Sophia Floersch to make electric rally debut with Opel at ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye
- RACERS
- 2 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Sophia Flörsch is set to take on a new motorsport challenge as the German racer will make her rally debut in the fourth round of the 2026 ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye on 14-15 August.
Sophia Flörsch is set to take on a completely new motorsport challenge as the German racer will make her rally debut in the fourth round of the 2026 ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup at the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye on 14-15 August.
Already serving as a test and development driver for the Opel GSE Formula E Team, Flörsch will become a guest entrant aboard the all-electric Opel Mokka GSE Rally, bridging the manufacturer's Formula E programme with the pioneering electric rally series that Opel helped establish. The appearance marks another chapter in Flörsch's versatile career as she swaps simulator work and circuit racing for the unique demands of rally competitions.
The event will provide the 25-year-old with a rare opportunity to experience every level of Opel's growing electric motorsport programme. Having become familiar with the road-going Opel Mokka GSE as her everyday company car, Flörsch will now step behind the wheel of its rally counterpart, which made its competitive debut this season as the successor to the Corsa Rally Electric in the world's first all-electric one-make rally championship.
Flörsch's participation also represents a symbolic connection between Opel's two major electric motorsport initiatives.
While she continues to contribute to the development of the brand's Formula E programme through simulator work, engineering analysis and testing at world championship level, the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye will introduce her to a different discipline where pace notes, changing surfaces and blind corners replace telemetry-driven circuit racing.
"I've always enjoyed taking on new challenges – that's exactly what makes this event so exciting for me," Flörsch explained.
"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," she added. "Its sporting credentials are already clearly evident on the road, and now I get to experience what its rally counterpart is really capable of."
Preparation for her rally debut has been extensively underway. Flörsch recently completed an intensive three-day training programme designed to introduce her to every aspect of rally competitions, including pace-note creation, communication with her co-driver, theoretical preparation and valuable mileage behind the wheel.
Joining her in the cockpit will be experienced Austrian co-driver Nina Spitaler. The 29-year-old brings significant rally expertise, having competed extensively as a co-driver while also racing in rallycross. Spitaler is already familiar with Opel's electric rally programme after gaining experience in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup during the 2024 season alongside guest entrant Pia Steffe.
The training was overseen by Claire Schönborn, who acted as coach during the preparation at the Austrian facility of former World Rally Champion Manfred Stohl.
Schönborn herself returned to Opel in 2026 and now competes for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team in the FIA Junior European Rally Championship with the Corsa Rally4 while also contesting the ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup in the Mokka GSE Rally.
Together, Flörsch, Spitaler and Schönborn form an all-female trio representing three different branches of Opel's expanding motorsport programme.
"Working with Claire and Nina has been an incredible experience," Flörsch said. "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."
Fans will also have the opportunity to play a direct role in Flörsch's rally debut: ahead of the event, Opel has in fact invited supporters to vote for the design of her Mokka GSE Rally through Opel Germany and Opel Motorsport's Instagram channels, allowing the public to choose the car's final livery.
For Opel Motorsport, the project reflects the close relationship between its different racing programmes. "Sophia showed an interest in our rally project and Opel's rich rallying history right from her first visit to Opel," explained Jörg Schrott, Team Principal of the Opel GSE Formula E Team and Head of Opel Motorsport.
"We took that on board and said: if we're going to do it, let's do it properly. 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."
Although Flörsch approaches the weekend without fixed expectations, she hopes to make the most of the learning experience while demonstrating the capabilities of Opel's newest electric competition car.
"In Formula E, every detail is analysed, and it's precisely this thorough approach that I really like," Sophia explained. "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."
The ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rallye will host the fourth round of the 2026 ADAC Opel GSE Rally Cup as part of the German Rally Championship. Competitors will tackle 14 special stages across Friday and Saturday around Illingen, including a sprint stage measuring almost 20 kilometres.
With Formula E development, single seaters, prototypes and GT racing experience, Sophia Flörsch now adds electric rallying to her resumé.
