Abt Motorsport will switch to Lola Cars and Yamaha Motor Company power from Season 11 of FIA Formula E Championship in 2025.
ABT has set the course for its future in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship: Starting next season, the team will compete with a powertrain from the newly registered manufacturer Lola Cars, which is currently being developed together with the Yamaha Motor Company. The ambitious schedule for the joint project between the famous British brand and the Japanese technology company has been set: After testing on the dyno, the unit is to be tested in a race car on track as early as June.
“We are delighted to have found two renowned partners for our future in Formula E,” says ABT CEO and Team Principal Thomas Biermaier. “Of course, it will be a big challenge for a new manufacturer to enter and establish itself in a world championship. But during our discussions and negotiations over the past few months, we have clearly sensed how skilled, motivated and determined Lola and Yamaha are to make this project a success – just like every member of our team.”
After a one-year break, ABT returned to Formula E at the start of 2023 with CUPRA as its partner and has been racing with a Mahindra Racing powertrain ever since. The contract with Mahindra Racing was mutually terminated, coming to an end at the conclusion of the current season. In the new partnership, the iconic motorsport brand Lola Cars acts as the manufacturer and relies on Yamaha Motor as its technical partner for the development of the powertrain and related software.
“This is the beginning of an exciting new era in our Formula E history for the ABT brand,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group. “We started as a private team in 2014, were then Audi’s factory team, have been a customer team since the comeback and now want to move back up to the front of the grid with this new partnership.” The 2024 season opener in Mexico was the 100th race for ABT. With 47 podium finishes and more than 1,400 points, the team is one of the most successful on the grid.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with ABT as we bring the technology we’ve developed with Yamaha Motor Company to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” says Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman, Lola Cars Ltd. “It’s exciting to be working with a team that has so much history and success in the sport. Operating factory-backed programmes is ABT’s bread and butter and their experience in Formula E will give us a critical leg up. We look forward to developing our relationship within and beyond the electric racing series.”
“Yamaha Motor is accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability,” says Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director, Yamaha Motor co., Ltd. “As the Technical Partner of Lola, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E. We are very happy and honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of such a great team as ABT with our technology, working together with Lola.”
Preparations for the launch are already well underway at Lola and Yamaha. Software is being developed and hardware is being tested on the dyno. The first shakedown of the powertrain in a Formula E car is planned for June. Other news such as a title partner and other sponsors, the detailed structure and naming of the new team, driver line-up and car design will be announced in the coming months.
“In the meantime, we are fully focused on the current season,” says Thomas Biermaier. Formula E is now heading to Misano, Italy, for two races this weekend. “Our goal is to achieve as many sporting highlights as possible in the coming weeks.”
Here’s Lola Cars and Yamaha news
[Note: The story is as per press release]
