Weiz, Austria, July 19th - After outings in Germany and Luxembourg, it was Austria’s turn to host round four of the Opel e-Rally Cup, rallying’s first all-electric promotional formula. Eleven crews were competing on the stages of Rallye Weiz.
In contention for an end-of-season podium spot, Timo Schulz settled very quickly on the Rallye Weiz stages, even though he had not competed here before. The German driver set the fastest time on the opening stage, before maintaining the same pace throughout the leg to end day one in first position, despite being put under serious pressure by his rivals.
Confident and calm in his Opel Corsa-e Rally, Timo Schulz managed the second leg perfectly to retain the Opel e-Rally Cup lead, despite being handed a ten-second penalty. The 23 year-old went on to claim his first ever win in motorsport.
Austrian driver Luca Waldherr was sharp on his debut in the Opel e-Rally Cup, keeping up pressure on Schulz throughout the final leg to secure an impressive second place. He was followed by Swedish driver Calle Carlberg, who bagged his third podium of the season. “What a win,” enthused Timo Schulz just before taking the plaudits on the top step of the podium. “We set off at a strong pace and that helped establish a bit of a gap heading into the second leg. On Saturday, we eased off slightly to manage our lead. This is my first ever race win in motorsport and now the target is clear for me: secure the title. ”
The Opel e-Rally Cup crews can now enjoy a summer break before the series makes another trip to Germany, where competitors will take on the stages of the ADAC Saarland-Pfalz Rally, in St. Wendel (August 19 – 20).
With his first win, having finished on the podium at the start of the season, Timo Schulz has rejoined the title race as he is now only one point behind the leader Max Reiter, who could only finish sixth in Austria. Swedish driver Calle Carlberg’s performance in Weiz moves him back up to third in the standings, but he is only just ahead of Lukas Thiele.
