Lancia’s Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi head to Wales second in the FIA ERC standings and still firmly in contention for the European title.
Lancia Corse HF heads to the JDS Machinery Rali Ceredigion 2026, the sixth and penultimate round of the FIA European Rally Championship, with the major championship battles still wide open. After a season of consistent progress across both Rally2 and the championship’s junior categories, the Italian manufacturer arrives in Wales determined to turn the competitiveness demonstrated throughout the year into valuable points at the decisive stage of the campaign.
In the top Rally2 category, Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi will once again spearhead Lancia Corse HF’s official challenge aboard the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. Their third-place finish at Barum Czech Rally Zlín allowed the Italian crew to consolidate second place in the FIA ERC standings, 25 points behind the championship leader. Following a season of steadily improving performances, Mabellini arrives in Wales aiming to reduce the gap further and keep his European title challenge alive through to the final round.
Rali Ceredigion will provide a very different challenge from the previous asphalt rounds. The Welsh event combines narrow and technical roads, bumpy sections, fast valley roads and open moorland, demanding precision, adaptability and confidence from both crews and cars. The 2026 route has been further revised with new roads and stages, while retaining the characteristics that have established the event as one of the most spectacular rallies in British rallying.
The rally features 16 special stages covering approximately 196 competitive kilometres. Friday 4 September begins with two runs through the spectacular Aberystwyth street stage, followed by the night-time tests of Elerch and Blaenmelindwr, where narrow and bumpy roads will make car set-up particularly important.
Saturday will provide the longest and most demanding day of competition, with two runs through the Aberffrwd, Soar Y Mynydd and Cwm Elan loop. At 21.8 kilometres, Cwm Elan will be the longest stage of the weekend, taking crews through the spectacular Elan Valley and combining fast and technical sections. The day’s action will conclude with a further double run through the Aberystwyth street stage.
The heart of Lancia Corse HF’s programme will once again be its young crews. Davide Pesavento and Alessio Angeli, winners at Rally di Roma Capitale and early-season leaders of both the Junior ERC and ERC4 standings, arrive in Wales after surrendering their championship leads at Barum Czech Rally Zlín. The official Lancia Corse HF crew currently sits third in both classifications and will be targeting a strong comeback across the final two rounds.
Joining them will be fellow official Lancia Corse HF crew Francesco Dei Ceci and Daiana Darderi. Following fifth-place finishes in Poland and Czechia, the young ACI Team Italia driver will aim to continue his development and contribute valuable points to Lancia’s Teams’ championship challenge.
Completing Lancia’s line-up in ERC4 and Junior ERC will be Sebastian Dallapiccola and Samuele Pellegrino, who will face the particularly demanding characteristics of the Welsh stages for the first time.
With Lancia Corse HF currently third in the Teams’ standings, every result will be crucial during the final push for the championship. Rali Ceredigion therefore represents a key opportunity to consolidate the progress made throughout the season and keep the team’s title ambitions alive ahead of the final round in Portugal.
The penultimate FIA ERC round will also provide another important test for a sporting project built around the parallel development of both cars and crews. From the competitiveness of the Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale at the top of the field to the growing presence of the Ypsilon Rally4 HF in ERC4 and Junior ERC, Lancia Corse HF continues to develop its international programme through a shared path of experience, performance and continuous progress.
