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Yohan Rossel has called on Lancia to exploit the incoming 2027 World Rally Championship regulations by developing a WRC Kit derivative of its Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale. The French driver, an established frontrunner in WRC2, made clear that his future ambitions no longer involve pursuing another secondary-tier title. Instead, Rossel revealed that he has actively lobbied the Italian manufacturer to build the higher-specification kit, arguing that the forthcoming technical rulebook provides a genuine opportunity for the brand to contest the sharp end of the overall rally field.
Ambitions Beyond WRC2 Success
Rossel's proposal follows a successful campaign in which the 31-year-old secured three WRC2 event victories at world championship level. Those triumphs, combined with the points tally of teammate Nikolay Gryazin, earned Lancia the WRC2 teams' championship crown. Despite that silverware, Rossel maintains that repeating another Rally2 title attempt holds little interest for 2027. He explained that his primary sporting goal is stepping into machinery that allows him to challenge for outright classification honours and compete directly against the leading international crews.
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2027 Schedule and Lancia Caution
Looking toward 2027, Rossel expects to contest a partial schedule of approximately ten rallies rather than mounting a full-season campaign. For the Frenchman, the central question remains which machinery he will be driving throughout that itinerary. Lancia has issued no formal announcements regarding a premier-class programme and previously adopted a cautious approach toward the 2027 top tier. Didier Clément previously stated that designing a ground-up WRC27 car is not on the agenda, indicating that such a bespoke construction would emerge around 2029 at the earliest.
Kit Viability and Full-Season Commitment
Adapting the existing Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale with a WRC Kit requires a significantly smaller financial investment than engineering an all-new car, but the entry conditions present major hurdles. Under championship rules, any participating constructor must commit to fielding at least two cars across a complete world championship calendar. That mandatory full-season commitment represents a substantial financial burden for an operation currently structured around customer competition and WRC2.
Toyota Benchmark and Approaching Decision
Rossel acknowledged that rival contenders face a daunting benchmark in Toyota, which enjoys a substantial head start by engineering a clean-sheet WRC27 car alongside an extensive testing programme while other manufacturers merely evaluate potential avenues. Even so, the French competitor insists that kit-adapted entries will possess a genuine chance to challenge for outright event wins. With discussions over the coming weeks poised to decide whether his request translates into a real racing programme, Rossel emphasized that his target is clear: he wants to fight among the absolute frontrunners rather than solely measuring himself against Rally2 rivals.
Sources: Rossel WRC Kitet akar a Lanciától – már a futamgyőzelmekért menne.
