In September, Lancia unveiled its new Ypsilon Rally4 HF car. This front-wheel-drive vehicle is equipped with a 1.2-litre turbo engine, producing 212 horsepower.
On Friday, Lancia announced that the car will debut in Italy’s national rally championship next year. The Lancia Rally Trophy will feature six rounds, with a total prize fund of 300,000 euros.
Lancia’s return to international stages is set for the 2026 season with an official team named Lancia Corse HF. The winner of the Lancia Rally Trophy will earn the opportunity to compete as an official Lancia driver in the European Rally Championship in 2026.
“2025 will mark the return of Lancia to motorsport as we aim to reestablish our presence in contemporary motorsport competitions. With a mix of tradition and innovation, Lancia looks to the future with passion and ambition,” Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano stated.
Currently, there is no official WRC class for front-wheel-drive Rally4 cars. However, they are eligible in the European Rally Championship and various national series.
Lancia also revealed the price of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF on Friday: 74,500 euros. Customer deliveries are expected to begin early next year, pending the vehicle’s homologation.
The car’s development has involved former Lancia driver and rally legend Miki Biasion.
“If you dreamt of track as a child, you dreamt of the red of a Ferrari. However, if you dreamt of becoming a rally driver, then you dreamt of Lancia. I am honored to have worked together with the Lancia and Stellantis Motorsport teams in fine-tuning the Ypsilon HF and Ypsilon Rally 4,” Biasion said.
“The Lancia legacy of victories and racing is back and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Lancia was a dominant force in the WRC from the 1970s through to the early 1990s before withdrawing from motorsport. The brand has an impressive history with ten manufacturers’ titles and four official drivers’ world championships.
Finnish driver Juha Kankkunen won world titles with Lancia in 1987 and 1991. Italian legend Biasion claimed back-to-back championships in 1988-89.