Formula E: Mark Preston becomes new Team Principal at Lola Yamaha ABT

Lola Yamaha ABT will enter the 2025/26 Formula E World Championship with a new team principal: Mark Preston will replace Thomas Biermaier in this position. The Australian is thus returning to his traditional role as team principal three years after DS Techeetah's departure. His predecessor, Thomas Biermaier, will focus on other ABT projects.

As team principal at DS Techeetah, Preston can look back on a successful period: under his leadership, the team won three drivers' championships. Jean-Eric Vergne secured two consecutive drivers' titles in seasons 4 and 5. Antonio Felix da Costa's title followed in season 6. The team also won two consecutive team championships in seasons 5 and 6.

Preston looks back on successful years as team principal

After Techeetah withdrew from Formula E in 2022, things quietened down a little for Preston before he made his comeback to the paddock in 2024 with the arrival of Lola – initially as Motorsport Director at Lola Cars. During pre-season testing, Lola Yamaha ABT announced his appointment as team principal for season 12. He succeeds Thomas Biermaier, who will be devoting his time to other projects within the ABT organisation. The appointment of Fred Espinosa as deputy team principal was also announced at the same time. In addition to sporting matters, he will also be responsible for the day-to-day management of the team.

"After a summer focused on development, I am excited to lead the Lola Yamaha ABT team into our second season. I will continue to work closely with Thomas and Fred to build on the progress we made in Season 11," said Preston. "As we prepare for the Gen4 era of Formula E, we want to be more efficient for our own benefit and that of our partners. Lola Cars continues to grow. Recently, a vehicle science team was established to help us bring more innovation to motorsport and develop solutions that will shape the future of mobility."

Espinos: "We have built a strong foundation"

Espinosa also commented on his appointment: "Season 12 is the next important step in our development as a team. I am delighted to take on the role of deputy team principal. We are still striving to improve our performance in order to reach the highest possible level both on and off the track. In Season 11, we have already built a strong foundation. We have combined the knowledge and experience of Lola, ABT and Yamaha into a unified team that will carry us into Gen4."

It will be exciting to see how Lola Yamaha ABT develops, especially with regard to the start of the Gen4 era. Entering the Gen3 era midway through the season did not do them any favours from a sporting point of view last season, but they were able to attract attention with some impressive performances from Lucas di Grassi. However, before everything is reset to zero at the start of Gen4 next year, we still have one more season ahead of us with the Gen3 Evo cars.