Reiter at the double as mistake costs Callea

A total of fifteen crews lined up at the start in an Opel Corsa e-Rally, ready to tackle the foothills of the Alps. French driver Terence Callea was first off the mark, leading from Max Reiter – winner of the opening round of 2023 – on these technical stages in very changeable weather conditions. The former winner of the FFSA’s Rallye-Jeunes (Young Drivers) initiative confirmed his excellent form, also setting the fastest times on stage two and then on stage four. The French driver was leading by 8.2s from his Swedish rival Calle Carlberg, winner of SS3, when unfortunately he was caught out on SS6 and had to retire. Callea’s misfortune meant that Carlberg moved to the top of the leaderboard, level with Max Reiter. He then set the fastest time on SS7 to take the outright lead by just 1.3s heading into the last two speed tests.

But Max Reiter grabbed the fastest time on the penultimate stage to move into the lead and then held firm on the final test to secure his second win of the season, confirming his status as favourite for the title. Carlberg finished as runner-up, whilst Christian Lemke, ended in third place, his first podium finish in the formula, ahead of French driver Sarah Rumeau, once again in impressive form. “We really had to push to get the win,” commented a visibly delighted Max Reiter at the finish. “It was the toughest rally I’ve competed in thus far in the Cup. The fact that the conditions kept changing all the time – dry in some places and damp elsewhere – didn’t help matters either. Making the right call on tyres was guesswork on certain stages. It was really difficult to stay on the limit without pushing too far. I'm really pleased that it worked out so well for us." The next round of the 2023 Opel e-Rally Cup will be held at the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est, in France, on 17-18 June.

Championship update

Thanks to his second consecutive win in the 2023 Opel e-Rally Cup, Max Reiter moves nine points clear of Calle Carlberg at the top of the standings, whilst Christian Lemke is third, twenty points behind. In terms of points, Terence Callea came off worst this weekend but he will be determined to bounce back next time out.