Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France – The third round of the 2025 ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup was a real test of endurance: with temperatures already hitting 37°C during Friday’s shakedown, the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est demanded everything from the Infypower chargebyte e-Rally Team – physically, technically, and mentally. Already on Friday, it became clear just how demanding the weekend would be. The intense heat pushed both man and machine to their limits. “After six runs during the shakedown, we were back in sync and felt well prepared for the French stages ahead,” said co-driver Maximilian Kugler. This time, the service park was located in the center of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges.
Saturday featured five special stages. The team began cautiously on SS1, carefully finding their rhythm on the technically challenging French asphalt – known for its gravel-dusted sections caused by the 120+ cars in the main field that had passed through earlier, ahead of the Opel Cup starters. SS2 started off very strong for Wittenbeck and Kugler – until a tight hairpin caused trouble. The car ran slightly wide into dirt, and compacted earth got lodged in the rim, causing major imbalance on the axle and costing precious seconds. “That completely threw us off our rhythm,” said Wittenbeck. SS3 was neutralized following an accident, meaning the team was in 8th place out of 11 competitors by the midday break. Then came more drama on SS4: while cutting a corner, Wittenbeck struck a large rock hidden in the grass. The impact damaged the front-left suspension. After a quick stop and visual check right in the middle of the stage, the team decided to continue at reduced speed to reach the finish line. Avoiding retirement was crucial, as three other teams had already crashed out and would rejoin the rally on Sunday with 10 penalty minutes.
But before they could reach the service area, they still had to complete SS5 in the Geoparc Arena. With spectators lining the entrance and only five minutes until stage start, Wittenbeck and Kugler had to urgently perform a makeshift roadside fix to stabilize the suspension. It worked: they made it through the stage and limped into the evening service, where their skilled service crew replaced the damaged suspension within the 45-minute evening window and finished the repair during the 25-minute Sunday morning service.
Sunday’s focus was all about making it to the finish. The gap to the teams ahead was too large to close, while the lead over the next car was at least three minutes. With some light rain showers on the stages, the goal was clear: drive cleanly and bring the car home. In the end, Wittenbeck and Kugler maintained 8th position. Despite the comeback, Wittenbeck was far from satisfied. Still recovering from a persistent cold the week prior, he struggled in the extreme cockpit heat. The result drops the team one spot in the overall standings, now sitting 7th out of 11 active championship contenders with 35 points. “Still, I’m very proud of our team’s performance. Technical issues are part of rallying, and our crew did an outstanding job. It was a real show of teamwork and determination,” Wittenbeck praised his mechanics. Victory at the Vosges rally went for the first time this season to the Belgian pairing of Tom Heindrichs and Jonas Schmitz. Now the Cup heads into a long summer break before returning in mid-August for Round 4 at the Saarland-Pfalz Rallye. The Infypower chargebyte e-Rally Team will be looking to bounce back strong and build on their promising season opener in Sulingen.