Yohan Rossel wrapped up his latest World Rally Championship campaign with a third-place finish in the WRC2 standings following a high-profile switch from Citroen to Lancia at the start of the year. The French driver hit the ground running with stellar victories in Croatia and the Canary Islands, though his championship momentum dipped slightly once the series transitioned onto demanding gravel surfaces.
Reflecting on the technical hurdles of introducing a fresh machine to the rally fields, the driver pointed out the massive gap in development time compared to established manufacturers. "I think it is easy to underestimate how challenging it is to bring a completely new car straight into the WRC and compete against rivals who have at least three years of experience with their cars. It took us a little time to understand the car on gravel," Rossel explained in an interview with Rallye-Sport.
Despite missing out on the driver's crown, he remains deeply satisfied with the overall results delivered throughout the grueling season. "In the end, we took three victories and also won the teams’ championship, which was important for Lancia," he noted. Looking back at his performance, he admitted his only real regret took place in Portugal, where pushing too hard while chasing Teemu Suninen cost him a potential runner-up finish.
Looking ahead to the future, Rossel’s ultimate career ambition is to fight consistently at the sharp end of the overall WRC classification. He believes incoming rules and potential kit packages could unlock that exact opportunity. "The situation is still a little unclear for now because we do not really know whether the other manufacturers intend to develop WRC Kit packages for their WRC2 cars. I still very much hope that Lancia will do so," he stated regarding future technical regulations.
Reiterating his loyalty to the brand, the French ace emphasized his desire to see the project through to its maximum potential. "I have always said that I want to see things through with Stellantis. I have pushed Lancia as hard as I can to get involved because I think there is a great opportunity to fight for victories," he concluded, while acknowledging the monumental benchmark set by Toyota heading into the new era.
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