Lancia Corse HF returns to Paraguay gravel for WRC round 11 with Gryazin and Rossel
Lancia Corse HF heads to Paraguay for round eleven of the WRC with Gryazin and Rossel aiming to close the gap in the WRC2 championships.
- 56
- 52
- 195
- 357.64
What Happened
Ueno Rally del Paraguay, round eleven of the FIA World Rally Championship, takes place from 27 to 30 August in the Itapúa region of southern Paraguay. The city of Encarnación, on the Paraná River near the Argentine border, again serves as the event's headquarters. Lancia Corse HF enters two crews: Nikolay Gryazin with Konstantin Aleksandrov and Yohan Rossel with Arnaud Dunand, both driving the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale.
Gryazin and Rossel delivered strong results here in 2025, finishing third and second respectively in WRC2. They now sit sixth and seventh in the standings with 56 and 52 points. Lancia Corse HF is second in the WRC2 Teams' Championship on 195 points, with three more rounds to go after Paraguay.
- 6th, 56 points
- 7th, 52 points
- 2nd, 195 points
- Friday: 8 special stages, about 153 km — the longest day
- Saturday: 9 special stages, about 135 km
- Sunday: 5 special stages, 68 km
- Total: 22 special stages, 357.64 km on gravel
The Itapúa gravel is a severe test: fast, flowing roads and technical sections sit on a soft surface that can develop deep ruts and change grip between passes. Dust can be a factor in dry conditions, while rainfall could transform the stages and make them considerably harder. Adapting car set-up, tyres and driving style to changing conditions will be crucial. For Lancia Corse HF, the rally is also another step in the development journey of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale in its first WRC season.
“We discovered Rally Paraguay last year, and we were all pleasantly surprised by the quality of its organization. It is a gravel rally with a unique character, featuring an unusual route and extremely demanding conditions. Well prepared for the challenge, our crews, Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, along with Yohan Rossel and Arnaud Dunand, have just completed a productive test session on roads similar to those they will face during the rally and are now ready to give it their all. The objectives are clear: to demonstrate the performance and speed of our Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale while scoring valuable points in our fight for the World Teams’ Championship title. Every result will also be crucial for Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov, who remain in contention for a place on the final podium and could still challenge for the WRC2 Drivers’ and Co-Drivers’ World Championship titles. The appointment is set for Friday’s opening stages.”
Previously from Lancia
Lancia Corse HF enters Paraguay after a seventh-place finish at Rally Finland, where the team gathered development data and left the event still second in the WRC2 Teams' Championship. At that same rally, the squad fielded five Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale cars, underscoring its commitment to the championship.
- Lancia Corse HF seventh at Rally Finland's tough gravel, stays second in WRC2 Teams' Championship
- Lancia Corse HF Enters Five Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale Cars at Rally Finland
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Lancia's official releases.
Why this matters
This is a decisive stretch of the WRC2 season: Lancia Corse HF sits second in the teams' title fight with three rounds to go, and both drivers are battling for podium spots. Paraguay's extremely demanding gravel stages will test the car and crews and could shake up the championship standings.
Terms in This Story
- WRC2
- A support championship in the World Rally Championship for production-based cars, running alongside the top WRC class.
- Special stage
- A timed segment of a rally course, run against the clock on closed roads.
- Gravel rally
- A rally event held on loose, unpaved surfaces, which can be softer and more variable than tarmac.
- Rally2
- A FIA-registered car class for near-production rally cars, commonly used in national and international championships such as WRC2.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.