Lancia’s Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi finish sixth at the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion.
Lancia Corse HF has completed the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion, the penultimate round of the FIA European Rally Championship, with Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi finishing sixth in the Rally2 category, while two top-five results were secured in ERC4 and Junior ERC. It was a challenging weekend for the Italian team, which had to tackle the particularly demanding characteristics of the Welsh roads, but the rally provided further valuable experience in the development path built up throughout the season.
At the wheel of the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi finished sixth after a rally in which the Italian crew had to contend with extremely selective stages and conditions. The result ends Mabellini’s hopes of fighting for the FIA ERC title, which was mathematically secured by Teemu Suninen at the end of the Welsh event.
For the ACI Team Italia driver and Virginia Lenzi, it has been a season in which they have consistently featured at the sharp end of the European championship, remaining in contention for the title right through to the final stages of the campaign. The season has also provided further confirmation of the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, developed through direct competition against some of the leading crews in the European rallying scene.
While the result in the top category did not reflect the ambitions ahead of the event, further encouraging signs once again came from the categories dedicated to young crews.
In ERC4 and Junior ERC, Sebastian Dallapiccola and Samuele Pellegrino finished the Rali Ceredigion in fourth place, confirming their steady progress throughout their European campaign. The Italian crew tackled the fast and technical Welsh stages with determination, bringing their Lancia Ypsilon Rally4 HF to the finish in an event that demanded precision and a strong ability to adapt.
Just behind them, Francesco Dei Ceci and Daiana Darderi secured fifth place, adding another positive result to the development path of the young ACI Team Italia driver. Following the strong performances shown in recent events, Dei Ceci continued to build experience and valuable mileage at the wheel of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF, further confirming the progress made during his first European season with Lancia Corse HF.
The rally of Davide Pesavento and Alessio Angeli, meanwhile, came to an early end. The official Lancia Corse HF crew, who had been among the protagonists of the opening part of the season with victory at Rally di Roma Capitale and the lead of the ERC4 and Junior ERC standings, were forced to retire during the early stages of the rally, bringing their challenge for the European titles to an end.
The Rali Ceredigion once again highlighted the particular difficulty of British rallying, with narrow, fast and technical roads featuring constant changes of rhythm and highly variable road conditions. It provided another important test for Lancia Corse HF, which continued to develop its sporting project in the United Kingdom, working in parallel on the competitiveness of its cars and the experience of its crews.
With just one event remaining, the Rally Five Cities North of Portugal, Lancia Corse HF now turns its attention to the final round of the FIA ERC season. The Portuguese rally will provide the final opportunity to reap the rewards of a campaign that has seen Lancia return as a consistent protagonist in the European championship, from the Rally2 category through to ERC4 and Junior ERC, with an increasingly structured project focused on the development of both its cars and the young talents competing at their wheel.
