Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: ABT Lola

  • Maloney completes Lola Yamaha ABT Line-Up

    Lola Yamaha ABT will enter its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season with one of the grid’s most exciting driver pairings, having confirmed rookie Zane Maloney as the teammate of Lucas di Grassi.

    In combining the driver with the most races in championship history with the rookie confirmed, the team underscores its intent to shake up the status quo and drive the next generation of motorsport talent and technology.

    Born and raised in Barbados, Maloney’s blossoming career has already seen him win the British Formula 4 Championship, finish runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and was named FIA Rookie of the Year in 2022.

    The 20 year old is currently third in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, and is also a reserve driver for Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber.
    A reserve and development driver for the Andretti team since 2023, Maloney already has experience completing several tests.

    Maloney has already joined the team for testing in Varano, Italy and in the new car in Spain last week.

    The eleventh ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season kicks off in Sao Paulo on 7th December.
    In early November, all teams will gather in Valencia, Spain for the only official test sessions.

    We’re delighted to welcome Zane to the team for the upcoming Formula E season, completing our driver pairing as one of the most exciting on next season’s grid. Zane is a hugely talented young driver with an abundance of speed and potential and, alongside Lucas, we have an ideal combination of youth and experience. Zane has demonstrated his abilities in a variety of junior categories and proven himself as a race winner, and we’re looking forward to seeing him get behind the wheel in testing, and then at round one in São Paulo.
    Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman of Lola Cars.

    We are very much looking forward to having Zane as part of the team for Season 11, and he has already brought a breath of fresh air during our first days working together. Giving young talent a chance and supporting them has been a strong tradition at ABT for many decades and that’s why it was clear to us that we would also follow this path in Formula E.
    ABT CEO, Thomas Biermaier.

    I am delighted to be part of the Lola Yamaha ABT team and looking forward to this exciting challenge. Although I already know the championship well, this is a completely new chapter for me, so working with such an experienced team, and alongside such a successful driver, is the perfect next step. I’ve followed and admired Lucas’s battles over the past seasons, including when he became champion. I’m sure that I will learn a lot from him and together we will push both ourselves and the development of the car forward.
    Maloney on the news.

  • Lucas di Grassi to race with ABT Lola

    Season 3 champion Lucas di Grassi will continue his long association with the ABT team as it heads into Season 11 as ABT Lola.

    The Brazilian and the German team have extended their 10-year cooperation to enter a new era together and from next season.

    ABT CUPRA will form a team with Lola Cars, using a powertrain developed by the iconic British brand together with Yamaha Motor Company.

    Di Grassi has competed in 131 Formula E races, more than any other driver and is among the most successful – with an unparalleled 47 podiums alongside that Drivers’ title to his name.

    The Brazilian has turned the first wheel of the new era himself, in mid-June at the shakedown of the Lola Yamaha race car in the UK – the first outing for the new GEN3 Evo design with a newly-developed powertrain.

    After a one-year break, ABT returned to Formula E at the beginning of 2023 with CUPRA as its partner and has since started with a powertrain from Mahindra Racing.

    The new set-up will see ABT continue to leverage its extensive experience to run the operations of the race team, with specialist support from Lola as manufacturer.

    ABT Lola will decide in the coming weeks who will take the second cockpit alongside di Grassi, before all teams meet for the official test in Valencia, Spain.

    We are delighted to continue our journey in Formula E with Lucas. Not only is he a great ambassador for our team and the entire championship, but like all of us, he is eager and fully motivated to finally be successful again. We know that working with a new manufacturer brings many challenges. This makes it all the more important for us to have the most experienced driver at our side in Lucas, in addition to the permanent members of the team.
    Thomas Biermaier, ABT CEO.

    Having a driver with such experience, skill and dedication as Lucas is a huge boost as a new manufacturer entering the series. These attributes, combined with his existing relationship with ABT, make Lucas the ideal person to have at the wheel for our return to motorsport. His knowledge and feedback during testing have already proven invaluable and we look forward to hitting the track together in Season 11.
    Mark Preston, Lola Cars Motorsport Director.

    ABT is my family. I have experienced the best moments of my career there and have full confidence in the people who work hard every day to achieve success – so I am happy that we are also tackling the new challenges together. It’s a very exciting project with people who know what it takes to be successful in Formula E, alongside two renowned brands in Lola and Yamaha with a wealth of motorsport heritage and technical prowess. We have a few busy weeks ahead of us. Together we will do everything we can to be successful as soon as possible.
    Di Grassi on the news.