Tag: Lola Yamaha ABT

  • R13 – Shanghai E-Prix

    Before the race had started, Mitch Evans’ race was run. A technical issue saw his team working away on his Jaguar but they weren’t able to rectify the problem to get him out on the grid for lights out.

    The conditions meant a couple of laps behind the Safety Car before the static start, with polesitter Drugovich leading the field through the sweeping right-hand Turn 1.

    Taylor Barnard, Pepe Marti, Edoardo Mortara and Nyck de Vries immediately jumped for the first of their two mandatory Attack Mode 50kW, all-wheel drive boosts to make use of that extra power and grip while the pack was bunched up.

    Barnard had the front on what was Lap 5, with Drugovich, Wehrlein, Marti, Mortara, Rowland, de Vries, Mueller, Dennis and Maloney following as the field ran two and three wide through Sector 1.

    Wehrlein’s overlap in Attack saw him cycle to P1 come Lap 7, heading teammate Mueller by a couple of seconds – though Nico did have a couple more minutes overlap in Attack to make use of himself.

    The Porsche’s then worked together to stretch a gap to Drugovich in third, pulling out three seconds as the race passed Lap 10.

    Da Costa went later with Attack and made up good ground to third on Lap 16 by the time his first 50kW, all-wheel drive jolt had run its course – behind the lead Porsche pair. He’d clipped Rowland’s Nissan earlier through Turn 1 and damaged his front wing but looked to have avoided any further action.

    Buemi sat fourth with three percent of usable energy in-hand on Lap 18 – well placed to pounce as he took Attack Mode number two. He immediately made it by da Costa at the hairpin, setting about Mueller and leader Wehrlein a couple of seconds up the road.

    Mueller responded to the charging Envision pair, taking Attack a lap later. However, Eriksson was able to sweep around the outside of Mueller and Buemi at the start of Lap 21 at Turn 1 – the Swede second ahead of Buemi as they navigated Mueller’s Porsche and it was now Eriksson with the energy in hand.

    A tour later and Eriksson swept by Wehrlein on the run to Turn 1 – a 16 place gain on his starting berth. He still had an Attack Mode to use, too.

    The drivers that had set up for drying conditions were flying – Eriksson 4.4 seconds out front, Vergne flying through the field to P2 on lap 23 while di Grassi joined the party in P3 leaving Wehrlein outside of the podium positions. All three had made up 16 spots on their grid slot.

    A Full Course Yellow was required on Lap 24 with Maloney’s Lola in the wars and needed recovery. This left his teammate di Grassi in the ideal position; P3 but with Attack Mode still to use as those around him saw theirs ebb away under caution.

    On the restart, Eriksson had it all to do to keep two champions at bay. Vergne was right on the rear of the Envision, with di Grassi in Attack with the pair of them.

    Vergne then made a move at the hairpin stick as di Grassi lunged – the pair past Eriksson and now scrapping over the provisional win.

    Through Turn 1 on the final lap, di Grassi swept right around the outside of Vergne to pinch P1. He held on in Attack to take the team’s first Formula E win, heading Vergne and Eriksson home on track.

  • Lucas di Grassi announces retirement

    Formula E veteran, Lucas di Grassi, will call time on his Formula E career at the end of the 2025/26 season.

    Back in 2014, Lucas became the first driver to commit to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, quickly becoming one of the most vocal advocates for the series – as well as the first-ever race winner.

    Since then, Lucas has gone on to become one of the most successful drivers in Formula E history, with 13 race victories, 41 podiums, 4 pole positions and 1077 championship points.
    His greatest achievement came in 2017, when he was crowned Formula E champion after an incredible title fight with Sebastien Buemi.

    Away from the track, Lucas’ technical insight and expertise has been invaluable in supporting the development of the championship, with the Brazilian driver playing a key role in the development of the original prototype that was used as a proof-of-concept for the GEN1 car.

    After a lifetime dedicated to racing, 2026 will mark my final season as a professional racing driver and the beginning of a new chapter. Motorsport has been my life for as long as I can remember, giving me discipline and grit before I knew why I needed them, and purpose in moments when the road ahead was far from clear. From the suburbs of São Paulo to Monaco, racing shaped my life in ways I could never have imagined. It changed me profoundly as a driver, person, father, and human being. I gave everything I had to this sport, and in return, it gave me a life beyond anything I could have dreamed of.  I am deeply grateful to my family, who supported me from day one through every sacrifice, difficult decision, victory, and defeat. Without their love, patience, and belief, none of this would have been possible. It is with them, especially my wonderful wife and children, that I have made this decision. I’d like to say a very special thank you to Formula E, where I have spent the last fourteen years surrounded by extraordinary people, people who started writing on napkins and created an amazing championship that I now consider my home. This decision comes with emotion, but also with peace. Every great race has a final lap, and I want mine to be driven with the same intensity, commitment, and love that brought me here. I will give everything in my final races and I will share more news with you soon about the bright future ahead.
    Di Grassi on the news.

    Lucas is not just a driver; he is part of the Formula E family. From the inception of Formula E, which he helped shape, and the very first race in Beijing in 2014, Lucas has been a strong competitor and a fundamental part of the championship’s growth. His passion for electric racing has been invaluable to the series. While we will miss seeing him behind the wheel, his legacy as a World Champion and passion for innovation in sustainability lives on in Formula E. We wish him nothing but the best in his next chapter, and I have no doubt he will continue to be a driving force in the future of motorsport.
    Alejandro Agag, co-founder and chairman of Formula E.

  • Lola Yamaha ABT retains Di Grassi & Maloney

    Lola Yamaha ABT has confirmed it will retain the same driver line-up for the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with both Lucas di Grassi and Zane Maloney continuing to compete for the team.

    The British manufacturer, in partnership with Yamaha and ABT, entered Formula E in Season 11 as part of the Gen3 Evo era.

    Despite facing the steep learning curve of competing in a championship with no prior experience, the squad made steady progress throughout its debut campaign.

    The team’s highlights included a surprise podium finish in Miami, where veteran di Grassi secured second place in only Lola Yamaha ABT’s fifth race.

    In total, the team scored 32 points in its inaugural season, with di Grassi’s expertise proving critical in helping the team move from the back of the grid towards the midfield.

    I’m pleased to confirm a second season with Lola Yamaha ABT in Formula E. 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.
    Di Grassi on the news.

    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 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 on the news.

    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.
    Mark Preston, Motorsport Director, Lola Cars.