Carlberg claims the title!

The event provided the talented youngsters competing in the cup with a chance to showcase their skills among the elite of the sport in their all-electric cars. It also was an opportunity for Calle Carlberg and Max Reiter to cross swords one final time to decide the outcome of their title fight. Carlberg clearly held the upper hand as the field arrived in Passau, the base of the rally, in possession of a seventeen-point lead over his German rival, having won four rounds this season. Competitors were faced with nine speed tests over a total distance of 117 kilometres and some challenging, slippery conditions. Christian Lemke was the first out of the blocks, but Calle Carlberg wasted little time in going on the attack, grabbing the lead by a tenth on SS3, whilst Max Reiter dropped more than a minute on the same stage following a puncture.

It proved to be something of a turning point in their title fight insofar as Reiter had to win to have a change of glory, whereas Carlberg only needed to finish fourth or better. The rest of the race turned into a head-to-head battle between Calle Carlberg and the Austrian Luca Pröglhöf, competing partly on home soil, with the lead changing hands between the pair at several points. In the end, Pröglhöf prevailed, claiming his first win of the season in the process. Second place was enough for Calle Carlberg, alongside his co-driver and father, to win the 2023 Opel Electric Rally Cup “powered by GSe” title, thus ensuring he will compete as works driver for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team next season, onboard the Corsa Rally4 in the Junior European Rally Championship (JERC). Meanwhile, Max Reiter had to settle for third place, finishing ahead of Raffael Sulzinger and Sarah Rumeau.