Lancia and Citroën both belong to the Stellantis Group, and Lancia will now replace Citroën as the group’s leading brand in the WRC.
Lancia has confirmed that it is already developing a WRC2 car for the 2026 season. The marque has a long and successful history in rallying, and its return has sparked largely positive reactions.
M-Sport Ford team principal Richard Millener also views the Italian manufacturer’s return to the WRC as a good thing, but he reminds that the number of manufacturers in the championship will not increase – something that has long been hoped for.
“I think it’s great that they’ve chosen to build the product in Rally. I mean, we all know it’s essentially a straight swap for Citroën, so we kind of lose one and gain another,” Millener reminded Rallyjournal.com.
“But ultimately, it’s positive to see that an OEM wants to bring their newest product to Rally rather than something else. I think that’s a big positive because they obviously see the benefit in WRC,” Millener continued.
At least initially, Lancia will compete in the WRC2 category, but it is, of course, possible that the manufacturer will eventually appear in the top class as well. The technical regulations of the World Rally Championship will change for the 2027 season, and from then on, the top-category cars will more closely resemble the current Rally2 machines. This means the step up to the top level could be made fairly easily.
“They’ve also announced an official team in IRC and WRC2, which is great as well. So, it’ll be interesting to see that and to see who they choose as their drivers. Maybe that will lead into what happens in 2027–2028 onwards with them too,” Millener speculated.
One possible driver option for Lancia is Frenchman Yohan Rossel, who has already confirmed that he has driven his last rally for Citroën. Rossel himself has strongly hinted that he may be moving to drive for Lancia.
“Everybody knows the relation I have with Stellantis. It helped me a lot every time when I started the rally and, for sure, it will be a dream to be a factory driver in Lancia. But we need to see every option,” Rossel said earlier in September.
