Lola to enter Formula E's Gen4 era in new direction

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

Lola Yamaha ABT will be prepared to enter Formula E's upcoming Gen4 era in 2027 in a new guise, having announced their decision to part ways with partner company ABT at the end of Season 12 this year.

Lola announced a split with ABT Sportsline after Season 12 ends | Credit: Simon Galloway/LAT Images

The decision was communicated from Lola to ABT Sportsline earlier, with an official statement by team principal Mark Preston released on Tuesday morning, only a few days from Formula E's Miami E-Prix weekend.

"With the continued growth of the organisation, long-term commitment to Formula E and additional projects in the pipeline, Lola Cars has made the decision to consolidate its Formula E operations in-house at our Silverstone HQ," read the statement by Preston.

This will enable us to streamline activities, increase expertise for upcoming projects and better drive innovation through motorsport. ABT were our partner of choice to operate the team as we entered the all-electric racing series, with vast experience and technical expertise within Formula E," he continued

"We’d like to thank them for all of their hard work and dedication during our first two seasons in the sport and look forward to continuing to collaborate with them for the remainder of Season 12," Preston's statement concluded.

The Lola-Yamaha-ABT triumvirate was integral in facilitating Lola Cars' return to top-tier racing, especially into single-seater racing. Lola's entry into Formula E was facilitated by the rebranding of the ABT Cupra entry, heading into Season 11 in 2025.

Yamaha provided the powertrains, while ABT Sportsline, a former title-winning name in the series, provided personnel and expertise to assist the British outfit in the early days of their Formula E campaign. Former ABT Cupra team principal Thomas Biermaier held charge as the top boss in the first season, overseeing Lola's debut into Formula E.

The team were able to retain the services of good friend Lucas di Grassi, returning to the ABT name in 2024 and staying on into the Lola era. Alongside, they brought Barbadian racer Zane Maloney into the fold, the rookie fresh off a strong Formula 2 campaign with Rodin Motorsport.

While the team's first campaign in Season 11 didn't have much to write home about, the high point came in Miami, when di Grassi secured the team's first podium, splitting the Porsche drivers and finishing second.

di Grassi also finished fifth in Tokyo, alongside two ninth-place finishes in London and Shanghai, scoring all of Lola's 32 points on his way to 17th in the standings. Maloney was the only full-timer on the grid who didn't score a point. However, he finished 10th at the same Miami weekend, only penalised for cutting the chicane midway through the race as he avoided an incident.

The Boy from Barbados does have a point to his name in Season 12, though, benefitting from Felipe Drugovich's post-race penalty to be promoted to 10th in São Paulo. di Grassi is yet to get off the mark in Season 12, though.

What this means for Lola heading into the Gen4 era

The culmination of the Lola - ABT partnership only means Lola will be heading into the Gen4 era as an independent team. This also lines up with the desire to shift managerial and day-to-day operations into their Silverstone factory, which already houses the powertrain and software components of the team.

The change in team principal too signified this move, with Preston's appointment as team principal opening up the opportunity to lead the Lola project, while former team principal Biermaier could turn his attention towards ABT's operations in sports car racing.

Alongside Mahindra, Lola is the only other manufacturer to not have any customer teams on the grid, allowing the team to seamlessly work on its own pathway towards the top of Formula E. Likewise, the early commitment to the Gen4 era after only a few months of joining signalled the long-term vision for the British outfit.

Lola also went through a successful series of private Gen4 tests in Monteblanco and Almeira recently. Despite encountering issues during the latter round of testing, both di Grassi and Maloney managed 105 laps between them, bringing renewed stability and confidence to the team.

Bringing operations and management of their own entry into the Silverstone headquarters is also another step of Lola gaining more and more confidence in Formula E to run their own operations. Bringing more synergy and coordination between their on-track performance and in-house development will be key, especially in order to get their Gen4 project up and running from day one.

The current geographical difference between Lola's headquarters in the UK and ABT Sportsline's base in Kempten, Germany also meant the current partnership wasn't one to last for a long time.

Lola have been a popular name in Formula One as well as sportscar racing in the past, and the team envisions a return to sportscar racing too, under new team owner Till Bechtolsheimer, in the future. As such, Lola will be looking to consolidate and make the most of their Silverstone factory, to coordinate both racing avenues.

What this means for ABT?

The split from Lola leaves ABT without any racing partner heading into the Gen4 era. This comes only three seasons after the team made a return to the series, entering as ABT Cupra with a less potent Mahindra powertrain in the rear of their car.

While the lack of overall efficiency and the repeated back of the grid finishes weren't inspiring, the team were able to take solace from Nico Müller's consistent points scores, finishing ahead of the works Mahindra team in Season 10.

It's certainly unfortunate to see one of the pioneers, the founding names in the series not being a part of the upcoming era of Formula E. More so a team with one world championship, 14 race victories and 47 podium finishes in Formula E alongside fellow German manufacturer Audi sport.

However, the team couldn't add to any of these stats after returning in the Gen3 era, before Lola joined Formula E and took over the entry.

ABT Sportsline are certainly set to continue their long-standing operations in sportscar racing, though, swapping from Audi to Lamborghini in DTM last year, as well as competing in the Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie (NLS), in the famed 24 Hours of Nürburgring race.

Could there be a window of opportunity for continuity in the series, though?

One opportunity remains partnering up with the upcoming Opel Formula E entry. Although nothing has been confirmed from the brand, there remains an expectation for the Stellantis brand to make its Formula E debut in the Gen4 era.

The temptation of partnering up with a fellow German car brand — look back to their last success in the series, is certainly inviting for ABT Sportsline, as well as for a new team of Opel's stature, who will be searching for a reliable partner with technical expertise if they are to enter Formula E.

However, if this opportunity doesn't materialise, it would leave ABT out of the Formula E sphere altogether, given the fact that all 12 licences for the Gen4 era have been bought out.

All being said, only time will be able to tell the tale, and if ABT can find a way to remain in Formula E for the Gen4 era.