One of the most famous racing brands in history is ready to join the Formula E grid.
Lola Cars has announced that, with the technical partnership of Yamaha Motor Company, they will be signed up for the all-electric global racing series for Season 11, which begins in 2025. The multi-year deal will allow Yamaha to expand and acquire the powertrain.
Founded in 1958, Lola has been a driving force in almost every field of motorsport with over 500 championship wins around the world, from F1 to LeMans, IndyCar and much more, with drivers such as Graham Hill, Eddie Cheever, Mario Andretti, Al Unser, Arie. Luyendyk and Nigel Mansell, to name a few. Lola is leveraging its access to Formula E to re-establish itself as a leading motorsport design and engineering organization.
“We are very happy to verify our access to Formula E. For us, it’s more than just an opportunity for Lola to get back on track, it’s also a platform for the development of a generation,” said Mark Preston, Lola Cars’ Director of Motorsport. “Lola Cars has a history of success in chassis and aerodynamic design. This task will allow us to create a unique electrified platform with a software concentrate at its core to provide a foundation for Lola’s broader plans to define the future of the motorsport generation.
Lola said they would tackle sustainable motorsport in 3 key areas: electrification, hydrogen, and sustainable fuels and materials.
Heiji Maruyama, general manager and director of Yamaha Motor Co. , said they are accelerating the studies and progression of technologies that contribute to sustainability.
As a technical partner, we look forward to obtaining more complex power control technologies through electric racing in Formula E,” said Maruyama. “We also share Lola’s new philosophy of sustainable motorsports and we are very pleased and honoured to shape this partnership with them. “
Team details, such as drivers and team principal, are expected later this year and have already been announced.
Until Bechtolsheimer took over the leadership of Lola Cars as president in 2022, the company was globally headquartered in Silverstone, UK, and said the company is incredibly excited to partner with Yamaha Motor Company and enter Formula E.
“This assignment focuses on technological progress in which Lola is fully committed,” said Bechtolsheimer. “We view the powerful 350kW electric powertrain that underpins the manufacturer’s reach in Formula E as a pivotal generation with exciting programmes in many high-flying bureaucracies in foreign motorsport in the years to come. “