​​​​​​Calle Carlberg and the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team are currently setting the standard in the 2025 Junior European Rally Championship. At Rally Poland, the 24-year-old Swede celebrated his second victory of the season and his third podium finish in the third rally of the season in his Opel Corsa Rally4 in superior style. At the halfway point of the season, Carlberg has now extended his lead in the JERC overall standings to 28 points.

As in the last gravel competition in Hungary, Calle Carlberg and his Norwegian co-driver Jørgen Eriksen (31) got off to a flying start. With an outstanding best time in the third special stage, the Scandinavians clearly distanced themselves from their closest rival, Estonian Jaspar Vaher. After the first leg on Saturday evening, the Opel duo was already 28 seconds ahead of the Lancia driver. With a total of eight fastest times in the 14 special stages, Carlberg kept the competition at bay over the entire distance, especially as Vaher had to retire his car in SS12.

On the last of the 190 kilometers of gravel, Carlberg didn't let anyone take the win away from him and scored maximum points for the overall standings for the second time this year. At the finish line, his lead over the second-fastest driver was 2:23 minutes. “I feel sorry for Jaspar, the battle against him was incredibly challenging and a lot of fun,” commented Carlberg. “Our rally went perfectly. The Corsa Rally4 performed flawlessly once again, the cooperation with Jørgen in the cockpit couldn't have been smoother, and you couldn't ask for better support than that provided by Manfred Stohl and his team. We want to continue with the same focus, then I'm optimistic about the second half of the season. However, our joy at the victory is clouded. Our thoughts are with Matteo and his family.”

Opel Motorsport boss Jörg Schrott praised his entire team: "Huge compliments to Calle, Jørgen, and the entire Stohl team, who once again did a perfect job here. The Corsa Rally4 proves time and again that it performs very well on all surfaces. We know the strengths of the crew and the car on hard surfaces, so we are looking forward to the next rallies. The lead in the standings seems comfortable, but it won't tempt us to feel too confident. We will approach the upcoming challenges with the same focus as we did the last ones."

The fourth of six rounds of the Junior European Rally Championship will take place in Italy from July 4 to 6. The Rally di Roma Capitale will see action on asphalt around the Italian capital. Also Austrian driver Luca Pröglhöf, who had to miss the JERC round in Poland due to appendicitis, will then be back in his Corsa Rally4.