Formula E: Lola signs Enzo Fittipaldi - grandson of F1 world champion completes Gen4 rookie line-up

Lola has completed its driver line-up for Formula E's Gen4 era. One day after signing Robert Shwartzman, the British manufacturer confirmed Enzo Fittipaldi as its second full-time driver for the 2026/27 season. The grandson of two-time Formula 1 world champion Emerson Fittipaldi recently finished runner-up in the US junior series Indy NXT. When he makes his race debut, he will become the seventh driver in Formula E history to share a surname with a Formula 1 world champion.

Lola is opting for two rookies as it embarks on a new chapter as an independent team in Formula E. Having announced the signing of Robert Shwartzman on Wednesday, the British manufacturer confirmed Enzo Fittipaldi as its second full-time driver on Thursday. Both drivers have already tested the new Lola T004 but will make their race debuts in the all-electric world championship in the 2026/27 season.

"I'm incredibly excited to be competing in my debut Formula E season with Lola. This is a big step forward in my racing career," says Fittipaldi. He is extremely grateful to the team for placing its trust in him and giving him this opportunity.

Completing our all-rookie line-up for the 2027 Season is @enzofitti Let's go 👊 https://t.co/8UTQyQ3DLj https://t.co/UT02gW2MX7

— Lola Formula E (@LolaFormulaE) November 12, 2026

Fittipaldi brings experience from a variety of international single-seater series. As a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy, the Brazilian won the Italian Formula 4 championship in 2018 before finishing runner-up in the Formula Regional European Championship the following year. He progressed through Formula 3 to Formula 2, where he scored two wins and 13 podiums.

Following a spell in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) in 2025, Fittipaldi moved to the United States for the 2026 season. He competed for HMD Motorsports in Indy NXT, the feeder series to IndyCar. He won four races, more than any other driver on the grid, and finished second in the championship behind American Nikita Johnson.

Fittipaldi gained his first Formula E experience with Jaguar

Formula E is not entirely new territory for the 25-year-old. In May 2024, Fittipaldi took part in the Berlin rookie test for Jaguar TCS Racing. On his first outing in an electric race car, he finished 13th in the morning session before improving to sixth in the afternoon. He was just 0.274 seconds off the fastest time of the day, set by none other than his new team-mate Robert Shwartzman in the DS Penske car.

His older brother Pietro had also gained experience in Formula E, taking part in rookie tests in 2018 and 2019, including for Jaguar. Over the past few months, Enzo Fittipaldi has already been working with Lola and technical partner Yamaha on the development of the new Gen4 car.

"Enzo is a fantastic fit for Lola Formula E," says team principal Mark Preston, explaining the decision to sign him. His diverse experience in single-seater racing will be an advantage as he makes the transition to Formula E. "He has the talent, work ethic and technical understanding to be a real asset to us as we enter this new era of the sport," Preston continues. During testing, Fittipaldi has also demonstrated his ability to work closely with the engineers to extract as much performance as possible from the Lola T004.

Fittipaldi will become the 7th Formula E driver to share an F1 world champion's surname

As early as the inaugural 2014/15 season, three relatives of former Formula 1 world champions were competing in Formula E: Nelson Piquet Jr., Nicolas Prost and Bruno Senna. The sons of Nelson Piquet and Alain Prost, along with the nephew of Ayrton Senna, were part of the Formula E grid from the very beginning. Piquet even went on to win the first championship title in the series' history.

Matthew Brabham and Marco Andretti also competed for Andretti in Formula E's inaugural season. The grandson of three-time world champion Jack Brabham raced in Putrajaya and Punta del Este in 2014, while the grandson of Mario Andretti contested the Buenos Aires E-Prix in 2015. In the second season, Jacques Villeneuve became the first Formula 1 world champion to compete in Formula E himself: the 1997 champion contested two races for Venturi.

Lola & Fittipaldi: A shared history spanning more than 50 years

"Lola is a name with so much history and heritage in motorsport. It's a privilege to be part of this new chapter alongside Yamaha," says Fittipaldi. He is particularly excited to be joining the team at such an exciting time, with projects like the T70S bringing Lola's iconic past into the future.

The Brazilian's enthusiasm for Lola's history is no coincidence. Back in 1970, Enzo's grandfather Emerson and his brother Wilson competed against one another in the Brazilian Sportscar Championship, driving a Lola T210 and a Lola T70 Mk3B respectively.

Emerson Fittipaldi, who won the Formula 1 world championship in 1972 and 1974, returned to the cockpit of a Lola in the American CART championship in 1988. Wilson's son Christian later enjoyed success with the British manufacturer too, winning the 2000 CART season finale at Fontana for Newman/Haas Racing, among other achievements. In 2006, he also represented Brazil in the A1GP series, in which all teams raced Lola machinery.

More than 50 years after their first races together, Enzo Fittipaldi is continuing the relationship between his family and Lola in Formula E. Next week, Fittipaldi and Shwartzman will take to the track together as Lola's confirmed full-time drivers for the first time at the official Formula E pre-season test. The test will take place from 16 to 20 November at the Circuito del Jarama just outside Madrid.

 

 

 

 

 

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"I can't wait to get back in the car at our upcoming test in Madrid," says Fittipaldi. He is looking forward to working closely with the team there to lay the foundations for a strong debut season together.