The automotive world buzzed with excitement as rumors of Lancia’s rallying return reached fever pitch. This was no idle speculation; fans across the globe couldn’t help but imagine the iconic red Fulvias, Alitalia-branded Stratoses, and Martini-liveried 037s and Deltas back in action. And then, the official word dropped: after a 30-year slumber, Lancia was reviving its rally roots.
At Balocco, where the announcement took place, there were glimpses of old and new. On one side stood the all-electric Ypsilon HF, emblazoned with the historic elephant emblem. In the center, two-time rally champion Miki Biasion took the stage, a living link to Lancia’s glory days. But the big reveal was to the right—a modest Rally4 Ypsilon, signaling Lancia’s “humble” re-entry into rallying. No extravagant top-tier vehicle here, but a Rally4 car aimed at national and continental levels.
Lancia may remain the most successful rally brand in history, but its current approach is calculated. According to Biasion, Rally1 is prohibitively expensive, even for a legacy manufacturer. As Charles Henri Fuster, Lancia’s global head of marketing, explained, Stellantis—the conglomerate owning Lancia—demands a clear return on investment before committing. Rally4, Fuster elaborates, offers Lancia a cost-effective pathway to test the waters and revive the legendary HF moniker, a move that many see as both strategic and unexpected.
Stellantis’s rally ambitions are already spread across brands, with Citroën’s C3 Rally2, the Peugeot 208 Rally4, and Opel’s Corsa Rally4 leading the charge. Yet, for a brand with Lancia’s pedigree, Rally4 feels like a tentative step rather than a triumphant return. Franzetti, head of the new Lancia HF Corse rally unit, hinted that a leap into higher rally categories could be possible if the FIA makes top-level rallying more financially viable.
For Franzetti, the long-term dream remains the WRC. “Even if we are the brand with the highest number of titles, we’re returning cautiously,” he said. His message to the FIA is clear: more accessible regulations and lower costs could open doors for Lancia’s revival in the WRC. Rally2 currently presents the most “clever” balance of cost and performance, but for the storied Italian marque, the FIA’s decision on future WRC regulations could be the deciding factor in whether or not they commit to the top tier.
While the next-generation Ypsilon HF will debut on Rally4 circuits in 2025, the rally world is left waiting. Lancia hasn’t fully shut the door on WRC glory. Instead, it stands at the threshold, hoping the FIA will make the championship accessible enough for it to walk through once again. As Miki Biasion so passionately put it: “If the FIA will change something, let’s dream.”
