Amidst mounting rumors this week, Lola Cars has said that it would be joining the FIA Formula E World Championship as a manufacturer for Season 11 as part of a “multi-year technical partnership” with Yamaha.
This is the British company’s first entry back into motorsport after its relaunch in 2022 under the ownership of businessman and former racer Till Bechtolsheimer, who purchased the company’s brand and assets after it had closed its doors in 2012. Lola is “focusing on sustainable motorsport in three key areas: electrification, hydrogen, and sustainable fuels and materials,” according to an official statement.
Through their relationship with Yamaha, the two Japanese powerhouses will work together to develop a powertrain that is expected to be provided to an existing team in time for the GEN3 Evo era of the championship to begin in Season 11.
The announcement, which has been widely rumored throughout the week, includes a drawing of a proposed livery for a contemporary GEN3 car, which is known as the “T-001.”
Lola’s Motorsport Director is Mark Preston, a former principal of the TS Techeetah Team. Preston stated in an official statement:
“We are pleased to officially announce our Formula E entry.
“For us, this is a great platform for technological advancement as well as a chance to get Lola back on the track.
“Lola Cars has a distinguished track record of achievement in aerodynamic and chassis design.
“With a software focus at its core, this project will enable us to create a unique electrified platform that will serve as a foundation for Lola’s broader plans to define the future of motorsport technology.”
“We are extremely excited to be partnering with the Yamaha Motor Company as we enter the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” stated CEO Bechtolsheimer.
Being chosen to collaborate on a project of this magnitude by one of the world’s most inventive OEMs is a testimonial to the quality of the team that Lola has been developing.
“Technological development is the main focus of this initiative, and Lola is entirely committed to it.
“In the upcoming years, we anticipate that the extremely effective 350 kW electric drivetrain, which supports the manufacturer’s perimeter in Formula E, will serve as a cornerstone technology with exciting applications across many forms of elite international motorsport.”
“Yamaha Motor Corporation is pushing forward the development of numerous technologies that support sustainability through research and development.
As the technical partner, we aim to obtain more sophisticated energy management technology by competing in Formula E, the highest level of electric racing.
“We are thrilled and humbled to forge this cooperation with Lola, since we too share their new attitude of sustainable motorsports.”
In an effort to reestablish itself as a top motorsport design and engineering firm, Lola describes it as “the first project in the motorsport brand’s bid.” With triumphs in Le Mans and IndyCar among other categories, the series was further enhanced by its selection of Formula E as its first major championship since its revival. Formula E was founded in 1958 and currently boasts “nearly 5000 race cars spanning 400 different model types.”