Three-Way Battle for the Title in the Season Finale of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’

• Sixth round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg
• Dutchman Fabian Kamermans celebrates first victory in the Opel Corsa Rally Electric
• Alex Español increases lead over Tom Heindrichs

Fabian Kamermans secured his first victory in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg with a dominant performance and thanks to a perfect tyre choice. After twelve special stages over around 108 kilometres, the Dutchman and his co-driver Stefan Müller were 11.1 seconds ahead of the German duo of Kilian Nierenz and Milena Raithel. The Bavarians, for their part, pipped Spaniards Alex "Sito" Español and Borja Odriozola by a mere 1.7 seconds. Español thus increased its lead in the overall standings over the Belgian Tom Heindrichs by eight points. The brother of World Rally Champion Thierry Neuville and his co-driver Jonas Schmitz finished fourth in the asphalt rally around Lübbecke.

At the season finale from October 16 to 19 as part of the Central European Rally, which is part of the World Rally Championship, three drivers still have a chance of winning the title: Español leads Heindrichs by twelve points, while Nierenz is 29 points behind and has to hope that his rivals are off the pace. At the World Championship round around Passau, a maximum of 35 points are still up for grabs.

The right choice of tyres sets the course for victory at the Rally Stemweder Berg

A preliminary decision for victory at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg, which is part of the German Rally Championship, was already made in the third special stage on Friday evening. As the only ones in the field, Kamermans/Müller had the right nose and put their Opel Corsa Rally Electric on rain tyres. Promptly, it began to rain immediately before the start of the stage, whereupon the Dutch duo built a significant lead of 18.6 seconds.

But even after that, Kamermans did not merely manage his lead but consolidated his advantage with three more special stage best times. “The first win feels great. Of course, the perfect tyre choice on Friday evening played into our hands. It was clear that we had to keep our concentration and still continue to attack. In the second stage on Saturday morning, we had a real moment of shock, but then we approached the rest of the rally as if it had only just begun. That was the key to this victory. To win here after the last rally, in which pretty much everything went wrong, is just great," said Kamermans.

Even though his title chances are likely to be only mathematical in nature, Kilian Nierenz was highly satisfied with second place, the fourth podium finish this season: “We started the rally perfectly with two best times. The rain on Friday evening surprised us as much as everyone except Fabi. He was simply smarter there. On the second day I made a few mistakes, so we are all the more happy about this second place. It was close, it was exciting, and it was a lot of fun again. Our goal now is to secure third place overall at the finale."

Third-placed Alex Español set three stage best times, including those in the final Power Stage, and was pleased with the increased lead in the overall standings: “Like most others, we made the wrong tyre call on Friday evening. So the plan for the second day was clear: full attack, take as many points as possible. That worked out great, and the fact that we were able to win the Power Stage at the end and take the five bonus points gave us a little more breathing space in the standings. Nevertheless, we will go into the Central European Rally fully focused, as we have done in all previous rallies. Because that's the only way you can win the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup."

ADAC Sports President Dr. Ennser enthusiastic, Fabian Vettel excited

As part of the development program, Opel racing legend Volker Strycek once again piloted the new 207 kW (281) hp Opel Mokka GSE Rally as the lead vehicle over the special stages of the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg. The electric powerhouse is the first rally car being developed according to the FIA eRally5 regulations, which come into force in 2026.

For the second time after the 2024 Mont-Blanc Morzine Rally, Dr. Gerd Ennser took part in a Cup race. Alternating with his son Fabian, the ADAC sports president drove an Opel Corsa Rally Electric as a preceding vehicle and enjoyed the experience: "The ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup is unique. For the ADAC, it is important that electrification in motorsport progresses. I've been a big rally fan since I was young and always thrilled when I have the opportunity to be active in a rally car myself. I'm not as competitive as the boys anymore – but it's still a lot of fun!"

First and foremost, fun will also be the focus of a prominent guest driver in three weeks. As part of the season finale of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, Fabian Vettel (26) will make his rally debut. The brother of four-time Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel will share the Corsa Rally Electric with experienced co-driver Gino Kruhs at the Central European Rally.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ after 6 rounds:

1. Español        172 points

2. Heindrichs    160 points

3. Nierenz         143 points

4. Kamermans   121 points

5. Lemke           109 points

6. Neulinger        88 points

7. Wittenbeck      71 points

8. Rott                 63 points

9. Jungnickel       57 points

10. Eertmans       52 points

11. Steitz             42 points

New Opel Mokka GSE Rally: Future of Electric Rallying Starts Now!

