Lola has extended its partnership with Yamaha to take the new team into the upcoming GEN4 car era.
Ahead of this weekend’s Miami E-Prix, Lola has committed its future to Formula E for the foreseeable future.
At the start of Season 11 in Formula E, Lola returned to elite single-seater racing for the first time since 1997. Its technical partner, Yamaha, joined it. It also ventured back into single-seaters after a similar hiatus.
Driven by Lucas Di Grassi and Zane Maloney, the driver pairing have endured a difficult start to season 11. The team has so far failed to score a point, after finishing towards the back of the field in the opening races.
The alliance, still in its very early stages, will continue until 2027. This will allow the partnership to focus on maximising the potential of the dramatic technical overhaul from the new GEN4 car.
Full statement from Lola
In a statement, Lola announced the reasoning behind its decision.
Lola Cars Ltd and Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. have agreed to continue their technical partnership for the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
The two partners will work together to develop the highly efficient electric powertrain which will be introduced in Season 13 (2026/2027), boasting significant advancements in energy efficiency, race performance and safety. This continued collaboration provides the perfect platform for Lola and Yamaha Motor to advance technologies that will shape the future of mobility, leveraging the high-performance and high-pressure motorsport environment.
While the complete technical details for the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship are yet to be confirmed by the FIA and Formula E, the cars will feature 600kW of power and 700kW regenerative braking – another significant increase on the current GEN3 Evo figures of 350kW and 600kW respectively.
Lola ‘pleased to continue the journey’ with Yamaha
Lola Cars Chairman Till Bechtolsheimer praised the progress made in the early stages of the venture. He also highlighted the “vast experience” of Yamaha being a key asset in future years.
“Working alongside Yamaha Motor on the development of the powertrain the Lola Yamaha ABT team is currently using in Formula E has been a mutually beneficial and positive experience.
“Having already committed to GEN4 ourselves, I’m so pleased that Yamaha Motor will be continuing this journey in electric racing with us. With their vast experience and commitment to advancing sustainable mobility, they are the perfect partner for Lola Cars and we look forward to continuing to drive innovation through motorsport with them.”
Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director, Yamaha Motor said the company relished the challenge of Formula E.
“Yamaha Motor is accelerating its research and development of various technologies to acquire and enhance new core technologies that will provide Kando[1] to our fans and contribute to sustainability in the future. One of these initiatives is the acquisition of advanced energy management technology that will be honed in Formula E.
“We will continue to take on the challenge into the GEN4 season as a technical partner of Lola Cars. We are very proud and excited to enhance our technology on the world’s highest stage of electric racing with our reliable partner.”
Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E, also praised the progress of the partnership and predicted technological innovation.
“The continued partnership between Lola Cars and Yamaha Motor into the GEN4 era of Formula E underscores the championship’s pivotal role in driving technological innovation for sustainable mobility.
“With the significant performance advancements planned for GEN4, this collaboration will undoubtedly push the boundaries of electric powertrain development, showcasing the cutting-edge technology that Formula E champions.
“We’re thrilled to see these industry leaders commit to our vision of a future where high-performance and sustainability go hand-in-hand.”
