The Rally Regione Piemonte ended on Sunday afternoon after setting the perfect stage for Lancia’s highly anticipated return to the rally world. The heart of the event was the Lancia Corse HF Village, which welcomed thousands of guests to the center of Alba and gave them an immersive experience into the world of motorsport, technology, and local culture.
Located in the heart of the Langhe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Lancia Corse HF Village offered a unique blend of heritage and innovation within a jam-packed program of activities: test drives of the New Ypsilon (available in hybrid and electric versions), a display of the sporty 280-hp Ypsilon HF, and spectacular collection of 25 historic Lancia vehicles organized by the Cinzano Rally Team. Naturally, to connect with fans from all over the world, all of the weekend’s most exciting moments were shared live on the official channels of Lancia Corse HF on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
The Lancia event further showed the immense excitement surrounding the Turin-based brand’s return to motorsport. Turnout was amazing at the press conference held within the Lancia Corse HF Village, which featured Luca Napolitano, Lancia CEO, Eugenio Franzetti, Director of Lancia Corse HF Director, and Miki Biasion, spokesperson for Lancia’s return to rally and the star development driver of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF. The weekend’s highlight was the lap of honor for Miki Biasion, the two-time World Rally champion and undisputed motorsport legend whose name will always be connected to Lancia.
The star of the week was the New Ypsilon Rally4 HF, which was fine-tuned by Biasion and surpassed over 90 units sold in just four months. The ‘first’ Ypsilon in competition was one for the record books. Behind the wheel of one of the Rally4, the Finnish driver Kauppinen immediately won the trial show which opened the Rally Regione Piemonte. Meanwhile, Gianandrea Pisani and Nicola Biagi reached the podium as the new Ypsilon Rally4 HF debuted in the Sparco Italian Two-Wheel Drive Italian Championship. The finish-line stage in Piazza San Paolo also welcomed the arrival of the Vigliaturo-Corradini, Fiore-Casalini, and Kauppinen-Karttunen teams, whose names, together with Pisani-Biagi, will be forever linked to an important day in Lancia racing history. To celebrate these ‘pioneers’ in the brand’s history, Lancia Corse HF presented each team that finished the Rally Regione Piemonte with a special plaque commemorating their participation in such an unforgettable day.
Equipped with a 212-hp, turbo engine paired with a SADEV 5-speed gearbox and adjustable Ohlin shock absorbers, the Ypsilon Rally4 HF is the perfect vehicle for emerging drivers who want to cut their teeth. Unsurprisingly, the Trofeo Lancia—the one-brand cup officially kicking off on May 8th at the Rally Targa Florio—is already maxed out at 40 teams, including 25 under-35 participants, 7 foreign drivers, and 2 female crews. With a €360,000 prize fund and the possibility for a young winner to join the official Lancia Corse HF team for the FIA ERC 2026, the Trofeo Lancia is guaranteed to be one of the most highly anticipated and competitive cups this season.
Miki Biasion stated: “It is incredibly moving to see all of this passion and warmth for a brand which has been absent from racing for some many years! I got emotional when I saw the Lancia HF Village and thought ‘We’re back!’. We are starting out humbly in Rally4 but made a big entrance in pure Lancia style. We look like a team that has been around for twenty years in world rally. Our goal is to help young drivers discover new talents and help them kick off their careers. Lancia’s return to rally is big news for everyone: it is huge for Italian motorsport because it brings Italian cars back to the forefront of rally, and big for motorsport in general because other brands will be much more likely to race after seeing Lancia make its return.”
