• Corsa-e Rally shines as only electric one-make cup worldwide
• ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup continues to gain recognition in international rallying
• Laurent Pellier and Corsa Rally4 dominate Junior European Rally Championship 

Opel literally electrified international rallying in the 2022 season. The ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup has established itself as the world’s first electric one-make rally cup and continued to grow. The teams from Germany, Austria, Finland, Sweden, Romania, Great Britain and the Netherlands fought for points, cups and prizes with their technically identical Opel Corsa-e Rally. The seven demanding and varied rallies in Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands thus underlined the high international importance of the pioneering work of long-standing partners Opel and ADAC.

“Awareness and interest in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup have increased noticeably compared to the 2021 season,” said Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. “We have had inquiries from all over Europe – from teams who want to join the competition and from organizers who want to hold a round of the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup. The Corsa-e Rally also serves as a benchmark for a new electric Rally5 category currently being developed by the world governing body FIA. We proved that electric rallying works and showed what it can look like, from the vehicle to the purely electric charging infrastructure to the safety concept. We will not let up in further optimising our successful project.”

Eight rounds are planned for the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup 2023, of which at least four will take place in European countries outside Germany. The calendar announcement is scheduled for the Essen Motor Show at the beginning of December at the latest.

The ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup 2022 was also a prime example of high-class rallying in terms of sport. At the top of the overall standings, a three-way battle between the two Germans Timo Schulz (23) and Max Reiter (22) and the Swede Calle Carlberg (22) electrified the spectators. After Reiter had gained an early small cushion of points, from the middle of the season it was Schulz who turned the tide with four wins in a row and, succeeding Frenchman Laurent Pellier, was crowned the second champion of an electric one-make rally cup.

Fifth European junior championship title for Opel

Timo Schulz followed in Pellier’s footsteps in two respects. The 27-year-old Pellier was promoted to the Junior European Rally Championship (JERC) as part of the successful grassroots development programme that Opel and ADAC have run for a decade. He dominated the 2022 season in the Corsa Rally4 of the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team. Pellier and his co-driver Marine Pelamourgues won no fewer than five of the six rallies of the season in the 212 hp Opel customer sport car and already clinched the title at the penultimate round in the Czech Republic. It was the fifth JERC title win for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team after 2015 (Emil Bergkvist, Sweden), 2016 (Marijan Griebel, Germany), 2017 (Chris Ingram, England) and 2018 (Martins Sesks, Latvia).

Opel is now preparing the way onto the European rally stage for Timo Schulz as well. “Winning the title in the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup and being promoted to the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team is a dream come true,” said Schulz. “I will do everything to learn as much as possible in the 2023 Junior European Championship and to justify the great trust that Opel and ADAC place in me.”

Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott thinks highly of his new protégé: “Timo has proven that he not only drives fast but can also control and use his head during a rally. He knows when to attack and when to avoid unnecessary risks. That’s what makes a good rally driver and it is now a matter of using and developing these skills on the extremely competitive JERC stage. I have complete confidence in him and we are also delighted to be competing with a German driver in the European Championship for the first time since 2016.”

Jörg Schrott is looking forward to the 2023 rally season: “With the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup, we have created a unique project that is innovative in many respects and that fits perfectly with the strategic orientation of the Opel brand. And the Corsa Rally4 seamlessly continues the tradition of successful customer competition cars from Rüsselsheim.”