PREVIEW: Can Lola Yamaha ABT build on solid debut campaign in 2026?
- Maahika Banerjee
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written by Maahika Banerjee, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
In the lead-up to Formula E's Season 12, DIVEBOMB's writers preview the season ahead for each of the 10 teams taking part in the all-electric racing series. The second part of this series looks at a team aiming to build on a solid debut campaign
Formula E Season 11 marked the debut of Lola Yamaha ABT. This wasn’t just a new addition to the grid; it celebrated the alliance of two iconic names — Lola and Yamaha — collaborating with one of the most successful units in the series, ABT Sportsline.
Team history - Lola Yamaha ABT
Lola is a renowned British motorsport company known for designing and manufacturing racing cars. They’ve successfully competed in an array of motor racing, such as Formula 1, IndyCar and sports car racing.
Despite its long-standing success, the company ceased operations in 2012. However, the Lola name was revived once again in 2022; it returned to global motorsports as an official manufacturer for Season 11 of Formula E — their role involved developing and supplying powertrains alongside Yamaha.
Yamaha is one of Japan’s most profitable motorcycle and electronics giants. They also have a well-established image in the world of motorsports, including Formula 1 and a thriving partnership with MotoGP. Yamaha also participates in other avenues of motorbike racing, such as Motocross and Superbikes.
Alongside Lola Cars, Yamaha joined Formula E as an official powertrain technical partner, where they develop the electric motor, transmission and inverter for the team cars.
ABT refers to ABT Sportsline, a German tuning company and one of the most successful teams in Formula E history. Present since the all-electric championship’s inaugural year, ABT finished third in standings during the first season. The team's breakthrough came with their driver, Lucas Di Grassi, who was integral to their growth and helped them win a championship in Season 4.
ABT raced with Audi as Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, but after Audi’s exit, ABT needed a strong technical partner.
Drivers and Leadership
The team selected Lucas Di Grassi and Zane Maloney as their drivers for Season 11.
Lucas Di Grassi, or lovingly known as Mr Formula E, is a Brazilian racing driver with a long-standing history with ABT. During his time in the electric series, Di Grassi has spent time in various teams such as Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler, ROKIT Venturi Racing, and Mahindra.
He returned to the ABT outfit in Season 10 alongside Nico Müller, after spending a year in Mahindra.
One of Formula E’s most seasoned drivers with 1077 championship points, Di Grassi has been integral to its expansion; he holds the record for most wins and podiums in the series. Although the team used their first year as a ‘learning experience’, the Brazilian didn’t shy away from unleashing his potential when the opportunity came to hand.
Di Grassi secured the team's first podium in Miami after clinching a P2 finish. His role is not just about driving — he guides development, gives feedback to engineers, and helps his teammate Zane Maloney improve.
Zane Maloney, often referred to as The Boy from Barbados, is a Barbadian racing driver known for his bright career in junior single-seater formulas. Maloney competed in British F4, where he won the championship i his rookie season.
He went on to have a successful year in F3, where he won Rookie of the Year and transitioned to a full-time F2 seat, where he finished fourth in the standings and served as a reserve driver for Oracle Red Bull Racing and Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber.
Season 11 marked Maloney's rookie year in Formula E. Although the 22-year-old consistently finished just outside the points, with his best result being 11th place, he received tremendous support from his teammate, Lucas Di Grassi, and his team at Lola Yamaha ABT.
Maloney was no stranger to the world of Formula E, though, having served as a reserve and development driver for the Andretti team in 2023 and taking part in rookie tests for the team.
The team's lineup includes a veteran and a rookie, providing the best of both worlds for driver development and direct feedback to improve and work on their Gen3Evo cars.
Although she isn’t part of the race lineup, Marta García has played a valuable developmental role within Lola Yamaha ABT through her participation in Formula E’s official women’s and rookie testing programmes.
In Lola Yamaha ABT’s management structure, two names stand out for shaping the team’s direction: Thomas Biermaier and Mark Preston. Biermaier, long associated with ABT Sportsline, played a crucial role in guiding the team through its transition from the struggling ABT Cupra project into the new Lola–Yamaha partnership.
His focus on stability, experienced staffing, and securing a proven lead driver in Lucas di Grassi helped steady the ship during the team’s debut season with the new powertrain.
As the project matured, leadership moved toward Mark Preston, a seasoned Formula E figure known for his technical vision and previous success with championship-winning operations. Preston’s arrival signalled a shift from simply re-establishing the team to building a long-term, manufacturer-aligned programme.
Alongside Preston, Fred Espinos handles the day-to-day sporting and operational running of the team under the new structure.
How Lola Yamaha ABT fared in pre-season testing
Pre-season testing for Lola Yamaha ABT in Valencia presented a mixed picture for both drivers. The team covered only 1,569.9 km, a limited run plan compared to their rivals, resulting in fewer laps, which means fewer data points and anticipation as they head into the actual season.
Di Grassi's fifth-fastest time during a session indicates that the powertrain and chassis combination shows reasonable performance. While it wasn't the quickest overall, it was competitive enough to indicate potential for midfield or better positioning under the right conditions. On the other hand, rookie Zane Maloney encountered some setbacks, including a failed start during a mock race, highlighting the car's early teething issues.
Altogether, the test provided engineers with the opportunity to refine the Lola–Yamaha package and prepare for the real pressures of the racing season.
How Lola ABT Yamaha fared in Season 11
Season 11 was a mixed experience for Lola Yamaha ABT, featuring both encouraging highlights and the expected challenges of a brand-new technical project.
The standout moment was undoubtedly Lucas di Grassi's podium finish in Miami, which demonstrated that the Lola-Yamaha powertrain had significant potential and ABT's race-day performance remained strong.
The car showed decent efficiency on certain circuits, and the team displayed strong operational discipline after several difficult seasons. However, the year also highlighted the weaknesses of a young package: the overall pace was inconsistent, qualifying remained a struggle, and Zane Maloney had a tough rookie season, scoring no points while finishing last in the standings. Issues with software refinement, energy management, and traction out of slower corners were recurring challenges.
Ultimately, Season 11 was less about achieving results and more about laying a foundation—promising in certain moments, but clearly still under construction.
Bold prediction
As we look forward to Season 12, Lola Yamaha ABT is poised to make significant advancements as its systems continue to develop; the powertrain and software from Lola/Yamaha are expected to be more refined.
Rookie Zane Maloney is expected to show considerable improvement, converting his occasional almosts into actual, consistent results and earning his first championship points.
Expect the team to deliver solid qualifying performances — not necessarily aiming for pole positions, but performing well enough to secure strong starting positions in races.
With ABT’s championship-winning pedigree and the right resources in place, Lola Yamaha ABT could even compete for podium finishes and establish itself as a strong contender in the mid-pack for Season 12.
