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Lancia is proud to be joined a new, prestigious partner as it makes its return to rally racing: Michelin. The French brand will be the official tire supplier for the Trofeo Lancia, which will take place across the Italian Absolute Rally Championship (CIAR) in six races across five dates. The star of the competition will be the exhilarating Ypsilon Rally 4 HF, which has already received 80 preorders throughout Europe in just three months.
The partnership between the two brands goes way back to the glory days of Lancia racing; and today it is back with cutting-edge solutions thanks to the technological experience and non-stop innovation which sets Michelin tires apart in the motorsport sector. Specifically, to better deal with the challenges of asphalt, Lancia Trophy drivers will be able to rely on three tires from the MICHELIN Pilot Sport range, two for dry asphalt and one for wet asphalt, all of which will be available in 19/63-17 dimensions—the perfect balance between stability, handling, and reactivity.
Notably, to get the most out of the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF on dry surfaces, the drivers will be able to choose among medium and hard versions of the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport Pro Rally. Thanks to years of experience working with the MICHELIN Pilot Sport A, the premium choice for asphalt rallying, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Pro Rally includes an innovative architecture which is even more efficient. Thanks to its ability to adapt to any type of surface and to quickly reach the right operating temperature, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport Pro Rally features an intuitive feeling which makes it the ideal choice for the Trofeo Lancia. Meanwhile, under wet conditions, the Ypsilon Rally 4 HF will be able to make use of MICHELIN Pilot Sport A MW1 tires, which provide safety and excellent grip on slippery asphalt, allowing for races to go ahead even during heavy rainfall.
The return of the partnership between Lancia and Michelin will allow Trofeo Lancia drivers to fully express their talents in this high-octane competition. With its stunning €360,000 prize fund, the Trofeo Lancia has established itself as one of the highest paying races on the national stage and provides drivers with the chance to win a spot in the official Lancia Corse HF team in the next FIA ERC season (if the winner is an Under-35). Further details about the Trofeo Lancia are available at the following link.
Lancia CEO Luca Napolitano states: “Lancia and Michelin have written incredible chapters in Rally history and today we are proud to reignite a collaboration which is driven by performance and innovation. Trofeo Lancia is an exciting opportunity for emerging motorsport talents, and the ability to rely on Michelin’s amazing tires will provide the drivers with the best racing conditions to express their potential. This partnership is yet another sign of how determined we are to take Lance back to the summit of motorsport.”
For its part, Michelin has enthusiastically embraced this new adventure, as stated by Cristiano Zappalà, Michelin Country Manager Motorsport Customer Racing: “We are truly honored to join Lancia on this important return to the rally world. Michelin is providing Lancia Rally drivers with next-generation tires which have been developed thanks to years of rally experience at every level. Even though they feature modern technologies, the new MICHELIN Pilot Sport Pro Rally are the heirs to tires which have contributed to the successes of the Italian constructor since the end of the Eighties, when Michelin helped Lancia win two titles with Mike Biasion.”