“Just getting the chance to drive the car for the first time was really special" - Sophia Floersch drives Opel GSE Formula E Gen4 at Le Castellet
- JODIE SAXON
- 6 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Sophia Floersch had the opportunity to drive the new Opel GSE Formula E GEN4 car at the team's first outing at the Le Castellet launch; here's what she told us about her experience, and her role with the team.
German driver Sophia Floersch has been on the fringes of Formula E for many years with test opportunities slipping through her fingers due to unavoidable commitments. Now she has finally been able to etch her name into the electric motorsport history books with her new role as Opel GSE Formula E Team’s test and development driver, with her first public outing for the team coming during the GEN4 Unleashed event at the Circuit Paul Ricard in April.
Floersch is one of the increasing number of female drivers involved in Formula E and joins the likes of Abbi Pulling, Alice Powell and Gabriela Jílková as a driver in a development role.
Opel will be a new addition to the season 13 grid, with the Stellantis brand replacing the outgoing DS Automobiles, and the German manufacturer immediately grabbed headlines by announcing Floersch as their first driver.
“I’m really happy and proud to be part of the Opel family now. For me, it’s exciting to join at such an important moment and to help support the team as we prepare for this new challenge.” Floersch commented, before going on to explain more about her role with the team.
“My job is to give everything I can, in the simulator, on test days, and in the work with the engineers, and to prove myself at every opportunity."
"But at the same time, I also want to enjoy the journey, because these past two days have already been a lot of fun. I really believe this is the perfect moment for Formula E to introduce a car like this, and I’m excited about what’s coming next.”
The 25 year old got behind the wheel of Opel’s 27FE GEN4 car at the Paul Ricard event and was immediately impressed by the acceleration of the car, which is said to go from 0-100km/h in just 1.8 seconds. Many drivers have been strapped into a Formula E car for the first time and been shocked at how quickly the car is able to get up to speed, and Floersch was no exception:
“What surprised me most was definitely the sheer acceleration. I’ve driven a lot of different race cars over the years, including cars with a lot of power, so I’m not easily impressed.” Floersch explained, “But having more than 800 horsepower in an electric race car is something else entirely.”
The 800 horsepower featured in the GEN4 is almost double that seen in the current Gen3Evo cars, which pack an impressive 469 horsepower while in the 350kW Attack Mode and around 400 horsepower in the regular race mode. Interestingly enough the car will also be the first Formula E car to feature different aero packages, with a high downforce one designed for qualifying conditions and a low downforce configuration for races.
Motorsport fans have often turned away from the all-electric series due to the lack of sound and it not ‘feeling’ like other championships, but despite the lack of a growling engine in the car the physical sensation of driving at speed - and the excitement that comes with that - was still strong for Floersch.
“The way it delivers that performance is just crazy in the best possible way."
"It really gives you goosebumps and pushes you back into the seat. On top of that, the aero figures are a huge step forward for Formula E compared with GEN3, so it feels like a very exciting evolution for the championship.”
Floersch has driven plenty of cars across her career, from junior formulas to sportscars and prototypes, and when asked if the GEN4 was comparable to any other cars she’s driven she had a very clear answer: “It’s honestly quite unique.”
She added that “Just getting the chance to drive the car for the first time was really special, because not many drivers have experienced it yet. Of course, the conditions were wet, so you always have to keep that in mind. But even from those first laps, the feeling was insane. The acceleration alone is seriously impressive, and you can immediately feel that this car is on a completely different level.”
The event also featured demonstrations from all four generations of Formula E cars, allowing the series to showcase the progress made throughout the past 12 years. Each generation has had its own personality, with the early years defined by mid-race car swaps before the elbows out, touring-car style racing took over during the Gen2 era and beyond.
With the GEN4 car Formula E’s most advanced yet, Floersch took the time to explore what driver traits will be most important for success in this era.
“It’s still early for me to go into too much detail, because I only had five laps, so it would be too soon to judge things like balance in a proper way. But from what I felt already, the car demands a lot from the driver in every phase so you need to be very complete."
"I think precision will be incredibly important, but also adaptability. With a car this advanced and this quick, you have to learn fast, stay sharp, and work very closely with the engineers.”
Floersch is one of the few drivers to have experienced the thrill of the GEN4 car so far and her positive reaction is testament to the progress made by Formula E in recent years. It has been over a decade since the last woman - Simona de Silvestro - took to the starting grid of a Formula E race and this role puts Floersch one step closer to becoming the next woman to take part in the all-electric series.
