Electrifying Premiere: ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup Makes its Debut at the Sanremo Rally

 

• Cup debut in Italy: All-electric one-make cup takes place on the Italian Riviera from October 16 to 18
• Precision required: Teams and their battery-electric Opel Mokka GSE Rally cars face a unique track layout
• Tight battle at the top of the standings: Ioan Lloyd, Timo Schulz and Tom Dufour are separated by just ten points

The ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup is setting up shop in Italy for the first time – and in doing so is writing a new chapter in electric rallying. The Sanremo Rally is a name that carries great prestige in international motorsport. First held in 1928, the event on the Italian Riviera has been the scene of numerous legendary battles between powerful cars. Until 2003, the ‘Sanremo’ was part of the World Rally Championship. Opel has fond memories of the event in the province of Imperia: in 1981 and 1982 respectively, Antonio ‘Tony’ Fassina and the future world champion Walter Röhrl both finished third in an Ascona 400. This coming weekend, the Rüsselsheim-based car manufacturer is set to cause a stir once again at the 73^rd edition of the Sanremo Rally – with the local premiere of the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup and thus, the first appearance of an electric rally one-make cup on Italian soil.

“Italy is a country brimming with passion for rallying and steeped in history. The Sanremo Rally holds enormous historical significance for Opel and our golden years of rallying. The fact that we are now launching the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup here for the first time and flying the flag for electric rallying underlines the international significance of our one-make cup,” said Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. “At the same time, the Rally Sanremo, with its challenging tarmac stages, provides the perfect stage to demonstrate the performance and dynamism of our Opel Mokka GSE Rally against a fantastic backdrop.”

The 14 teams and their Opel Mokka GSE Rally cars, delivering up to 207 kW (281 hp), can look forward to a unique route featuring tricky, narrow mountain roads in the Sanremo hinterland. The eight special stages, covering 113 kilometres, differ significantly from all others in the varied calendar of the 2026 ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup. With comparatively low average speeds, the highest level of precision is required. Even the smallest mistake could prove to be one too many.

In the fifth of seven rounds of the current Cup season, a flawless performance will be crucial, not least for the three top title contenders. The order of the leading trio was reshuffled at the recent ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg. Welshman Ioan Lloyd, with co-driver Sion Williams, has taken the lead in the standings, but is only seven points ahead of Timo Schulz. The German, alongside his co-driver Maresa Lade, had won three of the first four rounds of the season, but also suffered a retirement at the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est. Just three points behind the Germans are Tom Dufour and Alex Dubois, a lightning-fast French duo who have already stood on the podium three times this season.

In Italy, Valentino Ledda is undoubtedly the one to watch. Although he hails from the island of Sardinia, the Rally Sanremo can be considered a home race for the 19-year-old. And with a strong performance most recently in Stemwede, the Opel Italia driver has shown that he is aiming for a podium finish in Sanremo, just like last year’s runner-up in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, Alex Español, who climbed onto the podium for the first time this season in northern Germany.

The event, taking place around 50 kilometres east of Monaco, runs over three days. It starts on Friday (October 16) at 12.05 CEST. The finish in Sanremo is expected around 17.30 CEST on Sunday. Rally fans can follow the exciting action on the Italian Riviera via live timing at www.adac.de/motorsport and on the Opel Motorsport Instagram channel.

ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup standings (after 4 of 7 races)

1. Ioan Lloyd (GB)                  111 points

2. Timo Schulz (D)                 104

3. Tom Dufour (F)                  101

4. Dante Johansson (S)          70

5. Claire Schönborn (D)         62

6. Alex Español (E)                  55

7. Thyrsa Eertmans (B)          44

8. Fabian Kamermans (NL)   35

9. Valentino Ledda (I)             24

10. Luka Wlömer (D)              20