Lancia, now part of the Stellantis group, unveiled its new Ypsilon Rally4 HF rally car last Friday. The car features a 1.2-litre turbocharged engine producing 212 horsepower.
Currently, there is no official championship class for Rally4-specification front-wheel-drive cars in the WRC. However, they do have a class in the European Rally Championship (ERC) and in most national series. Regardless, the return of this historic rally brand is exciting for many fans.
It is not yet certain when the Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 will debut on the rally stages, but it is expected to be sometime early next year. While there is no dedicated class for Rally4 cars in the WRC, the brand may consider developing higher-category rally cars in the future if the newly launched model proves to be successful.
“I am really glad to support the Lancia Product Team and the Stellantis Motorsport Team in the fine-tuning of both the Ypsilon HF and the Lancia Ypsilon Rally 4 HF. I hope to inspire young drivers, making their way with our Lancia Ypsilon Rally 4 HF to become the professionals and champions of the future,” Two-time World Rally Champion Miki Biasion says.
Biasion serves as an advisor for Lancia’s rally project. The 66-year-old Italian, who drove for Lancia for many years, is specifically tasked with bringing his experience and expertise to the team’s future drivers.
Biasion won the European Rally Championship in his first season with Lancia in 1983. In 1988 and 1989, he celebrated two World Championship titles behind the wheel of a Lancia.
“The Lancia of the victories and of the races is back, and I am so happy to be a part of it!”
