Latest news with #LanciaDelta
Yahoo
31-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
USA misses out as WRC reveals 2026 calendar
The World Rally Championship will once again be contested over 14 rounds in 2026, although much anticipated plans to host a round in the USA have not come to fruition. Next year the schedule will begin in Monte Carlo in January and end in Saudi Arabia in November, but will undertake a slightly different complexion compared to 2025. The most notable change sees Rally Japan moving from its November berth to May when it will host the seventh round of the season from 28-31 May. By interrupting what would otherwise be a long sequence of gravel rallies, the move helps to limit the impact of road sweeping for early championship leaders. Since 2023, the calendar has featured a run of seven consecutive gravel events that has ignited a debate over road position rules. There had been hopes the WRC would make a return to the USA for the first time since the 1988 Olympus Rally, with the project a key part of its plan to grow the category. As reported in April, the WRC had a multi-year contract in place to host an event in Tennessee which was listed on a proposed 2026 calendar, subject to approval from the FIA and the national federation national federation ACCUS. However, it appears plans for the WRC to head to the USA have been postponed for at least another year. Miki Biasion / Tiziano Siviero, Lancia Delta. Interestingly, the calendar announcement doesn't include the location for the championship's visit to Italy. The event will however move from its traditional June date to October when it will host the penultimate round of the season. Sardinia's rough gravel roads have hosted the WRC every year, barring 2009, since the event moved from Sanremo on the mainland in 2004. Italy has also been represented in the WRC by Rally Monza in 2020 and 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions were in place. This year's event was the last of its current deal and it is understood Rally di Roma Capitale is keen to elevate its asphalt event from European Rally Championship status to WRC level. Following an announcement in November last year, Croatia will rejoin the championship after it was moved to the ERC this year. Read Also: Monaco GP circuit stage in frame for WRC comeback in 2026 'This is a calendar built with purpose,' said WRC Promoter managing director Jona Siebel. 'It's diverse, it flows well, and it reflects the feedback we've had from teams, drivers and stakeholders. We've put real thought into how the sequence of events can impact the sporting fight.' FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, added: 'The 2026 WRC calendar is a powerful reflection of the championship's global strength and appeal. It combines the heritage of iconic rallies with the return of newer events in regions where participation and interest in rallying continues to grow.' World Rally Championship 2026 calendar 1 Monte-Carlo 22–25 January Asphalt/Ice 2 Sweden 12–15 February Snow 3 Kenya 12–15 March Gravel 4 Croatia 9–12 April Asphalt 5 Gran Canaria 23–26 April Asphalt 6 Portugal 7–10 May Gravel 7 Japan 28–31 May Asphalt 8 Acropolis (Greece) 25-28 June Gravel 9 Estonia 16–19 July Gravel 10 Finland 30 July–2 August Gravel 11 Paraguay 27–30 August Gravel 12 Chile 10–13 September Gravel 13 Italy 1–4 October TBC 14 Saudi Arabia 11–14 November Gravel To read more articles visit our website.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Hugely iconic hatchback set to return next year – three decades after it was discontinued
A MOTOR beloved by petrolheads is making a triumphant return next year, 30 years after it was discontinued. The iconic Lancia Delta HF Integrale has been confirmed for a surprise comeback by the Italian brand, announced alongside the launch of the Ypsilon Rally6 HF Racing. 5 5 5 The Delta is hailed as an icon, celebrated for its rally dominance, striking design and seamless fusion of race-ready performance with everyday road appeal. In its heyday, the Delta was a true hot hatch and today it's a sought-after collector's item, often showcased at car events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The model's return - decades after the brand's period of decline - follows the launch of the new Ypsilon last year. Lancia have also confirmed the return of the Gamma, a luxury sedan and coupe built from 1976 to 1984. A high-performance Ypsilon HF - which stands for 'High Fidelity' - was also released last year, featuring a 278bhp electric powertrain shared with its Stellantis siblings, including the Peugeot e-208 GTi, Alfa Romeo Junior Veloce and Abarth 600e. Built on Stellantis's e-CMP platform, it is expected to share underpinnings with the Vauxhall Mokka. To that end, it's highly likely that the new Delta HF Integrale will be an electric set up, although Autocar believes the return of a combustion-engined Delta HF Integrale isn't completely off the table. The original Delta, launched in 1979, started out as a humble family hatchback and the HF and turbocharged HF 4WD didn't arrive until 1983 and 1986 respectively. The Integrale name was later applied to the road car in 1987 when it became a rallying beast. By 1993, demand had pushed Integrale production to nearly 45,000 but it was discontinued in 1994 - although many 'new' hot Deltas have been created since. A brief history of hot hatchbacks Lancia, after years in the doldrums, is also back in rallying with the Ypsilon Rally4 car and the Ypsilon HF Racing, homologated for the entry Rally6. Despite the hype, the rebirth of Lancia isn't going to plan with sales of the new Ypsilon down 72% in May to just 5,627 cars. Stellantis, in general, is facing a difficult period and recently appointed Antonio Filosa as CEO to finally replace Carlos Tavares. This adds more pressure on the upcoming Delta Integrale, with expectations WHEN IT RAINS This week it was also reported that Stellantis may have to shut down some of its factories due to the risk of hefty European Union fines for not complying with CO2 emission targets, the chief of the Franco-Italian automaker for Europe said on Tuesday. The automaker industry has successfully lobbied for more time to comply, as fines will be based on 2025-2027 emissions rather than just in 2025. Stellantis' Europe chief Jean-Philippe Imparato slammed the targets, saying they were still unreachable for automakers, Automotive News reports. He then exposed his company to fines of up to 2.5 billion euros within "two-three years." review the situation.
