Timo Schulz Leads Tom Dufour After Opening Day of Sanremo Rally Electric

The inaugural Sanremo Rally Electric-ADAC Opel got underway with a close battle at the front between Timo Schulz and Tom Dufour. Behind the wheel of their electric Opel Mokka GSE, Schulz and co-driver Maresa Lade edged into the overnight lead, holding a narrow 5.7-second margin over Dufour and navigator Alex Dubois.

Dufour proved quickest on two of Friday's three tests, winning both San Romolo-Ghimbegna and Semoigo-Bajardo. However, Schulz turned the tide on the intermediate Molini-Buggio stage, outpacing Dufour by 12.5 seconds to seize the overall advantage before defending his position on the day's final run.

The remainder of the field dropped further behind. Álex Español Jové and Enrique Velasco Alonso sit in third place, trailing the rally leaders by 29.7 seconds. Series standings leader Ioan Lloyd and co-driver Sion Williams endured a tough start, losing 26.1 seconds on the opening test and eventually concluding the leg in fourth overall, 47.4 seconds adrift of Schulz.

Local drivers rounded out the top six, with 19-year-old Valentino Ledda and Matteo Zoncu running fifth—just 2.4 seconds behind Lloyd—followed closely by Matteo Greco in sixth. All eleven competing crews reached the end of the opening leg without retirements, with the rally operations, service park, and finish podium centered around Sanremo.