LANCIA YPSILON RALLY2 HF INTEGRALE MAKES ITS ITALIAN DEBUT WITH ANDREA CRUGNOLA

• Andrea Crugnola officially debuts with Lancia at the Rally dei Laghi behind the wheel of the New Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, launching a strategic partnership for the 2026 season.
• The four-time Italian Champion played a key role in the technical development of the Rally2 car, contributing as a test driver to the refinement of the WRC2 project.
• Lancia reaffirms its commitment to nurturing Italian talent, strengthening a sporting pipeline that connects local roots, national competition, and international ambition.

Lancia opens a new chapter in its motorsport history at the Rally dei Laghi, where Andrea Crugnola will make his official debut under the Brand's colors on home roads. Four-time Italian Rally Champion and today the undisputed benchmark of the Italian scene, Crugnola will tackle the Varese-based event at the wheel of the New Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, beginning a strategic collaboration that strengthens and consolidates Lancia's sporting project in 2026.

Crugnola's entry into the official programme is part of a clear and structured vision: investing in Italy's finest talents and guiding them along a journey that starts at grassroots level and grows towards international stages. Following the return to WRC2 and the fully Italian project in the FIA ERC — built with Italian crews, teams and licence — Lancia reaffirms its determination to develop the national talent pool, creating a concrete sporting pipeline that brings together domestic competition, the federation, and European ambition.

Crugnola's contribution to the project, however, goes beyond the competitive dimension. Throughout 2025, the Varese-born driver played a central role in the development of the new Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, working closely with the engineers at Lancia Corse HF and Stellantis Motorsport during the testing and fine-tuning phase of the car destined for the Rally2 and WRC2 programme. The test sessions provided crucial insights into balance, setup and handling across different surface conditions, translating the experience of a top-level driver into concrete technical decisions. This development work helped accelerate the refinement of the project and consolidate its competitiveness and reliability from the very first international outing.

Roberta Zerbi, CEO of Lancia, stated: "Andrea perfectly embodies the spirit with which Lancia is returning to rallying: expertise, determination and a deep connection to the territory. His contribution to the development of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale was decisive in building a competitive car right from its international debut. Together with Miki Biasion's experience, who accompanies our project with passion and vision, and our commitment to young Italian talent through our sporting pyramid, we are shaping a genuinely Italian path — solid and forward-looking. For us, rallying is not just competition, but a platform for technical and human growth that must bring the Italian flag back to the top."

The Rally dei Laghi therefore represents not only an official debut, but the natural continuation of work that began months ago during the development phase. Now in its 34th edition, the event will see over 80 crews at the start, departing on Saturday from the lakeside promenade in Luino and finishing on Sunday at the Giardini Estensi in Varese. A technical and demanding route that provides an ideal proving ground to continue the car's evolution under real competitive conditions.

For Crugnola — born in Varese in 1989 — this event carries additional significance. It is his home rally, one he has already won four times, including two consecutive victories in the most recent editions. Alongside co-driver Andrea Sassi, he will race the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on roads he knows intimately, with the goal of combining performance and technical consistency ahead of the upcoming national events.

The Rally dei Laghi stands as one of the most competitive fixtures on the national calendar, with a Rally2 class packed with top-level contenders and a battle that promises to be fierce from the very first special stages. Significant attention will also focus on the Rally4 category, where the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF will be a protagonist in a highly competitive technical contest, confirming the model's central role within the Brand's sporting pyramid.

The event schedule includes scrutineering and technical checks on Friday, a shakedown at Montegrino on Saturday morning, and the ceremonial start from Luino at 3:00 PM with the first two special stages, while Sunday features five stages with the finish expected around 5:00 PM at the Giardini Estensi in Varese.

Andrea Crugnola's entry into the official Lancia programme marks a key step in the Brand's motorsport revival strategy. His dual role as test driver and official race driver embodies the ambition to integrate technical development and competitive performance into a single, coherent vision. Experience, expertise and territorial roots combine in a structured long-term project aimed at bringing Lancia back permanently to the top of rally competition — building technical and human value over time, and consolidating a journey that starts in Italy with its sights firmly set on the international stage.
 

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 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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Turin, 27 February 2026