Calle Carlberg finished the 2025 Junior European Rally Championship in the style of a champion. The 25-year-old Swede, who had already secured the JERC title in mid-August at the Barum Czech Rally Zlín, celebrated his fourth victory of the season at the final round in Croatia after ten special stages in difficult conditions, thereby clinching not only the JERC title but also the ERC4 classification. Luca Pröglhöf completed a perfect end to the year for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team in the second Opel Corsa Rally4 with third place, his first podium finish in the JERC.
Carlberg and his co-driver Jørgen Eriksen approached the asphalt rally around the Croatian capital Zagreb in their usual style and immediately took the lead in the strong JERC field with three stage wins. At the end of the first day of the rally, they already had a 1:21 minute lead over the Norwegians Nordstrand/Rudi in another Corsa Rally4. In view of the heavy rain and slippery tracks on Sunday, Carlberg/Eriksen were content with four second places and ultimately won with a lead of 48.9 seconds.
“We didn't finish the last special stage without a tear in our eyes,” admitted double European champion Carlberg. “Two years in the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup and two in the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team have come to an end in the best possible way with the victory here in Croatia and two European Championship titles. None of this would have been possible without the support of the team, the mechanics and managers, and all the people back home in Rüsselsheim. I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this fantastic success.”
Teammate Luca Pröglhöf and co-driver Christina Ettel started cautiously on the first day, only to step up their game on Sunday. Third place in treacherous conditions, which proved fatal for several competitors, was a well-deserved reward for the Austrians. “This rally was an extreme challenge,” said the 26-year-old from Sittendorf. "Our pace notes weren't perfect on the first day. We lost time, especially in the fast sections. On Sunday, the conditions were so difficult that the only thing that mattered was getting the car to the finish line. We are overjoyed to have finally made it onto the podium. Standing there together with Calle was very important to me. I would like to thank the entire team, who always believed in me and supported me."
“That was the perfect end to an almost perfect season,” praised Opel Motorsport Director Jörg Schrott. "My thanks and appreciation go to the entire team. Throughout the season, Calle left no doubt that he was absolutely the best in this high-class field. His enormous talent, coupled with his professionalism and teamwork, made the difference over the season. It was a pleasure to have him in the team. The same goes for Luca. He put in some strong performances in his first JERC season, but also learned some lessons along the way, as is normal at this high level. Manfred Stohl and his crew deserve a large share of the credit for this sixth Junior European Championship title for the ADAC Opel Rally Junior Team. It's hard to imagine better support for both man and machine. And the triple victory for the Corsa Rally4 at the JERC season finale is, of course, the cherry on the cake from Opel's point of view."
