They finished sixth in WRC2, a result that does not fully reflect the competitiveness and performance shown throughout the weekend, but one that leaves extremely positive impressions and strong confidence heading into the upcoming rounds.
 

Roberta Zerbi, CEO of Lancia
“We had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Rallye Monte-Carlo marks Lancia’s return to the World Rally Championship and the competitive debut of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale in WRC2. This result is more than a sporting achievement: it confirms the strength of a project built with determination, technical rigor and a clear vision. Monte-Carlo is one of the most demanding rallies of the season, and while not everything went according to plan, the team demonstrated strong ambition, solid car performance and a clear direction for the future”.
 

Yohan Rossel, Official WRC2 Driver – Team Lancia Corse HF
“It wasn’t the easiest rally for me and the team — we definitely didn’t expect that before the start. We expected to be fast, and I think we proved that. But if you want to win Monte Carlo, you simply cannot make mistakes over the whole rally. Unfortunately, we made one in SS1, and my rally was basically over from that moment. With these conditions, it was extremely difficult to come back.

With this car, I’m convinced we can fight in the next rallies. We expected it to be fast, and that has been confirmed. This weekend, the problem wasn’t the car.”
 

Nikolay Gryazin, Official WRC2 Driver – Team Lancia Corse HF
This Monte Carlo was a great experience — I’ve never driven like this before. It’s a strong debut for Lancia, even if we made a mistake yesterday while fighting for the victory. We had to push a bit more to try to catch Leo Rossel.

The car is doing exactly what I want; now I just need to do better. This Monte Carlo is the most difficult one I’ve ever done because of the challenging conditions.”
 

Didier Clément, Team Principal Lancia Corse HF
“It was a historic weekend for Lancia in the World Rally Championship. On one of the most demanding and challenging rallies of the season, marked by numerous off‑road incidents, our drivers made only a few minor mistakes.

This event especially highlighted the performance of the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, which secured a large number of fastest times in WRC2. We will also remember the outstanding performance of Yohan Rossel on Sunday, setting the fastest time on every stage of the day and winning Super Sunday, all categories combined.

A huge thank you to the entire team: Lancia’s colours truly shone this weekend. This result confirms that we are on the right path and suggests a very promising future. It is an extremely encouraging start for the journey ahead.”

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
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.

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Monaco, 25 January 2026