WRC 2
Rossel holds firm in WRC2 as Lancia pace shines through Saturday drama
Léo Rossel is edging toward a maiden WRC2 victory at Rallye Monte-Carlo after a composed Saturday performance that saw him distance himself from a field plagued by Alpine attrition.
The Citroën C3 Rally2 driver heads into Sunday’s finale with a comfortable 1min 27.7sec cushion at the head of the category, but while Rossel provided the consistency, the returning Lancia brand provided some of the day's biggest talking points.
Saturday’s journey from the Gap service park to the glittering Port Hercule in Monaco was anything but straightforward. The morning’s heavy snow gave way to a treacherous slush and standing water in the early-afternoon, culminating in a historic competitive return to the streets of the Principality for the first time since 2008.
For much of the day, it appeared to be a Rossel-Gryazin duel. Nikolay Gryazin, debuting the new Lancia Ypsilon Rally2 HF Integrale, sat in second and was hounding Rossel’s lead.
However, the Bulgarian’s challenge came to a violent end on the notorious SS12 (La Bréole / Bellaffaire 2). Gryazin lost control in a high-speed section, sliding off the road and into retirement - a bitter blow after showing the Lancia's potential as a genuine title contender.
Lancia's new entry showed huge promise
© WRC
Gryazin’s misfortune was the gain of the chasing pack. Roberto Daprà moved his Škoda Fabia RS Rally2 into second overall, followed closely by veteran Eric Camilli. Camilli, who led the rally early on Thursday, continued his recovery drive after time loss on Friday, ending the day just 25.4sec behind Daprà in the battle for the runner-up spot.
While one Lancia was sidelined, the other provided a glimpse of what might have been. Yohan Rossel, Léo’s brother, spent Saturday delivering a masterclass. Sidelined on Thursday by suspension damage and despite recovering from a sickness bug, Yohan stunned the field on SS11 by setting the second-fastest time overall - beating almost every Rally1 car in the field.
Rounding out the top five in the category were Arthur Pelamourgues, who continues to impress on his WRC2 debut in a Hyundai i20 N, and Chris Ingram. Ingram described the day as "the most difficult of his life," but brought his Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 home in fifth.
