Lola Yamaha ABT confirm di Grassi and Maloney for Formula E's Season 12
- Vyas Ponnuri
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Season 11 debutants Lola Yamaha ABT have officially confirmed their decision to retain their current line-up of Lucas di Grassi and Zane Maloney into Season 12, as they aim to improve on a decent debut season in the championship.
The line up of Formula E's newest rookie coupled with a man popularly known as 'Mr Formula E' paved the way for a solid line-up at the vibrant team donning blue and yellow, and honouring the rebirth of a former sports car and Formula One outfit from the 1980s and 1990s.
Lola Yamaha ABT scored 32 points in their maiden Formula E season, with di Grassi amassing the team's tally for the year. Meanwhile, Maloney bedded into Formula E, coming close to scoring points in Miami and Shanghai. The Barbadian driver finished tenth on the road of the Miami E-Prix, only to fall foul of a post-race penalty applied to his finishing position.
The American round on the calendar proved to be a breakthrough weekend for the Lola Yamaha ABT outfit, with di Grassi finishing second to Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein, after several drivers received post-race penalties for failing to complete their mandatory eight minutes of attack mode by the chequered flag.
Other important points scores included a strong fifth in Tokyo, ninth in a wet Shanghai E-Prix after starting fourth, and ninth in the season finale at London to round off the campaign for the team.
While Maloney held the second-last spot on the standings in his maiden Formula E campaign, he would have to settle for the wooden spoon right at the end, following Cupra Kiro's David Beckmann netting a point in the final race of the year at London.
Nevertheless, the team have recognised Maloney's improving racecraft over the course of the season, granting him a second campaign with the team in 2026 to showcase his evolution with a debut Formula E season under his belt.
di Grassi looked ahead to the new campaign, speaking of the added reinforcements over the break that could shore up the following season for the team.
“I’m pleased to confirm a second season with Lola Yamaha ABT in Formula E," di Grassi said, on the eve of the announcement. "Our first season was very positive with a podium in Miami and 32 points scored. We’ve worked extremely hard this summer and added reinforcements to the team to ensure our second season is even better.
"The long-term view and dedication of people from Lola, Yamaha and ABT to put this team where it deserves to be, winning races and fighting for championships, gives me so much motivation. I really enjoy working with the team and truly appreciate all the effort they’ve put in, which will hopefully result in many more successes in the future together,” he concluded.
21-year-old Maloney expressed his gratitude and excitement to be staying at the team for 2026, looking to continue to hone and develop his skills into his sophomore Formula E campaign.
“I’m very excited to be continuing with Lola Yamaha ABT for Season 12. Last year was mine and the team’s rookie season and I think we developed very well. I’m looking forward to working with Lucas (di Grassi) and the entire team to continue that development into next season.
"Of course, it’s going to be a tough year but the more that we can carry on working hard and making progress with the car, while I continue to improve as a driver, the better we can do. Thank you to the fans for all the support and we look forward to seeing you all next season,” Maloney expressed.
Mark Preston, Motorsport Director, Lola Cars said:
“Lola, Yamaha and ABT have all been working extremely hard to apply the learnings from our first season to put ourselves in the best possible position for Season 12 and we are thrilled that Zane and Lucas will be continuing to drive this progress forwards."
"The benefit of having a new driver to the series, along with one of the most experienced, has been clear from day one and their feedback and dedication is invaluable to the team.”
Frederic Espinos, Team Director, Lola Yamaha ABT, too added onto Preston's words.
“We are pleased to be continuing with Zane and Lucas as we look to build on all the hard work we put in throughout Season 11 and the summer break to ensure we can be more competitive from when we take to the track in Valencia."
Lola Yamaha ABT will certainly be banking on the mix of youth and experience brought in by their line-up, as they aim for a stronger second campaign in the championship.
