Third WRC2 victory for Lancia Corse HF as Gryazin
triumphs in Japan and takes championship lead
- Nikolay Gryazin secures his first victory of the season with the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale
- Ten stage wins for the 28-year-old Lancia Corse HF driver, who moves to the top of the WRC2 drivers’ standings
- Third WRC2 victory of the season for the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale
- Next stop is the legendary Acropolis Rally Greece, as the championship returns to gravel
Nikolay Gryazin and co-driver Konstantin Aleksandrov claimed their first victory of the season aboard the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale at Rally Japan. Following a third-place finish in Croatia, the Bulgarian driver stepped onto the top step of the podium after a hard-fought battle with Spain’s Alejandro Cachón.
Gryazin secured ten stage wins throughout the event and, after spending the opening day in recovery mode, gradually took control of the rally thanks to his experience and ability to master Japan’s narrow and highly technical roads. One of the standout moments came on SS7 Obara 1, where Gryazin set the fastest time despite suffering both contact and a puncture during the 16.44-kilometre stage.
The fight for victory remained wide open until the penultimate special stage, with Gryazin holding a slender advantage of just 2.8 seconds heading into the rally-closing Lake Mikawako Power Stage. The Lancia Corse HF crew delivered a decisive final push, securing victory by 15.5 seconds after Cachón spun on the final stage.
Thanks to his Japanese success, Gryazin moves to the top of the WRC2 Drivers’ Championship standings on 56 points, four ahead of team-mate Yohan Rossel, who is tied with his brother Léo Rossel and Finland’s Roope Korhonen. Konstantin Aleksandrov also takes over the lead in the co-drivers’ standings, while Lancia Corse HF maintains its position at the top of the WRC2 Teams’ Championship.
The result marks the third WRC2 victory of the season for the Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, further underlining the competitiveness of the car across a variety of conditions and rally characteristics. The FIA World Rally Championship now heads to one of its toughest challenges, the legendary Acropolis Rally Greece, where the battle will continue on the demanding gravel roads of the Mediterranean classic.