Opel entry into Formula E: Flörsch takes over development work

– Opel is getting serious about its return to factory motorsport and is filling a position for the new Formula E project with a German appointment. Sophia Flörsch is joining the Rüsselsheim factory team as a test and development driver to push forward preparations for entry into the Formula E World Championship.

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The 25-year-old from Munich will make her first public appearance for Opel on April 21 and 22 in Le Castellet, when the new Gen4 era of the electric series is officially ushered in. There, Flörsch will take on the task of presenting the new vehicle concept on the track and collecting initial data for the engineers.

Behind the scenes, the team’s primary goal is to master the massive technological leap of the new vehicle generation. Team Principal Jörg Schrott is relying on the analytical skills of the Munich native, who has already fought her way through various formula classes and endurance championships.

Opel relies on Flörsch’s experience

“Her precise technical feedback as well as her analytical way of working in the simulator and on the track will play a significant role in the further development of our Gen4 package,” says Schrott, setting the direction. The focus is clearly on technical validation in order not to lose touch with the established competition in the electric world championship.

Flörsch herself classifies Formula E as currently the most difficult terrain in international racing. The move to the Opel factory team is a return to her roots in formula racing for her, albeit under completely new technical conditions.

“Formula E is currently the toughest racing series in the world – and that’s exactly where Opel and I are now starting together,” Flörsch explains her motivation for moving to the electric series. For her, it is more than a privilege to accompany the development of a German manufacturer from the very beginning.

New Gen4 generation

The technical data of the upcoming Gen4 generation marks a turning point that also presents experienced drivers with new challenges. With an output of over 800 horsepower and all-wheel drive, the series is leaving the stage of street circuit specialists and pushing into performance regions that demand classic racing virtues.

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“The Gen4 car is an absolute thoroughbred racing car,” was Flörsch’s verdict after her first impressions. She now wants to “go into depth” together with the engineers to understand the complex system and explore the limits of what is possible.

In Rüsselsheim, the integration of the driver is already in full swing, with the focus initially on virtual tuning. Flörsch has already completed her first kilometers in the simulator to prepare the software mappings and energy management strategies for real-world operation.

Experience meets new philosophy

In addition to the work in the lab, she will be firmly integrated into the real test program and is expected to gain further driving experience in the special rookie sessions of the world governing body FIA. The goal is an integration of test bench runs and racetrack deployments to make the Opel package competitive by the brand’s first race.

For the German racing driver, who has already competed in Le Mans and the DTM in her career, the job at Opel means a return to a purebred formula environment. The fact that she collected points in FIA Formula 3 serves as a recommendation for the technical detail work that is now required in Formula E.

Opel is using the Munich native’s experience to shorten the development gap to the manufacturers already active through intensive testing. In France, it will now be seen for the first time how well the interaction between the driver and the new technology works on the asphalt.

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