Opel is set to make its return to world championship-level motorsport after announcing its entry into Formula E for the Gen4 era. The four-year programme was formally confirmed at last month's Madrid E-Prix, shortly after DS announced that it would be leaving the championship at the end of the current season.
Rumours about Opel joining Formula E had been rife for some time, and the head of its motorsport division was previously spotted at the 2025 Monaco E-Prix, which he attended to familiarise himself with the environment.
While some have viewed Opel's entry as just another strategic shift by Stellantis, which swapped Maserati for Citroen as part of a major branding exercise this season, this change goes far beyond that.
In an interview with Motorsport.com Spain, Schrott explained that Opel aims to compete in the electric championship with an autonomous structure, and its entry does not have anything to do with other Stellantis brands. “It was Opel who decided to join, not Stellantis,” he summed up.
As such, Opel will not rely on the existing DS Penske team structure, and will instead set up its own organisation.
There are multiple reasons behind this strategy. Opel wants to retain full freedom in decision-making while creating a team based on the brand’s values and the expertise gained in other electric racing categories in which it has already participated or continues to participate in.
Traditionally, Stellantis has partnered with other teams to run their cars. The current Citroen team was born out of Maserati MSG, with MSG referring to the Monaco Sports Group, while DS partnered with Virgin Racing, Techeetah and Penske over the years.
Explaining the autonomy, Schrott described Opel as “the first official team in Stellantis’ history”, which means “there will be no partners involved in the team”.
“That means no partner will have a say in decisions, whether regarding driver selection, team structure, organisation, or even race strategy,” he continued. “We’re working on a new team structure to be much more efficient, more focused, and ultimately faster as well. The decision-making process will be much more agile.
“Opel is creating its own Formula E team with key internal responsibilities. The plan is to manage all track operations in the future, including those during race weekends. Furthermore, it is very positive to have a highly competent, experienced, and highly qualified Stellantis team.”
Gen4 development
Stellantis is leading the development and testing of the Gen4 car. But Schrott clarified: “Members of the Opel team are already participating in that group. When the time comes to manage track operations, we will have our own set-up. We will develop and prepare for races autonomously: all set-ups, including software, race strategy, and simulation work, will be managed by the Opel team.”
He was quizzed about that Satory headquarters, where Citroen and DS Penske currently operate, though the reply left some questions unanswered: “It will be a pragmatic start, which makes a lot of sense for several reasons: organization and efficiency.
“Building a team from scratch is a huge challenge. We have to build the right structure and, at the same time, the core of the Opel team. Having a base in Satory is an advantage, because we already have everything we need there, even as a factory team.
“As a manufacturer, we already have all the necessary resources to get started. That’s a very important support for us. Plus, we already have Opel Motorsport in Resselsheim. And, as I said, the plan is to manage operations in the future, preparing tests and races. For now, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but later on, in a few months, we’ll be able to discuss it in greater depth.”
