The news that the Lola brand is back in World Championship-level motorsport should be good news for anyone and everyone that cares about the brand’s heritage and future.
The deal to field a Formula E effort from 2025 with Yamaha as a Gen 3 powertrain supplier joins many dots for the present and lays a virtual breadcrumb trail to the potentially even more exciting future vision.
Lola’s owner Till Bechtolsheimer (pictured top) has a background in green and sustainable tech and has long made it clear that he sees the future of Lola as a standard bearer for technology in those areas in motorsport and beyond.
Formula E, currently hungry for new and head-turning names, was ripe as the laboratory for those ambitions and for the brand to re-establish itself as a hub for technological excellence.
But have no doubt that the vision goes further – much, much further!
Whilst there will inevitably be those who will be sorry that endurance racing isn’t part of the plan just yet, the Formula E programme is part of a bigger picture for the re-emergent outfit.
It gives Lola a place at a table that is tough to access, a powertrain supplier in an FIA World Championship earns a place in the backroom discussion on the future shape of technical regulations in Formula E and beyond.
With Sportscar racing currently in its pomp in numbers and variety in both Prototype and GT there was little available that would have given Lola the opportunity that currently exists in a currently somewhat volatile Formula E picture.
But rules cycles come and go, and by the time the next major cycle comes around for international sportscar racing, Lola will be in a much, MUCH better place to play an active part once again.
And that would be a yet further reason for celebration.
DSC wishes Till and everyone else at Lola Cars the best of luck with their new venture.
