Lola and Yamaha are joining the Formula E field next season. Their last efforts in a single-seater world championship didn’t end well, but there are more reasons to be cheerful this time
STEFAN MACKLEY
Motorsport fans of a certain age need no reminder of the generally torrid final Formula 1 attempts of Lola Cars and Yamaha 27 years ago. The British constructor botched its attempt to make the grade when both its drivers comprehensively failed to qualify for the opening round of the 1997 season, and then vanished from the paddock by the next round when its money failed to materialise. The Japanese manufacturer fared little better in its role supplying engines to Arrows, save for Damon Hill’s heroics and near-victory at the Hungarian Grand Prix, where he agonisingly lost the lead on the final lap due to a hydraulics issue. That season was the last for Yamaha in car racing, while Lola would achieve success in spades through its involvement with Indycars, sportscars and its Formula 3000 spec chassis.
By the end of 2012, Lola had fallen into administration due to cashflow issues stemming from the economic downturn and HMRC rule changes. A name that was once a mainstay of motorsport vanished. But both Lola and Yamaha are returning next year to four-wheel competition – to world championship single-seater racing, no less – as a powertrain supplier in Formula E in a move that has significant ramifications for the series.
Lola was resurrected by British businessman and IMSA racer Till Bechtolsheimer, who bought the name and remaining assets in 2022. He aims to return the fabled brand to motorsport but with a new focus on sustainability, primarily electric and hydrogen power. It’s a very different pathway from before, but one that should ensure its long-term future as it finds its feet again, with Formula E just one avenue that Lola intends to explore.
Created in 1958 by Eric Broadley, and with more than 500 wins under its belt across a plethora of series and events, including the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours, Lola Cars is an institution of motorsport that is sure to attract attention. “Coming back into racing we needed to differentiate ourselves,” explains Mark Preston, who heads up the project. “We’ve obviously been away too long to just continue what we did previously with aerodynamics and chassis etc. We’ll still do that kind of thing but, looking at the powertra
