Opel team principal Jörg Schrott in an exclusive interview: "We know where we want to go"

At the official presentation of the Gen4 car at Circuit Paul Ricard, Opel offered another preview of its Formula E project. From the 2026/27 season, the brand will compete in the electric world championship for the first time with the Opel GSE Formula E Team – supported by the experience of the Stellantis Group, but with the ambition of running its own works team.

In an interview with e-Formula.news, team principal Jörg Schrott talks about the reasons behind Opel's entry, the development of the new team structure, the role of Rüsselsheim and the next steps in the test programme. He also explains why the Gen4 regulations have come at the right time for Opel and what he expects from the team's debut season.

Jörg, the Gen4 launch is a big event for Formula E, but also a big event for Opel. You are entering Formula E next season. How do you view this new challenge?

I am very aware of how complex this task is. I have known the brand for many years, and Opel knows me as well – so we know exactly the conditions under which we are starting now.

Formula E was already on the table three years ago, but back then it was not yet the right moment. Now we are convinced that the timing is right. For me, the decisive factors are the holistic Gen4 vehicle concept with its enormous performance, as well as a cost structure that offers a sensible return on investment. The cost-cap concept enables motorsport at world championship level at reasonable cost.

I am certain that this car will bring additional fans to Formula E through its performance alone. Spectators will see how fast and spectacular it is. On top of that, we have great drivers and exciting races, so I am really looking forward to the project.

Stellantis know-how “very important & a major advantage”

Opel is new to Formula E. In the background, however, there is Stellantis, a group that has already gained experience in the series. How important is it to build on that know-how?

It is very important and a major advantage. Within the Stellantis Group, we can draw on existing knowledge and large parts of the current development programme. That foundation is very strong.

As a pure works team, we do not have an additional operational partner, which gives us advantages in decision-making and in the speed with which we can implement things. Now it is about making the right use of that potential.

For the first time, Stellantis will compete with its own team. Until now, the group has mainly been a powertrain manufacturer and supplier, but with Opel, it is now creating a genuine works team. How far has the team build-up progressed?

More than 100 people at Stellantis are working on the Formula E programme, and Opel employees have already been integrated into this team. These include engineers, simulation specialists and experts who are very strong mathematically and develop algorithms for race strategy, for example. They are very good people.

The next step is to create a unit for race operations in Rüsselsheim that will take care of race preparation – with its own simulator, of course connected to Stellantis. The race strategy is also to be developed independently there.

The requirements are high: we need people who are not only very good, but ideally also bring specific experience in Formula E. We are on the right track.

You mentioned the simulator and race preparation. Will that structure be based in Rüsselsheim, or will the team initially be located in France?

The start is being organised in a pragmatic way. That is also because Opel is currently carrying out extensive construction work in Rüsselsheim: with a new headquarters and new motorsport facilities that are to be integrated. Projects like that take time. So the current solution initially means a little more travelling for us. But the key thing is the one-team approach.

Of course, our Opel Motorsport department already provides an important link today. If you invest in a simulator, however, it ultimately has to be installed in the final motorsport area. That is why we are waiting until the conditions are in place.

For a new team, entering the series is difficult, especially when you are competing against established outfits. How big is that challenge?

It is definitely a challenge. What is crucial is having a team that brings the will and the spirit to really pull together. I am confident that we can build exactly that structure. We know where we want to go.

When Opel's Formula E entry was announced in Madrid, your CEO Florian Huettl said, with regard to the drivers, that you would like to have a woman in the programme. With Sophia Flörsch, you have now signed a test and development driver. He also spoke about an experienced driver and a young driver who has proven himself in junior categories. How far along are you with that decision?

I do not want to name any names yet. But we are very far along and we have a good feeling. The mix will go exactly in the direction you mentioned: a driver you all know, with a lot of experience – including in Formula E – and a young man who will be very strong. Our goal is to integrate the drivers into the test programme as quickly as possible. I am optimistic that we will manage that very soon.

Final presentation at the Paris Motor Show

When can we expect the driver names to be announced?

At the Paris Motor Show, we will present all the details of our programme and the car in its final design. What is clear is that we will do that together with our final racing drivers.

Let's move on to the Gen4 car. The car has already run, including in manufacturer tests together with other brands. What is your impression so far? Are you still dealing with fundamental issues, or are you already further along?

We have already covered many kilometres. Porsche mentioned a figure (Editor's note: 1,860 km), we are in that range as well. Not all systems were on board from the beginning, and at times we were still running with hybrid solutions. In that phase, the focus was mainly on the reliability of individual parts.

That went very well. We covered many kilometres without major issues. In parallel, all components have been running on the test benches for months. Every single component is being tested for reliability, thermal loads and other factors. Now the car is 100 per cent complete. After the Berlin E-Prix, the first test week with the complete car begins.

What are the key priorities in this test programme?

Our programme is very extensive. It is about reliability in the interaction between the individual components. Another focus is the entire thermal management, which plays an important role with regard to performance. For the hot part of the year, we have selected circuits in Southern Europe in order to test the car under those conditions as well. And of course, it is also about gaining a final understanding of the aerodynamics under all conditions.

What role does the new tyre, which will be supplied by Bridgestone, play in all of this?

The tyre is a decisive factor. It has to operate in the ideal temperature window in order to deliver the best possible performance. When we go into the season, we need a clear plan for how we deal with the tyre – also in connection with the chassis settings.

"We have a clear plan"

How does the test programme develop from basic understanding to fine-tuning?

Put simply, we are working our way from the big building blocks further and further into the details. At the beginning, the focus is on reliability and full-performance tests under specific conditions. After that, it increasingly becomes about bringing the whole package together better and better. That also applies to race strategy. A huge amount of work is being done in the simulator here.

There is a lot of work ahead of us. But we have a clear plan, and that plan is being worked through. Of course, something can always come up during testing that does not work as expected. But as things stand today, we are on schedule.

Are you also planning to simulate a full race weekend so that the team can get used to the procedures?

Yes, absolutely. At some point, the focus clearly shifts from the development team towards the race team. Then the race team takes over the development car. There is a fixed timeline for that, and this transition is already included in our plan.

Finally, what are you hoping for from your first Formula E season in 2026/27?

For me personally, it would be very difficult to simply be there, perhaps running at the back. At the same time, as things stand today, it is difficult to make a serious assessment of the competitive order. But if we are talking about a wish, then it would be great if we could fight for a podium in our first season. That would be my goal.