Opel Motorsport to join Formula E in Season 13

German car manufacturer Opel will be entering Formula E in Season 13, finally putting speculations of their next step in motorsport to an end. The Stellantis-owned manufacturer will make up the second Formula E entry by the conglomerate, replacing the outgoing DS Automobiles on the grid.

Credit: Opel Motorsport

Opel's latest move came in the form of an announcement by their CEO Florian Huettl and Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds on the eve of the Madrid E-Prix weekend. The manufacturer will enter the all-electric championship as Opel GSE Formula E Team, the company's electric racing arm.

"Joining Formula E marks a new milestone for Opel on our journey towards an electric future," Huettl said, in a statement.

“With Formula E moving to GEN4 cars as of the coming season, we see this as the ideal time to join this exciting, all-electric racing competition. Our Opel GSE Formula E Team will show what our brand stands for: German engineering, bold design and electrified performance, attributes that also apply to Opel’s fully-electric GSE models such as the Mokka GSE and soon the new Corsa GSE,” Huettl continued.

Jörg Schrott, Director of Opel Motorsport, and team principal of the new Opel GSe Formula E Team, spoke optimistically on the new entry, mentioning they had reached the peak of electric racing after a five-year journey. "What began five years ago with the establishment of the first electric rally cup is now reaching its peak with the participation in the FIA World Championship," he said, on the announcement.

“We are delighted to welcome Opel as a new factory team in Formula E,” said Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, on the announcement.

“As a strong German brand with distinctive engineering expertise and a fresh, bold image, Opel brings a long and storied history in motorsport and a new dynamic to the starting grid. Opel’s commitment also shows the importance of Formula E for global car manufacturers in the transition to electric mobility.”

Opel boast a rich racing history, having formed an integral part of the World Rally Championship in the 1980s, and later going on to race in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring as well as the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) from 2000 to 2003, with their popular Opel Astra model.

The German manufacturer even took the title in their maiden WRC season, with Walter Röhrl at the forefront, taking victories in Monaco and the Cote d'Ivoire, alongside six further podium appearances. He drove the Opel Ascona 400, a car that would go on to finish second and third in WRC in 1982 and 1983 respectively.

While Opel have been a regular entrant in the Nurburgring 24 Hours between 1994 and 2023, their success around the Nürburgring came in 2003. The Opel Astra V8 Coupe, a car that was an evolution of its DTM counterpart, took victory by five laps from its competitors, in the hands of Manuel Reuter, Timo Scheider and Marcel Tiemann. This was their only victory in the flagship race.

Opel have also tapped into the electric racing sphere, with the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup running since 2021. Featuring the Rally Corsa Electric cars until 2025, this year will see the debut of the new Opel Mokka GSe Rally, keeping the series up to date with the technology and safety standards.