Lancia’s rally comeback has a decisive weekend ahead. The Italian marque heads to northern Portugal for the final round of the 2026 FIA European Rally Championship, with Lancia Corse HF targeting the teams’ title. The event runs from October 23 to 25, opening on Friday evening.
For a brand whose name is woven into rally history, this is an appealing way to follow its return: a championship contest on actual stages, with the result still to be decided.
A team contest with more than one story to follow
Lancia names Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi, Davide Pesavento and Alessio Angeli, and Francesco Dei Ceci and Daiana Darderi as the crews nominated to contribute to its teams’ championship effort.
Mabellini also arrives second in the drivers’ standings on 98 points, six ahead of Miko Marczyk. That adds a separate battle to the weekend. The drivers’ standings and the teams’ title are different contests; one crew’s position alone does not tell the whole story.
The Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale is part of the attraction, with Nikolay Gryazin and Konstantin Aleksandrov among the crews entered in the car. For spectators, the mix of crews and machinery gives the finale more to watch than a single headline result.
Gravel, a famous jump and an asphalt change of pace
Rally 6 Cities North of Portugal comprises 17 special stages and 181.10 competitive kilometres. Fafe remains the operational hub, while Guimarães hosts the start and finish.
The route is predominantly gravel. Its best-known landmark is the Pedra Sentada jump on Lameirinha, familiar to followers of the Fafe stages. The new Monte Penha stage introduces an all-asphalt section in Guimarães, giving the programme a different visual character.
That variety is a useful reason to look beyond the photographs. A spectacular jump is a moment; a rally classification records what happened across the timed route. Following the stage results will tell a more complete story than watching the most dramatic clip.
What to watch over the weekend
Start with Lancia’s nominated crews and the teams’ standings, then follow Mabellini’s separate position in the drivers’ table. Keep the categories distinct when comparing times and results: the field includes different classes of car.
This is a preview, not a prediction of a title. The interesting part is that Lancia’s return has reached a weekend with something tangible at stake. By Sunday, the timing sheets will have supplied the answer.
Sources: Lancia’s October 22 team preview; FIA ERC route preview; official ERC calendar.
Featured image: Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale on display at Rally Race Meeting in February 2026. Archive photograph; not taken at the Portugal finale. Photo: Bimber of Magic / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0.