• Pioneer: Opel Mokka GSE Rally is first vehicle to be developed according to FIA’s new eRally5 regulations
• Eye-catching prototype: With ‘OMG! GSE’ foiling, strong colours and special wheels
• Top performance: 207 kW (280 hp) and 345 Nm of torque
• Motorsport technology: Bilstein rally suspension, racing gearbox, lightweight chassis
• Rally premiere: Opel Mokka GSE Rally celebrates debut at ELE Rally Eindhoven on May 23/24

ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ has just made a successful start to its fifth season. To this day, the rally series is the world's only all-electric rally one-make cup, but Opel is already looking to the future. Because the manufacturer is giving a preview of what the electric rally car of tomorrow could look like with the new Opel Mokka GSE Rally – also in an exciting and electrifying video. With 207 kW (280 hp), the powerful prototype once again underlines the pioneering role that Opel plays in electric rallying.

“For more than four years, Opel and the ADAC have been demonstrating that electric rallying works and excites. With our new Opel Mokka GSE Rally, we are offering a glimpse of a fully electric next generation rally car. Thanks to the latest motorsport technology the prototype offers strong performance and power aplenty,” said Opel and Vauxhall CEO Florian Huettl.

Opel Mokka GSE Rally: Goosebumps, sportiness and electrifying euphoria

Serial production Opel Mokka is already an exciting head turner with its characteristic design, new colours, new cockpit and top technologies. New Opel Mokka GSE Rally retains much of this – and represents the next big step especially for all-electric rallying: it is stronger, faster, more uncompromising in every respect!

From the outside, Opel Mokka GSE Rally is an absolute eye-catcher: With its extraordinary motorsport foiling including large ‘OMG! GSE’ lettering. In addition, there are yellow brake calipers at the front and yellow rims at the rear, as well as other rally design accents. There is a clearly visible air intake on the roof and "Mokka GSE RALLY" is emblazoned in white and yellow lettering on the black bonnet.

Elsewhere, the inner values of the prototype with the Blitz are even more impressive: an electric peak power output of 207 kW (280 hp) and torque of 345 Newton metres, combined with sophisticated motorsport technology, promise performance on a par with a Rally4 car. A multi-plate limited-slip differential and a racing gearbox, together with reinforced drive shafts and wheel hubs, provide powerful propulsion. The chassis was manufactured in a lightweight design. The perfectly tuned rally suspension from Bilstein consists of reinforced McPherson struts and uniball mounts on the front axle as well as a rigid rear axle with modified springs and dampers. Electronic driving aids such as ABS, ESP, lane-keep assist and traction control are all absent on Opel Mokka GSE Rally. Based on the experience gained from the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, the software tuning for the engine and battery management has been designed for maximum efficiency, driveability under competitive conditions and performance. The battery corresponds to the series version with a storage capacity of 54 kWh.

“The Mokka GSE Rally will make Opel Motorsport fans’ hearts beat faster and give them real ‘OMG! GSE’ moments. The electric rally prototype proves that our GSE sub-brand will hit the next level in 2025: with electric thrills and high-level performance true to our rich motorsport heritage,”, said Rebecca Reinermann, Vice President Marketing at Opel and Vauxhall.

Elsewhere, the extremely high safety standards have been retained. Like the Opel Corsa Rally Electric, the Opel Mokka GSE Rally also has a roll cage (certified by the FIA), rally seats with six-point seatbelts, a special encapsulation of the battery and an additional underride guard. The 400-volt system is continuously monitored by the proven Master Alarm Indicator. In the unlikely event of an insulation issue, a visual and acoustic warning system immediately reports a malfunction. In the event of a sudden deceleration (such as in a collision), a sophisticated sensor system completely shuts down the high-voltage system in a few tenths of a second. In addition, Opel Mokka GSE Rally has a special extinguishing system with electrically non-conductive extinguishing agent.

And: Opel Mokka GSE Rally is the world's first rally car currently being developed according to the FIA's new eRally5 regulations. The fast prototype could thus be used worldwide in multiple customer sport competitions from the 2026 rally season.

From vision to reality: Electric rally brand sport works and inspires

Opel Mokka GSE Rally thus represents the next possible development stage for all-electric rally one-make racing. Since the 2021 season, Opel has been proving: Electric rally racing works and inspires! The Corsa Rally Electric, which is used in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’, has proven to be a fast, reliable and safe electric rally car. The near-production technology, especially for the high-voltage components such as the electric motor, inverter and battery, effortlessly masters the extreme demands of rallying. The same applies to the innovative charging infrastructure, with which Opel always reliably supplies the nimble electric rally cars on site with sustainable energy.

Acceptance and interest in the world's first electric one-make rally cup has been growing from year to year since the beginning. Since the debut season in 2021, a total of 63 drivers from 13 nations have taken part in one of the 33 Cup races in six countries so far. The next round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup ‘powered by GSE’ 2025 will take place on May 23/24 as part of the ELE Rally in Eindhoven. Visitors of the Opel Motorsport service park can take a closer look at the Opel Mokka GSE Rally prototype which will celebrate its rally premiere in the Netherlands.