Driver Signed: Sophia Flörsch Joins Opel GSE Formula E Team

• Next Level GSE: Talented 25-year-old becomes test and development driver of the new German factory team
• Team Principal Jörg Schrott: "We combine talent development with high sporting standards"
• Sophia Flörsch: "We want to achieve sporting success and win the hearts of the fans"
• First appearance: Sophia Flörsch to represent Opel GSE Formula E Team at the official Formula E GEN4 launch in Le Castellet

The Opel GSE Formula E Team has signed its first driver: Sophia Flörsch will join the German factory team as a test and development driver as it enters the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The 25-year-old German will make her first public appearance on April 21 and 22, when the new GEN4 cars of the all-electric series will be officially presented in France.

"With Sophia's signing, we at Opel are sending a clear signal for the consistent promotion of young talents in electric motorsport. Her precise technical feedback as well as her analytical way of working in the simulator and on the track will play an essential role in the further development of our GEN4 package," said Team Principal Jörg Schrott. "At the same time, her fresh approach fits perfectly with our OMG! GSE campaign, with which we present the emotional side of our all-electric high-performance models. We combine targeted talent promotion with high sporting standards and thus strengthen the visibility of a new generation in motorsport that combines sporting performance with public presence."   

Sophia Flörsch: Successful driver with team spirit and ambitions

Sophia Flörsch began her career in karting before moving up to motor racing in 2015 and making a splash in the British Ginetta Junior Championship as the youngest winner. Through stints in the ADAC Formula 4, the European Formula 3 Championship and the Formula Regional European Championship, she established herself in single-seater racing and made history by becoming the first woman to score points and podium finishes in both the German Formula 4 and later in the FIA Formula 3 Championship. In the years that followed, she successfully continued her career in prototype and GT racing, finished on the podium in the European Le Mans Series, finished in the top 10 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) – and is now considered one of the most prominent women in international motorsport.

"Formula E is currently the toughest racing series in the world – and that's exactly where Opel and I are now competing together. The fact that a brand with 125 years of motorsport DNA is now taking the step into a world championship is impressive. As a German driver, being part of this factory team is more than a privilege for me," said Sophia Flörsch. "The GEN4 car is a thoroughbred race car: over 800 hp, all-wheel drive, ultra-fast. I can't wait to go into depth with the engineers, understand this car and get the maximum out of it. Together, we want to show what true teamwork can do – achieve sporting success and win the hearts of motorsport fans for Opel and Formula E."

When Formula E, manufacturers and teams present the GEN4 all-electric racing cars in Le Castellet in a few days, Sophia Flörsch will be at the wheel of the Opel race car. The 25-year-old racing driver from Munich has already reeled off her first kilometres in the GEN4 in the simulator and got to know the Opel family during a visit to the Opel headquarters in Rüsselsheim. Flörsch will be firmly involved in the test programme with immediate effect, supporting the team in development and simulator work and gaining targeted experience in the new Opel Formula E race car in the rookie sessions.

Opel talent promotion: First electric one-make rally cup as a springboard

Opel has a long-standing tradition of consistent talent development in motorsport, ranging from classic rally and circuit racing to all-electric rallying. With the ADAC GSE Rally Cup and its predecessor series, Opel has been opening a clear path to promotion to the European Junior Rally Championship for young drivers since 2013. This approach has already produced several titles and is now being continued at world championship level with the Opel GSE Formula E Team.

At the same time, Opel is also bringing the all-electric rally feeling to the road for customers. This is ensured by the production version of the Mokka GSE Rally, the new Opel Mokka GSE. The up to 200 km/h fast battery-electric performance car and ‘Golden Steering Wheel 2025’ 2 winner brings 207 kW (281 hp) of power and 345 Newton metres of torque to the road.

[1] The values of a vehicle depend not only on the efficient use of fuel by the vehicle, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.

[2] AUTO BILD issue 47/2025 and BILD am SONNTAG issue 47/2025, category ‘Small Cars’.

