Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi attack the FIA ERC lead with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale
Lancia Corse HF’s FIA European Rally Championship campaign enters its decisive phase in the heat of the European summer, with the Barum Czech Rally Zlín 2026 marking the fifth round of the season and the beginning of the final push for the continental titles. With every championship still wide open, Lancia’s crews arrive in the Czech Republic fully committed to maintaining their challenge across both the Rally2 and Rally4 categories.
The demanding Czech asphalt will provide the backdrop for 205.79 competitive kilometres across 13 special stages, combining fast and technical sections with high summer temperatures expected to put both crews and cars to the test.
The rally gets underway on Friday 14 August with the iconic SSS1 Zlín, a 9.57-kilometre night stage held in the main city of the Moravia region, approximately 300 kilometres from Prague. Saturday features two loops of three stages – Pohořelice (12.51 km), the long Troják (25.59 km) and Bunč (18.04 km) – accounting for 121.85 kilometres of competition. The rally concludes on Sunday with a further six stages across the Pindula (18.01 km), Semetín (11.34 km) and Kateřinice (12.62 km) loop.
Lancia Corse HF arrives in Czechia as the third-placed manufacturer in the FIA ERC Teams’ standings, just three points behind second place. At the wheel of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi are just 23 points away from the top of the overall drivers’ standings, currently led by the experienced Teemu Suninen.
Mabellini has demonstrated a clear upward trajectory throughout the opening part of the season, with his title challenge interrupted only by the misfortune suffered at the Royal Rally of Scandinavia, where valuable championship points slipped away. The ACI Team Italia driver has already claimed four stage wins this season and will make his fifth Barum Czech Rally Zlín appearance, aiming to improve on the third-place finish he secured on the Czech roads last year.
The focus will be equally strong on the Rally4 categories, where Davide Pesavento and Alessio Angeli arrive as championship leaders in both Junior ERC and ERC4. Their season has so far included a victory at Rally di Roma Capitale and third-place finishes in Sweden and Poland, results that have placed Pesavento at the head of both classifications.
The Italian crew will face a particularly intense battle in ERC4, with Tommaso Sandrin, another Lancia Corse driver, just three points behind Pesavento. Sandrin will be partnered by Andrea Dal Maso and returns to Czechia for his second appearance, while Pesavento will tackle the Barum for the first time.
Also looking to build on his encouraging progress is Francesco Dei Ceci, who will be joined by Christian Vizzaccaro. The ACI Team Italia driver finished fifth in ERC4 at Rally Poland and will be aiming to consolidate his position inside the Junior ERC top ten, while also targeting a repeat of his strong 2025 performance in Czechia, when he narrowly missed out on an ERC4 podium.
Completing Lancia Corse HF’s four-car Rally4 line-up will be Sebastian Dallapiccola and Lorenzo Mattucci, who continue to make steady progress during their first season competing at European level.
With the FIA ERC titles entering their decisive stages, Barum Czech Rally Zlín represents another key opportunity for Lancia Corse HF to demonstrate the strength of its overall sporting project. From the Rally2 title fight to the fiercely contested Junior ERC and ERC4 battles, the Czech event will provide another demanding test for the continuous development of both the Ypsilon Rally range and the crews competing with it.
