Formula E Meets Electric Rally: Sophia Flörsch to Compete in the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup

• A strong competitor: Test and development driver Sophia Flörsch will be a guest entrant in the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup at the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye
• A strong car: Sophia Flörsch will compete in the Mokka GSE Rally with a design chosen by fans
• Strong women: With coach Claire Schönborn and co-driver Nina Spitaler by her side, Flörsch brings together Opel’s motorsport disciplines
• Strong company car: Sophia Flörsch is familiar with her Opel Mokka GSE from everyday life; now she is putting its rally twin through its paces in competition

Combined values for Opel Mokka GSE according to WLTP¹: Energy consumption 18.5 kWh/100 km, CO₂ emissions 0 g/km; CO₂ label: A.

Rüsselsheim.  Straight from the Formula E test programme to the special stage: Sophia Flörsch will be competing as a guest driver in the Opel Mokka GSE Rally at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye on August 14 and 15 as part of the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup. In doing so, the test and development driver is connecting Opel’s new involvement in the electric World Championship with electric rallying – a discipline the brand co-founded and has been pioneering for years.

The project is a unique motorsport adventure: on the one hand, Formula E with a simulator, data analysis and development work at World Championship level; on the other, electric rallying with a co-driver, pace notes and full commitment on varied terrain. Flörsch is therefore experiencing the full GSE journey: from road car, to rally car, all the way up to world championship-level motorsport. The fact that she drives an Opel Mokka GSE in her everyday life makes this transition particularly authentic. She is already familiar with the series model from the road and is now experiencing its technical rally twin in competition.

Challenge accepted: Exploring the limits with absolute precision

Flörsch’s guest appearance in the rally is an impressive demonstration of diversity, performance and progress in motorsport. Opel has just shaken up the all-wheel-drive field at the Rallye Weiz with the Mokka GSE Rally, cementing its electric performance at Rally4 level. At the fourth round of the GSE Rally Cup this season, the 15 teams – featuring top talent from across Europe – will compete for the first time as part of the German Rally Championship.

“I’ve always enjoyed taking on new challenges – that’s exactly what makes this event so exciting for me,” said Sophia Flörsch. “I’ve been following rallying for a long time, but driving is something else entirely: You have to trust your co-driver 100 per cent, work your way to the limit and drive with absolute precision – because there are no run-off areas here like there are on a circuit. The fact that I drive the Mokka GSE as my company car makes it even cooler. Its sporting credentials are already clearly evident on the road, and now I get to experience what its rally counterpart is really capable of.”

Fans will also playing a part in Sophia Flörsch’s rally debut: over the next few days, they can vote on the design of the Mokka GSE Rally via Opel Germany and Opel Motorsport’s Instagram channels. Opel is once again strengthening its ties with the community and actively involving them in its motorsport activities.

Three strong women: Sophia Flörsch trains with rally aces

To ensure the GSE crossover results in a genuine competitive outing, Flörsch has been preparing in a targeted and intensive manner. Together, with her co-driver Nina Spitaler, she completed a three-day training session that went far beyond mere driving practice: clocking up kilometres in the car, working on the pace notes, covering the theoretical basics and getting in sync as a duo. The 29-year-old Austrian Nina Spitaler is a highly successful rally co-driver; she is also active as a driver in rallycross and in 2024 gained experience in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup herself alongside guest starter Pia Steffe. Claire Schönborn took on the role of coach at the facility of former World Rally Champion Manfred Stohl in Austria. The 26-year-old returned to the brand with the Blitz in 2026: in the European Junior Rally Championship, she drives a Corsa Rally4 for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team, and in the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup, a Mokka GSE Rally.

“Working with Claire and Nina has been an incredible experience. We’re all here to show that electric motorsport is fun and dynamic – and that it can inspire the next generation of racing drivers, particularly women, in motorsport. The future of motorsport is not only electric, it’s also becoming more diverse. Together, we can achieve a great deal,” said Sophia Flörsch.

Jörg Schrott: “This collaboration brings our two motorsport worlds together”

“Sophia showed an interest in our rally project and Opel’s rich rallying history right from her first visit to Opel. We took that on board and said: if we’re going to do it, let’s do it properly,” said Jörg Schrott, Team Principal of the Opel GSE Formula E Team and Head of Opel Motorsport. “Sophia threw herself into the training sessions, worked with great precision and quickly built confidence in the new procedures. This event brings our two motorsport worlds – Formula E and electric rallying – together in a special way. We are readily anticipating her rally debut in Saarland.”

For Flörsch, the appeal lies in more than just driving. From her development work in Formula E, she is familiar with the in-depth technical discussions with engineers, the structured analysis and the intensive, detailed preparation. “In Formula E, every detail is analysed, and it’s precisely this thorough approach that I really like,” said Flörsch. “In a rally car, there’s a whole new dimension to it: pace notes, rhythm, trust, and sometimes gravel – it’s different from circuit racing, and that’s exactly what makes it so appealing. I’ve approached this challenge without any rigid expectations; I want to learn, reach the finish safely and, of course, achieve a good result with the Mokka GSE Rally.”

A big stage: German Championship round with new challenges

The ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup is staging its fourth round of the season at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye around Illingen. The round of the German Rally Championship begins on Friday afternoon, August 14, and concludes on Saturday evening, August 15, in Illingen after 14 special stages, including a sprint stage just under 20 kilometres long. After five years with the Corsa Rally Electric, the Opel Mokka GSE Rally is being used from this season onwards in the world’s first electric rally one-make cup. With an output of up to 207 kW (281 hp) and an enormous torque of 345 Newton metres, the new customer racing car is more than twice as powerful as its predecessor.

^[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.