As Team Principal: Jörg Schrott Leads Opel GSE Formula E Team into Electric World Championship

• At Opel since 1997, Motorsport Director since 2012: A permanent fixture of the brand will be Team Principal of the new German works team
• Jörg Schrott: "I am grateful for the trust and look forward to the challenge."
• From the 2026/27 season: Opel has announced its entry into the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
• Next level GSE: Commitment provides a global stage for electric GSE high-performance models such as the new Opel Mokka GSE

With the official announcement of its entry into the Formula E World Championship, Opel is taking its commitment to electric motorsport to the next level. The Rüsselsheim-based brand has also made an important personnel decision for the ‘Opel GSE Formula E Team’: Jörg Schrott will take on the role of Team Principal. The brand with the Blitz emblem is thus relying on a proven leader for its next step in all-electric motorsport: Schrott has been part of the Opel family since 1997 and has been responsible for the brand's motorsport activities as Motorsport Director since 2012. Aschaffenburg-born Schrott made his first appearance in his new role during the Formel E race in Madrid, when Opel CEO Florian Huettl announced the new chapter in the brand's traditional and successful motorsport history.

“Jörg Schrott has been a defining personality of our brand for many years and has launched numerous successful motorsport projects. We are particularly proud that he is the driving force behind the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup, which gives young talents access to electric racing. Precisely because Jörg has proven how to break new ground with courage and pioneering spirit, he is the perfect choice to take on the role of Team Principal of the Opel GSE Formula E Team in addition to his responsibility as Motorsport Director," said Florian Huettl.

"I am grateful for the trust and look forward to the new challenge," said Jörg Schrott. "To be able to help shape Opel's entry into Formula E and thus electric motorsport at FIA World Championship level is a very special task." In the coming weeks and months, the focus will be on building a team that has the ambition to win races. This includes a winning driver duo, a well-rehearsed and passionate crew at the track and a focused team in Rüsselsheim that prepares the races with the highest precision. The key positions have already been defined and will now be successively filled with Formula E expertise. “Formula E is one of the most fiercely contested racing series in the world. Success only comes from real teamwork and the right mindset. My task is to form a strong team from Rüsselsheim that works together towards a common goal: the success of our brand on the international stage," added Schrott.

Formative Opel personality with motorsport drive and claim to success

Jörg Schrott has been shaping motorsport at Opel since 1997: As the first employee of the then newly founded Opel Performance Center (OPC), he was significantly involved in the development of the brand's performance production vehicles and racing activities and took over the management of Opel Motorsport in 2012. Under his leadership, Opel became an integral part of international circuit and rally racing, including six Junior European Championship titles – the result of a consistent promotion of young talents who advanced to the European Rally Championship after successes in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup. The world's first all-electric rally one-make cup, now renamed as ‘ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup’, will kick off its new season at the end of May with the drivers competing in the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally. At the same time, Opel customers benefit from the knowledge gained in motorsport. Opel is bringing the incomparable rally feeling of the 207 kW (281 hp) electric car to the road as a production model with the new Opel Mokka GSE.

Long before his motorsport commitments, Jörg Schrott was responsible for other management positions at Opel – including Head of Product Communications and Head of Corporate Communications – and thus also brings extensive experience in brand management, media relations and strategic positioning to his new role as Team Principal of the Opel GSE Formula E Team.

The official announcement of Opel's entry into Formula E marked the start of an impressive race weekend in Spain. Florian Huettl and Opel Marketing Director Rebecca Reinermann, together with Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds, presented Opel’s plans to international media representatives, celebrating their first official appearance in the paddock of the World Championship. On the Saturday of the race, 30,000 spectators – including Spain's King Felipe VI – watched the Formula E debut in Madrid live at the track.

