page_title: Lancia LC2
section_title: 1985
hierarchical_section_title: Lancia LC2 / Racing history / 1985
caption_attribution_description: A Lancia LC2
context_page_description: The Lancia LC2 was a series of racing cars built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lancia and powered by engines built by their sister company Ferrari. They were part of Lancia's official factory-backed effort in the World Sportscar Championship from 1983 to 1986, although they continued to be used by privateer teams until 1991. They were also the company's first car meeting the FIA's new Group C regulations for sports prototypes.
  More powerful than their primary competition, the Porsche 956s, the LC2s were able to secure multiple pole positions during their three and a half seasons with the factory Martini Racing squad. However, deficiencies in reliability and fuel consumption hampered the LC2s' efforts for race wins against the Porsches. LC2s earned three race victories over their lifetimes in the hands of Italian drivers Teo Fabi, Riccardo Patrese, Alessandro Nannini, and Mauro Baldi, as well as German Hans Heyer and Frenchman Bob Wollek.
context_section_description: 1985 was a year in which Martini Racing needed to show the potential winning capabilities of the LC2 in order for Lancia to continue to fund a project that had seen limited success thus far. The cars were further revised and were running on Michelin radial tyres. The season opened with an LC2 taking pole position at Mugello by 1.7 seconds ahead of the factory Porsche.  Although the pole position car's engine did not last, the other team car finished fourth.  For the 1000 km of Monza, the LC2s were nearly four seconds ahead of the closest Porsche in qualifying, and led the race early on.  However, while Patrese and Nannini were in third place and on the same lap as the leaders, a tree fell across the track and caused the race to be stopped early.  On pole once again at Silverstone, one of the LC2s was in the lead of the race until a wheel bearing failure in the closing laps forced Nannini to pit, forfeiting the lead.  Although the LC2s did not take pole at Le Mans, they lead the race early.  Reliability issues again forced the team to drop out of the lead.  They eventually finished the race in sixth and seventh places.  A fuel pump failure also dropped the team out of contention at the Hockenheimring.
  The team was competitive throughout the race at Spa, with the LC2 of Wollek, Patrese, and Mauro Baldi leading the factory Porsche towards the end of the event. The Lancia were leading when the race organisers chose to end the race out of respect for driver Stefan Bellof who had been killed in an accident earlier in the event.  Even with the shortened race, Lancia were able to celebrate their first victory over the factory Rothmans Porsche team.  The following event, the 1000 km of Brands Hatch, saw the LC2s leading en route to a potential win, only to hit one another and finish third and fourth.  Once again unable to challenge Porsche in the championships, Lancia chose not to participate in the final two rounds.  However they still earned second in the Teams Championship, just ahead of the privateer Joest Racing Porsche.
caption: An LC2 in the final form used by the factory team in 1985 and 1986.
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