Lola Cars has announced its return to global motorsport in a multi-year technical partnership with Yamaha Motor Company, as they prepare to enter the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as a manufacturer from Season 11. This iconic motorsport brand, with over 500 championship wins, will work with Yamaha to develop and supply a powertrain to compete in the world’s first all-electric, single-seater race series starting from the 2024/25 season, with the introduction of an evolution of the current GEN3 race car.
Mark Preston, Motorsport Director of Lola Cars Ltd, expressed excitement about the entry into Formula E, highlighting the opportunity to not only bring Lola back to the track but also to focus on technological development. Preston emphasized Lola Cars’ history of success in chassis and aerodynamic design, noting that this project will allow them to create a unique electrified platform with a software focus at its core, contributing to Lola’s broader plans to shape the future of motorsport technology.
Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman of Lola Cars Ltd, shared his enthusiasm about partnering with Yamaha Motor Company for their entry into the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. He underscored the significance of being selected by such an innovative OEM for a project of this magnitude, pointing to the quality of the team that Lola has assembled. Bechtolsheimer highlighted the focus on technological development in the partnership, with an eye towards leveraging the highly efficient 350 kW electric powertrain in Formula E for future applications across various top-tier international motorsport events.
Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director of Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., emphasized Yamaha’s commitment to accelerating the research and development of technologies that promote sustainability. Maruyama expressed the hope that the partnership with Lola in Formula E would help them gain advanced energy management technologies through the pinnacle of electric racing. Maruyama also noted the alignment with Lola’s philosophy of sustainable motorsport, stating their excitement and honor to establish this partnership.