The next appearance of the Opel GSE Formula E Team will be at the Paul Ricard racetrack in Le Castellet in mid-April, when the series, manufacturers and teams will officially present the then more than 800 hp GEN4 generation of the all-electric race cars.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Shark-Spotting in the New Opel Astra

• Secretive sea creatures: Finding sharks in the new Opel Astra requires a keen eye
• Full of character: Compact class bestseller is sharper and more modern than ever
• Iconic idea: Shark tradition at Opel began more than 20 years ago with a boy's brainwave
• For shark fans: Customers will also be able to spot little sharks in future Opel models

With Easter and the traditional egg hunt Opel can offer an exciting alternative activity no matter what the weather – the traditional Opel shark spotting. These secretive sea creatures have been a tradition at Opel for two decades now. To delight fans, the team in Rüsselsheim always comes with new hiding places for the sea dwellers – as is now the case with the new Opel Astra. The compact class bestseller – designed, engineered and built at Opel’s headquarters – not only looks more modern, sharper and more distinctive than ever, but also has a few surprises in store.

The adaptive IntelliLux HD lighting system, featuring over 50,000 elements, is not such a surprise but rather the logical next step in lighting technology. Following its introduction in the top-of-the-range Opel Grandland SUV, it is now being used for the first time in the new Opel Astra, which is already available to order. The improved range of the Opel Astra Electric is also a logical step forward, allowing drivers and passengers to travel up to 454 kilometres (WLTP 2) between charging stops. The more modern appearance is underlined by the sharper design, featuring an even narrower and more precisely styled Opel Vizor. Additionally, both the Vizor and the Blitz are illuminated.

But whilst the new Opel Astra makes an even brighter appearance overall, the little sharks are normally afraid of the light. They feel much more at home beneath the Astra’s surfaces, which are crafted from eco-friendly materials. 

This means that the search for these cartilaginous fish remains exciting in the newcomer. A little hint: it is worth changing one’s perspective between the front seats and turning things around a bit. And in the luggage compartment of the new Opel Astra Sports Tourer, the sharks might just be ‘swimming’ at higher altitudes than expected.

Iconic brainwave: The Opel sharks story began in 2004

But how come that, for the past 20 years now, miniature sharks have been popping up in all kinds of Opel passenger cars and generating such enthusiasm within the community? A brief look back: One Sunday afternoon in 2004, designer Dietmar Finger was at home working on a sketch for the Opel Corsa D which was to be launched two years later. He was designing the ordinary outer panel of the glove box, which is mostly invisible because it is hidden by the closed passenger door. However, when the glove box is opened, this panel must ensure stability – which it does with ribs integrated in the plastic surface. Finger was designing the ribs when his son looked at the sketch and said, “Why don’t you just draw a shark?” “Why not!” thought the designer and gave the ribs their characteristic shape! The next day, he showed the shark profile to Niels Loeb and the then Opel Corsa Chief Designer was immediately sold on the idea. The shark in the glove box went into series production and the ‘Opel sharks story’ began.

Next came the Opel Zafira, where Karim Giordimaina, then in charge of the interior design, hid three sharks in the compact van’s cockpit. Further permanent ‘shark appearances’ followed, first in the Opel ADAM and subsequently in all other car models up to the current generations of the Opel Grandland, Frontera and Mokka as well as the new Astra, where several tiny sea creatures are hidden in various places.

This has created an iconic ritual. Since the mid-2000s, every interior chief designer has made sure that at the end of the development process of a new model they have at least one shark somewhere in the interior. The exact locations always remain secret, even from top management. The fish therefore often stay hidden until the launch, which makes for an interesting search for shark lovers both inside and outside the company.

Consequently, the ‘Opel shark story’ will continue. Thus, in future Opel vehicles, too, the mini predators will be making their rounds, sometimes more, sometimes less hidden. Depending on the model, they may well change their territory in the depths of the interior and bodywork. So it remains exciting for customers to see where and how many sharks they will discover in their new Opel model.

[1] A vehicle's values not only depend on the vehicle's efficient use of fuel, but are also influenced by driving behaviour and other non-technical factors.

[2] The stated range was determined on the basis of the WLTP test procedures (Regulation (EC) No. 715/2007 and Regulation (EU) No. 2017/1151). The actual range may vary under everyday conditions and depends on various factors, in particular personal driving style, route conditions, outside temperature, use of heating and air conditioning as well as thermal preconditioning.