Opel Corsa Rally Electric Driver Reiter Takes Victory at Rallye Weiz

• Rallye Weiz: Fourth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Weiz-winner Max Reiter leads Calle Carlberg by five points halfway through season
• Pröglhöf third again on home soil, strong drives from Rumeau, Baur and Mendoza

Teams contesting the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” in their 100 kW/136 hp Opel Corsa Rally Electric cars put on another thrilling show at the Rallye Weiz, despite scorching heat. In temperatures exceeding 35 degrees Celsius, another thrilling duel broke out between Max Reiter and Calle Carlberg. This time on the tarmac roads of Styria it was Reiter who held the upper hand, the young German taking his third win of the season to put himself five points clear of his Swedish rival in the standings.

“Last year at this difficult rally we did not have our best weekend,” said Reiter, who is assisted since the start of the season by co-driver Conny Nemenich. “This time we were well prepared and immediately found a good rhythm. The fight with Calle and Luca was great fun, I hope we put on a good show for the spectators.”

Vosges winner Carlberg, who set the best time in four special stages including the final “Power Stage”, applauded his opponent: “Max showed here how fast he is. I struggled a bit from the start. The roads here are incredibly tricky because the grip level is constantly changing. In the end I tried to keep the pressure on Max without risking the important points. I expect a tough fight for the title until the end of the season.”

Like last time at the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est, the Austrian Luca Pröglhöf delivered a flawless performance alongside Christina “Dina” Ettel and placed in the top three in all but one of the special stages. The reward was the second podium in a row – and again the driver only found out about it at the finish. “Since Dina stopped showing me times, I don't worry anymore. I'm just relaxed and enjoy the rallying. I think it is great that my opponents also respect our approach and don't tell me how things are going.”

Sarah Rumeau, Joe Baur and Armiche Mendoza also put on a strong performance. The fast Frenchwoman and her co-driver Julie Amblard finished fourth for the third time in a row, just ahead of Baur (with Fabian Peter at his side). Sarah made no secret of her disappointment at having missed the targeted podium once more: “We are sad – fourth again! But it was a little to be expected. Everyone else in front knew the rally from last year. Our best special stage here was the first – and that was new for everyone. But we are not giving up, the podium will come at some point!”

“We didn't find a good rhythm last year, but things went well here from the start,” commented Baur. “Although it was difficult to estimate the level of grip and to guess where you can push and where you can't.” With sixth place, Mendoza also proved that he has arrived in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup. “After we missed the start of the season, it was important for us in the first three rallies to get used to the car and the Cup, especially as every rally so far has had different characteristics,” said the Spaniard, who is joined in the cockpit by co-driver Alejandro Falcon Caballero. “Confidence in the car grows with every kilometre, I feel good and I'm looking forward to the events to come.”

ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” will now take a short summer break. The second half of the season will begin on August 18-19 at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye near St. Wendel.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2023 (after 4 of 8 rounds):

1. Reiter, 126 points.

2. Carlberg 121.

3. Pröglhöf 84.

4. Rumeau 78.

5. Lemke 55.

6. Van Hoof 42.

7. Tarta 39.

8. Baur 36.

9. Gudet 34.

10. Callea and Wittenbeck, 27 each.

Opel Corsa Rally Electric Returns to Rallye Weiz

• Rallye Weiz is fourth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”
• Close contest between leaders of world’s first electric one-make rally cup
• Fast French lady, Sarah Rumeau, eager for first Cup podium

A close title-fight has broken out in this year’s ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe”, the world’s first electric one-make rally cup. Calle Carlberg (22, Sweden) has cut the lead of Max Reiter (23, Germany) in the standings to one point, following his first win in the Opel Corsa Rally Electric four weeks ago on the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est in France. “It can go on like this,” laughed the young Scandinavian. Ambitious Reiter – who does not like to finish second – is unlikely to agree.

In hot pursuit are two more aces who have not yet written off their own title chances: Austrian Luca Pröglhöf (23), who scored his first Cup-podium in France, and Sarah Rumeau. The 28-year-old fast French lady from the FFSA Academy, together with her co-driver, Julie Amblard, is eager to score her first podium. “We have often been close, and with a little luck it could have been at the Rallye Vosges. But I have the feeling the first podium is not far away,” said Rumeau.

Scene is thus set for close combat on the Rallye Weiz on July 14/15, where the all-electric rally cars are making their second appearance. Last year’s rally in the east of the Austrian Styria region, with its demanding stages, large crowds and beautiful scenery, already received an enthusiastic reception from the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup teams.

In addition, the Austrian rally legend, Manfred Stohl, who has competed in no fewer than 126 rounds of the FIA World Rally Championship in his successful career, will once again pilot a Opel Corsa Rally Electric as course car and VIP rally taxi.

Action starts with the first three special stages on Friday, July 14, at 3.40 p.m. Second leg starts the next day at 9.40 a.m. with another eight stages. First Cup car will cross the finishing ramp at 8.30 in the evening. Opel Corsa Rally Electric Teams will cover 129 kilometres of special stages in total.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup 2023 (after 3 of 8 rounds): 

1. Reiter 92.

2. Carlberg 91.

3. Pröglhöf 59.

4. Rumeau 57.

5. Lemke 45.

6. Van Hoof 38.

7. Tarta 31.

8. Gudet 30.

9. Callea 27.

10. Rott 26.