• Strong strategy decisions and racing prowess saw Lucas di Grassi finish P9 after starting in P21, with Zane Maloney finished in P16 after starting in P18
• Despite challenges with pace, the team has seen positive results including P2 in Miami and three additional finishes in the points to give a total of 32 for its first season
Lola Yamaha ABT has finished its first season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on a high after securing two further points in the second round in London, with Lucas di Grassi finishing in ninth.
For the final race of the season, the team was again struggling for pace, with both Zane Maloney and Lucas di Grassi finishing P10 in their respective qualifying groups. In the race, Lucas looked to save energy and attack later in the race. After making it up to P12 by the end of his first attack mode, Lucas suffered front wing damage which fortunately did not require a change. Showing off the driving skills that have made him one of the most successful Formula E drivers, Lucas used his second attack to make it into the points, crossing the line in tenth and ultimately finishing in ninth after penalties.
For Zane, an early Attack Mode usage was impacted by yellow flags and he also suffered front wing damage after a collision. Though it didn’t require switching, this damage did impact Zane’s race, meaning he ultimately finished in P16.
Although it was a challenging for the team in London, throughout the season the team has made progress and showcased its future potential with four finishes in the points, including a second-place result for Lucas in Miami in only the team’s fifth E-Prix.
Lucas di Grassi, #11:
We finished probably our toughest weekend of the year so far with two points because we managed a perfect strategy in the race, with overtakes and energy saving at the right time. Finishing the year in the points gives the team extra motivation to continue the hard work during the summer break. We only have a few months before the new season begins in São Paulo so we need to work very hard to ensure we are competitive.
Zane Maloney, #22:
It was a difficult day for us, we struggled a bit all weekend as a team for pace but we had a good race in terms of strategy and execution, unfortunately a bit of contact pretty much ended our race today. Lucas had a different strategy to me and executed it well, scoring two points which is a great achievement for the team. I’d like to thank the whole team for everything this season, my goal is to come back very strong next year and be fighting for points from round one and that’s the team’s goal as well, which we’ll be working hard in the off season to achieve.
Mark Preston, Motorsport Director, Lola Cars said: “We’re very pleased to end the season on a high with points for Lucas following an excellent drive and strategy, For any new team, the first season is going to be a challenge, particularly when you’re two years behind the other teams on the grid. Everyone has worked extremely hard throughout the season and we’re proud of the progress we’ve made overall, the points we’ve scored and particularly of the podium achieved in Miami. The team will now take a well-deserved break before we continue to apply the learnings from this season to put ourselves in the best possible position for Season 12.”
Thomas Biermaier, CEO, ABT: “To finish in the points in our final race of the season is a great reward for the team who have put in so much hard work as we try to catch up to the other teams after joining halfway through GEN3. It’s been a challenging season but I’m very proud of how the three parts of this team – Lola, Yamaha and ABT – have come together to achieve some good results. We’ve learnt a lot and are ready to implement this to come back stronger for Season 12."
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship returns for Season 12 with testing in Valencia in October.
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