World RX – Promising debut for GCK Motorsport’s stunning retrofitted Lancia Delta

Who could have believed, just a few months ago, that we would one day see the glorious Lancia Delta Integrale in an official competition? This car, invincible in rally at the turn of the 1980s-1990s, had not been in the game for a long time and had even lost his approval to race in WRC at the end of 2000. And yet... the climate crisis has recently given rise to ideas that no one had thought of before, such as giving a second life to automotive icons by replacing their thermal engines with electric propulsion in the era of time.

Guerlain Chicherit and GCK Motorsport attempted this challenge in rally-cross… and succeeded rather well. For its first public appearance this weekend at the Nürburgring, scene of the last round of the 2022 season of the world championship Rallycross, the “new generation” Lancia Delta surprised people. Some observers present in Germany even gave it a Group B look with its widened wings and its monumental rear wing. All that remained was to pass it through the chronometer developer...

Good feelings despite a crash for GCK

The first round confirmed the good first impressions since a 2nd place seemed assured at the start of the penultimate lap, when the Savoyard driver's race came to an abrupt end with a 16G impact in a wall against which the had pushed Kevin Hansen, guilty of a maneuver that was risky to say the least.

First race for our Lancia Delta Evo-e RX. And good news, it is well born! @GChicherit was 2nd in the penultimate lap, but unfortunately…#worldrx @FIAWorldRX @motul pic.twitter.com/DCOI42nfBm

— GCK Motorsport (@GCKmotorsport) November 12, 2022

On Sunday morning, the team could be satisfied with having achieved the feat of putting the car back on its four wheels. The day's two races were then transformed into full-scale test sessions, an opportunity to gain experience in real conditions.

“I would like to congratulate my team who worked day and night over the last few weeks to complete the car on time, declared Guerlain Chicherit after the German event. She is magnificent. Never in my 20 years of career have I been so impatient to get behind the wheel. The results are extremely positive since we are in the running against competitors who had already competed in nine races with these new generation electric cars. Now, we will take advantage of the winter to analyze the data stored this weekend and make the necessary modifications. We will come back next year for a full season, hopefully with two cars. »

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