LANCIA CORSE HF’S YOUNG ITALIAN TALENT TO ATTACK THE ROYAL RALLY OF SCANDINAVIA

• Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi ready to attack on the Scandinavian gravel aboard the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale in pursuit of crucial championship points
• Two-pronged Junior ERC campaign for ACI Team Italia talents Dei Ceci–Fappani and Pesavento–Angeli in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF
• No fewer than 10 Lancia Ypsilon entries set for Sweden, with two Rally2 and eight Rally4 cars competing in one of the FIA ERC’s most spectacular events
• 185 kilometres across 16 special stages through Sweden’s forests and lakes for the Royal Rally of Scandinavia from 22–24 May
   

Following the season opener on the asphalt roads of Andalucía, the FIA European Rally Championship switches scenery completely as the series heads to the iconic gravel stages of the Royal Rally of Scandinavia from 22–24 May.

The fast and demanding Scandinavian roads, winding through forests and alongside lakes, will provide a major test for the Lancia Corse HF crews as the Italian manufacturer fields a three-car attack across Rally2 and Rally4 categories for the second round of the season.

Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi arrive in Sweden looking to build on their sixth-place finish at the opening round with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The Brescia-based crew has competed in all three previous editions of the Royal Rally of Scandinavia, securing fourth place in 2025 alongside two additional top-10 finishes, making them among the most anticipated contenders heading into the Nordic event.

In Rally4 machinery, Francesco Dei Ceci and co-driver Danilo Fappani will carry the colours of both Lancia Corse HF and ACI Team Italia alongside Davide Pesavento and Alessio Angeli. The two young Italian crews will contest the Junior ERC category, which begins its 2026 campaign in Scandinavia and forms a six-round championship within the broader FIA ERC season.

The event gets underway in Karlstad, south-west Sweden, on Friday 22 May with the ceremonial start and a 3.18 km opening special stage scheduled for 18:30. Saturday features seven gravel stages covering 83.86 kilometres through the region’s legendary forests and lakes, while Sunday’s finale includes eight further stages and 98.9 competitive kilometres. The concluding Ölme stage, measuring 7.91 km, will serve as the Power Stage before the finish ceremony in Karlstad at 19:00. In total, competitors will tackle 185.94 kilometres against the clock on some of the fastest and most technically demanding gravel roads in the championship.

Alongside the official Lancia Corse HF entries, seven additional Lancia Ypsilon cars will line up in Sweden. In Rally2, 19-year-old Finnish talent Tuukka Kauppinen, co-driven by fellow Finn Topi Luhtinen, will aim to improve on the 13th-place finish achieved on his ERC debut in Andalucía, benefiting from his knowledge of Scandinavian roads. In Rally4, Finnish crew Hakalehto–Heino, Italians Sandrin–Dal Maso and Dallapiccola–Lazzarini, Lithuanians Buteikis–Čapkauskas, and Austrians Neulinger–Heigl will all compete for Junior ERC honours. Norwegian pairing Stenberg–Rødsjø Beckstrøm will also be among the Lancia entries contesting the event.

Media contact:

Lancia HQ:
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

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Turin, 20 May 2026