Scuderia Lancia facts for kids

The Scuderia Lancia was the official racing team for the Lancia car company. It was also known as the Squadra Corse HF Lancia. Gianni Lancia, the son of the company's founder, started the team in 1952.

The Scuderia Lancia quickly became famous in motorsports. They were especially good at rallying. They won big races like the Carrera Panamericana, the Targa Florio, and the Mille Miglia. The team also tried Formula 1 racing in 1954-1955, but they didn't have much success there.

Later, the Squadra Corse found success in the World Endurance Championship. They won three world titles between 1979 and 1981. But their biggest achievements were in rallying. They won eleven constructors' titles and four drivers' titles from 1974 to 1992. Lancia stopped all its official racing activities at the end of 1991.

The Italian rally champion, Miki Biasion, with his Lancia Delta Integrale car. He won the world rally championship twice.

Lancia's Rallying Success

Before the official World Rally Championship began, Lancia won the last International Championship for Manufacturers title in 1972 with their Fulvia car.

In the World Rally Championship (WRC), Lancia is still the most successful team ever. They stopped competing at the end of 1993. Even so, they won many constructors' titles. They won with different cars:

• The Stratos won in 1974, 1975, and 1976.
• The 037 won in 1983.
• The Delta won six times in a row, from 1987 to 1992.

The Lancia Delta is the most successful rally car model ever. Overall, Lancia won 10 constructors' championships.

Many famous drivers won races with Lancia. Juha Kankkunen and Miki Biasion each won two drivers' titles with the Delta car. Other drivers who won WRC races for Lancia include Markku Alén, Didier Auriol, Sandro Munari, Bernard Darniche, Walter Röhrl, Björn Waldegård, and Henri Toivonen.

Sadly, there were also some very serious accidents during Lancia's time in rallying. Italian driver Attilio Bettega passed away at the 1985 Tour de Corse rally while driving a Lancia 037. Exactly one year later, Finnish driver Henri Toivonen, who was a favorite to win the championship, also passed away at the same rally in a Lancia Delta S4. These sad events led to the end of the very fast and powerful Group B rally cars.

Working with Martini Racing

In 1982, the famous sponsor Martini Racing joined forces with Lancia's rally team. They sponsored the new Group B Lancia 037 car. Drivers like Attilio Bettega and Markku Alén drove for the team.

The partnership between Lancia and Martini was one of the longest in the World Rally Championship. It lasted until the end of the 1992 season. Together, they won many events and titles with different Lancia cars. These included the Group B Delta S4 and the Group A Delta Integrale.

Drivers like Juha Kankkunen, Bruno Saby, Massimo Biasion, and Didier Auriol achieved great success. Martini Lancia cars won the WRC Drivers' title with Kankkunen in 1987 and 1991. Biasion won it in 1988 and 1989. They also won the Constructors' title with the 037 in 1983. Then, they won it every year from 1987 to 1992 with the Group A Delta. After 1992, Martini continued with a smaller sponsorship in the Italian Rally Championship.

Lancia's Racing Titles

Lancia's racing teams achieved several important titles:

• International Championship for Manufacturers: 1 title in 1972.
• World Rally Championship for Manufacturers: 10 titles. These were in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992.
• World Rally Championship for Drivers: 5 titles.
  • Sandro Munari won in 1977.
  • Juha Kankkunen won in 1987 and 1991.
  • Miki Biasion won in 1988 and 1989.

Images for kids

See also

In Spanish: Scuderia Lancia para niños

• Lancia in motorsport
• Martini Racing
• Rallying in Italy