Lancia Corse HF wins Rally Islas Canarias, Rossel takes WRC2 championship lead
French driver Yohan Rossel won Rally Islas Canarias in a Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, claiming his second WRC2 victory of the season and the championship lead.
- 6
- 52
- 6th
What Happened
Yohan Rossel and co-driver Arnaud Dunand dominated Rally Islas Canarias in the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, winning six of the 18 stages. The victory, their second of the season after Rally Croatia, puts them atop the WRC2 championship standings with 52 points, tied with Léo Rossel of Citroen. Lancia Corse HF also extended its lead in the teams' championship.
Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov finished sixth after an early setback with understeer, but they recovered to win a stage and earn valuable points for the team. The rally featured mixed conditions including rain and heat on volcanic asphalt, which Rossel managed expertly with optimal tyre and setup choices.
“This victory by Yohan is a source of great pride for Lancia and confirms the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale in the WRC2 championship. It reflects an outstanding team effort and sends a strong signal about our return to the highest levels of rallying.”
“It's a great feeling to be back winning after Croatia. Honestly, everything was perfect—from tyre choice to the car setup. Now the target is the same for Portugal—same ambition.”
Why this matters
This win shows Lancia's competitive return to top-level rallying, with Rossel leading the WRC2 standings and the team strengthening its lead in the manufacturers' championship.
Terms in This Story
- WRC2
- A support championship in the World Rally Championship for production-based cars.
- Co-driver
- The navigator who reads pace notes and assists the driver during a rally.
- Understeer
- A handling condition where the car turns less than the driver intends, often due to tire grip loss.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.