During the presentation of the new HF logo a few days ago, Luca Napolitano, CEO of Lancia, responded to questions about a possible return to the rally championship by saying “We are working on it.” Now, according to the website Motorsport, the Italian automaker’s return to rally could happen first with the Ypsilon and then with the new Delta.
Will Lancia return to rally with the new Ypsilon and Delta?
The first car to debut should be the new Lancia Ypsilon HF, which will debut on the market during 2025, with a 240-horsepower engine, followed by the even more powerful Delta HF in 2028. It is likely that the Italian automaker will decide to start from the Rally4 category, where the Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa compete. These two cars have many things in common with the new Ypsilon, such as the platform, engines, and most of the components. It will not be difficult for Stellantis to adapt Lancia’s car for the rally championship.
This could be the first step towards a return to the Rally1 category. Napolitano‘s statements came after the FIA announced extensive reforms for top-level rallies, which include changes to technical and sporting regulations along with reforms to the championship’s promotion.
More information could come during the next Mille Miglia scheduled for June 11th. The rally championship and the brand’s return to motorsport would be a great showcase for the new era of Lancia, which began with the Pu+Ra HPE concept and continued with the new Ypsilon. We can only wait for further details on this matter, which has been talked about for months now.