Motorsports
Lancia Delta S4: two-week world champion in 1986 with Mark Allen
The first all-wheel drive Lancia was introduced at a risky time for rally racing and paved the way for the car to become a landmark model for the Italian marque in the WRC.
The Lancia Rally 037, despite winning the 1983 Manufacturers’ World Championship, failed to match the four-wheel drive advantage of the competition cars. The answer of the Italian company was heard in the name Delta S4.
The Delta S4 was developed between 1985 and 1986 by Lancia in collaboration with Abarth. It was an absolute race car in every respect, with Lancia giving in to the transmission on all 4 wheels. The purpose of the Delta S4 was to continue the Rally 037 winning streak in the legendary Group B.
Under the hood the 1,759 cc engine. Combined mechanical supercharger and turbocharger to reduce turbo lag at low revs.
The official peak power price was 490 hp, although there were rumors that the total was over 500, which is by no means unlikely given that in 1985, when Lancia engineers tested the S4 engine in extreme operating conditions, 1,014 hp had been achieved with one pressure of 5 bar!
The Delta S4 brought the dual-boost process to the surface for the first time, with a large turbo Kühnle, Kopp & Kausch starting at 4,500 rpm. and a Volumex R18 mechanical supercharger that closed the power gap at lower revs.
The choice of displacement was anything but arbitrary, because according to the FIA regulations and the factor 1.4 in the supercharged units, the S4 engine was below the limit of 2,500 cm³. which ensured the minimum allowable weight of 890 kg.
Like its competitors, the engine-centric Delta S4 had little in common with the corresponding production model, the Lancia Delta. As with the 037, the tubular space frame was sprung on all wheels with double wishbones, while the plastic body emphasized the aerodynamics and, of course, the quick repair of damage in the event of an exit.
The new all-wheel drive system that Lancia developed for the S4 in collaboration with British company Hewland featured a central differential with torque split between 60% and 75% to the rear wheels and offered a distinct advantage over the less advanced all-wheel drive systems of the competition.
The Delta S4 made an immediate impact when it won its first official RAC rally in 1985 at the hands of Henry Toivonen. The following year, Mark Allen and the S4 were 1986 World Champions for two weeks, a title eventually stripped after the Finnish driver’s victory at the San Remo Rally was annulled due to a technical fault.
In addition to the lost victory in the Italian race, the Delta S4 won 3 other victories in the same year, in Monte Carlo with Toivonen, in Rally Argentina with Nicki Biazion and in the Olympus Rally in the USA. with all.
In fact, Bizion’s victory in Argentina was his first win in the World Rally Championship! At the same time, Lancia won the European Rally Championship in 1986 with its impressive race.
The end of the Delta S4 came tragically when Henry Toivonen and his co-driver Sergio Cresto died after an exit on the 18th stage (Corte-Taverna) of the 1986 Corsica Rally, an accident that led to the immediate end of the frightening strong cars of group B
Lancia had already begun designing the futuristic Lancia ECV to replace the 1987 Delta S4, but the cancellation of the Group S, like Group B, led to the takeover of Delta production.
For the first time since Fulvia, Lancia was forced to rely on its racing presence in a production car rather than one designed specifically for rallies, a stipulation that would lead to the most successful race car in its history: the Lancia Delta HF race car.
Source: sport 24
Sophia Jhon is a sports journalist and author. He has worked as a news editor for Sportish and is now a sport columnist for the same publication. Alberta’s professional interests lie largely in sports news, with an emphasis on English football. He has also written articles on other sporting topics.
Thomas Berman, the younger brother of Haas Formula 1 team driver Oliver Berman, will officially take part in Italian Formula 4 and Euro 4 in the 2026 season.
Thomas will represent the VAR team colours.
The 16-year-old Briton spent last year in British Formula 4, where he scored one win and finished eighth in the final season standings.
But the ones that are considered the most prestigious and promising are the Italian and European Formula 4 championships. They are often chosen by young pilots for further career advancement. In addition, Thomas’ older brother Oliver Berman also competed in these series and became the Italian Formula 4 champion in 2021 with 11 wins.
Let us also remind you that Ukrainian Alexander Bondarev will compete in the same championships with the Prima Racing team in the 2026 season. The Ukrainian pilot does not hide his ambitions and has repeatedly expressed his intention to fight for the championship title.
Bondarev now participates in Middle East Formula 4 in preparation for the European leg of the season. After the first stage, he took first place in the general rankings and became the leader in the rankings.
Thomas Berman will compete in the Formula Winter Series as part of his preparations.
The competition between the current “four” promises to be extremely high, and the appearance of the younger brother of the Formula 1 pilot will only increase interest in the series.
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Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Formula 1 is preparing to enter a new era of regulations. Starting from the 2026 season, the aerodynamics and power plants of the vehicles will change significantly. Many people are already calling these innovations the biggest in the history of the championship.
In addition, the physical parameters of the machines will also change. The cars will become smaller: 10 cm narrower, 20 cm shorter and also 32 kg lighter; minimum weight will drop to 768 kg.
However, reaching this new cap will be extremely difficult for most teams. New power plants include a significantly larger share of the electrical component – with the internal combustion engine the ratio will now be 50/50, which will make the unit heavier. From the new season, there will also be a rule requiring at least 55% of the vehicle area to be painted, and new active aerodynamic features with real-time mode switching will be introduced.
All of this increases the weight of the car, and teams will need to simultaneously work to increase efficiency, reliability and reduce the weight of the cars. Audi is reportedly already the first team to reach the minimum points mark. Earlier, information also appeared that the German manufacturer replaced the mechanism for switching active aerodynamic modes with an electronic one.
There have been recent reports that Alpin can also reach a minimum weight of 768 kg. Of course, the lower the mass, the faster the car. But the question remains whether this will compromise reliability in the early stages of the new regulation. We will learn the answer to this very soon.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Motorsports
Former F1 pilot: “Look, everyone has already forgotten about him. Only a month has passed”
Former Formula 1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya believes that it will be extremely difficult for Yuki Tsunoda to return to the royal motorsport.
The Japanese driver joined Red Bull at the start of 2025, replacing Liam Lawson after two races. Even though he performed better than his predecessor, the team decided to replace him and there was no place for Tsunoda in the youth team.
In five years in Formula One, Tsunoda has competed in more than 100 Grands Prix. His best result was fourth at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. He failed to score a single podium or victory despite having several prize chances, but neither the team nor the driver realized these.
Montoya believes that Yuki is forgotten by almost all teams today:
“Look how sad Formula 1 is. Nobody even thinks about Yuki anymore. It’s only been a month and a week since the last race and Yuki is no longer on anyone’s radar. That’s the reality of this sport. One day you’re a hero, the next day you’re a nobody. When you’re a hero, you have to take advantage of that opportunity.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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