Lola boss after mediocre Formula E start: "A well-oiled machine from day 1" was not to be expected

Till Bechtolsheimer, the current head of Lola, first saved the British brand from certain ruin and now wants to lead Lola to the top of motorsport. Bechtolsheimer was a racing driver himself and attaches great importance to the racing sector. So when the opportunity arose to enter Formula E, he didn't have to think twice. The electric racing series combines exactly what he wants to emphasise with Lola in the future.

Together with the former team boss of DS Techeetah, Mark Preston, he built up the Formula E team from experienced specialists from ABT and the Japanese manufacturer Yamaha. Lola was slow in the last two races. However, Bechtolsheimer is aware that success cannot be forced: "I think we are the first new manufacturer in Formula E for five years, and so we have to catch up with everyone else", he says in an interview with Motorsportweek.

Lola Yamaha ABT works on interaction

In their own right, both ABT and Yamaha are established names in motorsport. Combined under the historic name "Lola", the team's potential is enormous. But such a merger also brings difficulties: "It's not easy to bring together a group of Lola people from the UK, a group of ABT people from Germany and a group of Yamaha people based largely in Japan and expect them to be a well-oiled machine from day one."

The new team struggled in both Sao Paulo and Mexico City. It can be assumed that this was more due to technical deficits in the completely new Yamaha powertrain. Bechtolsheimer is pleased with how the team is coming together though: "It's only the second race for us, but we already feel like a group that really sticks together."

Bechtolsheimer's 2 pillars in motorsport

Lola's programme is still in its infancy, but the ambitions are big: "As Lola, we really want to be a leader in sustainable motorsport." For Bechtolsheimer, Formula E has two important tasks: "On the one hand, it has to be an entertainment sport. If the racing series does not entertain you, it should not exist. But it must also serve as an innovation platform for the broader automotive and mobility sector.

Formula E is the world's leading racing series in terms of sustainability - a step that the general motorsport world should follow, according to Bechtolsheimer: "The wider automotive and mobility industry is very much focused on decarbonisation and sustainability, and motorsport needs to move in this direction too. Formula E is at the forefront of this development and therefore fulfils precisely this purpose."

Not always a fan of Formula E

A new team always brings new spectators for Formula E. At least that's the opinion of the Lola boss. He hopes the name Lola will attract new fans: "On the one hand, the Lola brand is very strong in Japan - we have a Japanese partner in Yamaha. But I also think there is this real love for the Lola brand among motorsport enthusiasts, and I think the typical Lola fan is not necessarily the same as the typical Formula E fan."

Till Bechtolsheimer sees himself as one such fan who did not actually follow Formula E: "So I hope it encourages some of the - I use the word deliberately - 'petrol heads' like me to give Formula E a chance. Because I have to admit: Until I started at Lola and Formula E became part of our strategy, it was not a championship I really focused on as a fan."

However, he himself was gripped by the racing series and completely surprised: "It blew me away how exciting the races are and the level of technology being developed in this championship." For him, Formula E is now right up there in terms of motorsport: "I think it really is the second most far-reaching championship after Formula 1."