With participation in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as manufacturer, Lola Cars is returning to global motorsport. The team, founded in 1958, will be familiar to older motorsport fans and is the most successful manufacturer of customer racing cars of all time with more than 500 championship wins (including Le Mans 24 Hours and Formula 1) globally.
Its entry into Season 11 of Formula E, the all-electric single seater championship series, also involves a multi-year technical partnership with Yamaha Motor Company. With the well known Japanese company, Lola Cars aims to become an industry leader in sustainable engineering and motorsport, focusing on three areas of electrification, hydrogen and sustainable fuels and materials.
“Yamaha Motor Company is accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability. As the technical partner, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E. We also share Lola’s new philosophy of sustainable motorsport and we are very pleased and honoured to form this partnership with them,” said Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director of Yamaha Motor.
The British team will work with Yamaha to develop a fully electric powertrain for use in its Formula E racing car. The 350 kW powertrain will be on the evolved GEN3 (3.5) platform which is currently in use by all teams.
Racing for technological development
Although Lola Cars was dormant for some 10 years from 2012, British businessman Till Bechtolsheimer, who acquired the Lola name and remaining assets in 2022, has worked returning it to motorsport. “To have one of the most innovative manufacturers in the world to partner on a project of this significance is a testament to the calibre of the team that we have been building at Lola. The focus of this project is squarely around technological development in which Lola is fully invested,” said Bechtolsheimer.
Expertise in high-performance engineering
For Yamaha, this will be the first time that the company is involved in car racing since 1997 when it supplied engines to Arrows. The Japanese company has much expertise in engine development and manufacturing and has collaborated with Toyota on many of its high-performance engines. It was also significantly involved in the Toyota 2000 GT, Japan’s first supercar, in the 1960s.
Formula E now in 10th season
The Formula E championship is currently in its 10th season which started in January in Mexico City. To date, four rounds have been run and there are another 12 remaining, with the final round in London on July 21, 2024.
There are currently 11 teams competing with two cars each, so Lola will become the 12th team. Nissan is the only Japanese carmaker to take part and recently announced its commitment to at least an additional 4 years until 2030, by which time Formula E will be in the GEN4 era.