Official: ABT to start with Lola Cars powertrains from the 2024-25 Formula E season

Formula E team ABT will compete with Lola Cars powertrains from the upcoming 2024/25 season. The Germany-based team made the announcement on Thursday morning. It had already become known before the start of the season that the contract with the previous powertrain supplier Mahindra had been cancelled. Lola Cars had already announced its Formula E entry and a collaboration with Yamaha during the Tokyo E-Prix.

Probably the worst-kept secret in Formula E is now finally official: ABT has announced that it will be using the powertrain of the newly registered manufacturer Lola Cars in Formula E from the coming season. Development of the powertrain software is already underway at Yamaha, and the hardware is already undergoing initial tests on the dyno. The schedule is tight: the powertrain in Lola's own Gen3 development car is due to complete its first laps on the race track as early as June.

Biermaier: "We have clearly sensed how determined Lola & Yamaha are"

"We are delighted to have found two renowned partners for our future in Formula E," says Thomas Biermaier, Team Principal of ABT Cupra. "Of course, it will be a big challenge for a new manufacturer to enter and establish itself in a world championship. But during our discussions and negotiations over the past few months, we have clearly sensed how skilled, motivated and determined Lola and Yamaha are to make this project a success – just like every member of our team."

"This is the beginning of an exciting new era in our Formula E history for the ABT brand," adds Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group. "We started as a private team in 2014, were then
Audi’s factory team, have been a customer team since the comeback and now want to move back up to the front of the grid with this new partnership."

Maruyama: "We are very honoured to contribute to the success of ABT"

"We are thrilled to be partnering with ABT as we bring the technology we’ve developed with Yamaha to the Formula E World Championship," said Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman of Lola Cars. "It’s exciting to be working with a team that has so much history and success in the sport. Operating factory-backed programmes is ABT’s bread and butter and their experience in Formula E will give us a critical leg up. We look forward to developing our relationship within and beyond the electric racing series."

"Yamaha Motor is accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability," says Heiji Maruyama, Managing Executive Officer and Director of Yamaha. "As the Technical Partner of Lola, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E. We are very happy and honoured to have the opportunity to contribute to the success of such a great team as ABT with our technology, working together with Lola."

Lucas di Grassi is the team's driver of choice. The Brazilian won the drivers' title with ABT in the 2016/17 season and the team title a year later. His current team-mate Nico Müller, on the other hand, is associated with a move to Porsche after the end of the season.

The ABT car with Lola powertrain will be seen on the race track for the first time during pre-season testing, which is expected to take place in Valencia from 5 to 8 November 2024. The first race of the eleventh Formula E season is scheduled for either December 2024 or January 2025.