ERC
Mabellini feels the Power as Lancia returns to the ERC’s top table
Andrea Mabellini gave Lancia its return to the FIA European Rally Championship’s top level after a break of 33 years – and impressed by winning the Power Stage.
Finishing sixth overall on 43rd Andalusia Rally - Sierra Morena - Córdoba World Heritage Site, Mabellini completed the all-asphalt event with a trademark run through the deciding test.
With Virginia Lenzi co-driving, Mabellini clocked a succession of rapid stage times in his all-new Pirelli-equipped Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, a performance that culminated in the Italian’s sixth Power Stage win.
Italian star has high hopes of future progression
© ERC
“We had a clean run,” Mabellini said of his Power Stage heroics. “We pushed of course, maybe a little bit too much risk, but it’s part of the game sometimes, you need to push and find the maximum of what we had and we found it.”
You need to push and find the maximum of what we had and we found it
Looking back on his first weekend as a Lancia Corse HF driver, the 26-year-old Mabellini said: “It was very good improving during the race, we tried many different settings and we’re finding the way.
“The perfect situation would have been the podium, P5 would have been okay, we finished P6, so a little bit outside from what we were expecting, to be honest, but of course [I can look back with satisfaction], it’s a point of start which is not bad, and we can improve but we must go step by step.”
Mabellini finished sixth on his first ERC outing in Lancia colours
© ERC
There was more success for Lancia on the ERC season opener with Aatu Hakalehto and Niklas Heino heading home Tommaso Sandrin and Andrea Dal Maso in an Ypsilon Rally4 HF one-two in the ERC4 category, Lancia’s second victory in the front-wheel-drive division.
Meanwhile, Tuukka Kauppinen drove a Tagai Racing Technology-run Ypsilon Rally2 HF to an impressive 11th overall on his step up to ERC1 level from Junior ERC.
