Lancia has returned to the WRC after historic years of victories and enormous success in the World Rally Championship. For now, it is the WRC2 category that has brought the Italian brand back, currently with Yohan Rossel and Nicolay Gryazin, although future entries are expected. The WRC2 category is currently dominated by two brothers, who share the championship lead. Yohan Rossel, driving the brand-new Lancia Y, has 52 points, the same as his younger brother, Leo Rossel, who drives a Citroen C3. Besides Yohan, another Lancia is driven by Nicolay Gryazin who, with less success, occupies 5th place in the championship with 31 points. Meanwhile, in a Skoda Fabia, Italian Roberto Daprà has 37 points and is in 3rd place, ahead of Finn Roope Korhonen in a Toyota Yaris with 35 points. The French clan with the Rossel brothers seems to want to dictate the rules of the WRC2 category, although there is still a long way to go in the championship to draw conclusions.
In the five races held, it was precisely the younger Rossel who triumphed on the ice of Monte Carlo. Leo took the Citroen to victory, ahead of Roberto Daprà's Skoda.
Also in cold conditions, but with more snow, the Toyotas dominated in Sweden, with Roope Korhonen winning, followed by another Yaris, driven by Teemu Suninen.
In the tough Kenyan Safari Rally, the victory went to the Skoda Fabia driven by Robert Virves, with Gus Greensmith's Toyota taking 2nd place.
With greater adaptation, it was Lancia that dominated the next two races, with Yohan Rossel achieving two consecutive victories. First in Croatia, Yohan finished ahead of his brother Leo in a Citroen, with Nicolay Gryazin taking the other Lancia to 3rd place. In the Canary Islands, Yohan Rossel's Lancia Y triumphed again, leaving Alejandro Cachón's Toyota in 2nd place.
In a remarkable return of Lancia to the World Rally Championship, Portugal, Japan, and Greece are the next challenges for the resurgence of a brand that has written countless pages of success in the world of rallying.