Sanremo Rally: ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup Delivers Thrilling Electric Motorsport on Its Italian Debut

• Fourth win of the season: German Timo Schulz takes the lead in the standings
• Tight race: Welshman Ioan Lloyd and Frenchman Tom Dufour are hot on the German’s heels

The Sanremo Rally fully lived up to expectations as the highlight of the 2026 ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup season. The teams, in their Opel Mokka GSE Rally cars with power outputs of up to 207 kW (281 hp), enjoyed a traditional event characterised by a service park right on the Riviera coast, spectacular special stages in the mountainous hinterland, Italian flair and the thrilling rally action typical of the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup. The battle for the 2026 Cup title has become even more dramatic – the top three in the overall standings are separated by just five points.

After three exciting days of competition, it was Timo Schulz and Maresa Lade who, for the fourth time this season, were the first to drive their Mokka GSE Rally across the finish ramp in the port of Sanremo. “This rally was a real highlight of the season,” said Schulz. “The special stages were extremely demanding. We really pushed hard at the start, which allowed us to build up a lead and then manage – or even extend – it throughout the rally. The Opel Mokka GSE Rally was perfectly suited to the tight corners. We’re more than satisfied; it couldn’t have gone better.”

Timo Schulz has thus taken the lead in the standings for the current season of the world’s first electric rally one-make cup. With two rounds remaining, the 27-year-old leads by three points ahead of Ioan Lloyd. The Welshman and his co-driver Sion Williams finished the Sanremo Rally in fourth place overall, after the Spanish duo Alex Español and Enrique Velasco snatched the final podium place from them by nine-tenths of a second on the final special stage.

With a second-place finish in Sanremo, Frenchman Tom Dufour narrowed the gap to Lloyd to two points and thus remains within striking distance of Schulz. “We’re pleased,” said the 19-year-old, who, as always, followed Alex Dubois’ instructions. “This rally is completely different from any we’ve driven so far. We were quick on some stages, but struggled on others. But it was a great learning experience; we’re right in the thick of the title fight and are looking forward to the next rallies!”

Finishing third, Alex Español celebrated his second consecutive podium finish: “We had an interesting battle with Ioan. We gave it our all once again in the Power Stage and are, of course, delighted that we managed to pip our Welsh friends to a podium finish by such a narrow margin. We’re now on the right track and want to keep it up in the final two rallies.”

Behind Lloyd, Valentino Ledda continued his upward trend by finishing fifth. Meanwhile, his compatriots Matteo Greco and Edoardo Brovelli made a much-talked-about guest appearance in the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup in Sanremo. The local heroes were sitting in a strong sixth place going into the Power Stage, when a puncture cost them two minutes. Nevertheless, Greco was clearly impressed: “The Mokka GSE Rally requires a different driving style to the Rally4 car, but it’s great fun with its high torque and superb balance. We really enjoyed our debut in the Cup!” Claire Schönborn and her co-driver Michael Wenzel finished the Rally Sanremo in sixth place overall.

Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott also celebrated the debut of the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup in Sanremo: “You can feel the tradition and the special atmosphere of this rally in every single second. For our young teams, the start in Sanremo was a special experience. Hardly any other rally in Europe offers such challenging, yet at the same time stunningly beautiful special stages. Motorsport in Italy is always associated with a great deal of emotion. The Mokka GSE Rally really showed its strengths on these narrow, twisty special stages. And in sporting terms, the battle for the top leaves nothing to be desired. I’m looking forward to the final two rounds of the season.”

The teams in the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup have only a brief respite. In just two weeks’ time, the penultimate round of the season is on the programme at the ADAC Saarland-Palatinate Rally.

ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup standings (after 5 of 7 races)

1. Schulz                      136 points

2. Lloyd                        133

3. Dufour                     131

4. Español                    81

5. Schönborn              76

6. Johansson               70

7. Eertmans                 54

8. Ledda                       41

9. Kamermans            35

10. Van Empel             22

11. Luif                          21

12. Wlömer                  20

13. Wilhelm                 16

14. Stütz                       14

15. Wittenbeck            12