Opel Corsa Rally Electric Cars Start at Foot of Mont Blanc

• Sixth round of ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” at Rallye Mont Blanc Morzine
• Frenchman Anthony Rott wants to cut deficit to table leader Luca Pröglhöf on home rally
• ADAC Sports President Dr. Gerd Ennser and his son Fabian will drive a Corsa Rally Electric as VIP course car

The Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine is a special highlight of the year for the participants of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” this coming weekend. For the third time, the teams will be taking on the demanding special stages at the foot of the highest mountain in the Alps (4,807 metres) in their 100 KW (136 hp) Opel Corsa Rally Electric cars. In addition to the stunning mountain panorama and the difficult asphalt roads, the Rallye Mont-Blanc also impresses with its unique atmosphere. Every year, more than 250 rally vehicles transform the winter sports resort of Morzine into a huge rally service park.

A total of nine relatively long special stages covering around 148 kilometres have to be completed on the two rally days (September 6/7). The roads lead steeply uphill and downhill with fast, difficult passages that demand everything from the cockpit crews.

In terms of sport, the excitement is rising in the world’s first electric rally one-make cup. In the sixth of eight rallies of the year, four-time season winner and leader of the table Luca Pröglhöf can put himself in a promising position for the title fight with another top result. The 24-year-old Austrian and his co-driver Christina Ettel are travelling to France with a lead of 42 points. A generous cushion, but one that can quickly shrink again, as a total of 35 points are up for grabs in one round of the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup.

The Rallye Mont-Blanc Morzine is a home event for four teams in the electric field. The brothers Anthony and Adrien Rott, who are second in the overall standings, want to reduce their points deficit to Pröglhöf. The two women’s teams from the FFSA Academy, Emma Chalvin/Emy Ailloud-Perraud and Alizée Pottier/Manon Perrin, will undoubtedly also attract a lot of attention. Jérôme Chavanne and co-driver Emilie Galleano, who competed in the Stellantis Rallye Cup France last year, will take on the established electric cars as guest drivers.

The German duos Christian Lemke and Jan-Eric Bemmann as well as Johannes Wittenbeck and Maximilian Kugler have also declared their ambitions for a top result at Mont Blanc after strong performances and positions 2 and 5 at the ADAC Rallye Stemweder Berg. The regular Cup teams will meet two other guest drivers in Morzine. Axel Bayer (with co-driver Aaron Jungnickel) and Ann Felke (with Thomas Velz), after their electric debut at the season opener in Sulingen, will be back at the start in France next weekend.

In addition to rally organizer Philippe Vanesse, who will chauffeur guests around the stages in an Opel rally taxi, a particularly exciting duo in another Corsa Rally Electric will be driving ahead of the field of Cup participants to ensure safety on the stages: ADAC Sports President Dr. Gerd Ennser shares the car with his son Fabian, who has been part of the Opel motorsport family since his appearances in the former ADAC Opel Rallye Cup.

A long day of rallying awaits the Cup teams on Friday (September 6). The start in Morzine will be at 7.30 a.m., before seven special stages are scheduled until 8 p.m. The rally will be decided the following day from 8.30 a.m. with two further stages. The crossing of the finish ramp in Morzine will take place from 2 p.m.

Rally fans staying at home can follow the action in the French Alps via live timing at http://www.opel-motorsport.com/.

Standings ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” after 5 of 8 rounds:

1. Pröglhöf                                    165 points.
2. Rott                                           123.
3. Español                                     96.
4. Lemke                                       71.
5. Chalvin                                      68.
6. Hangodi                                     64.
7. Baudet                                       63.
8. Wittenbeck                                53.
9. Pottier                                        38.
10. Melse                                       37.