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Lola Yamaha ABT will enter its first ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season with one of the grid’s most exciting driver pairings, having confirmed rookie Zane Maloney as the teammate of “Mr. Formula E” Lucas di Grassi. In combining the driver with the most races in championship history with the only rookie confirmed so far, the team underscores its intent to shake up the status quo and drive the next generation of motorsport talent and technology.
“We’re delighted to welcome Zane to the team for the upcoming Formula E season, completing our driver pairing as one of the most exciting on next season’s grid,” said Till Bechtolsheimer, Chairman of Lola Cars Ltd. “Zane is a hugely talented young driver with an abundance of speed and potential and, alongside Lucas, we have an ideal combination of youth and experience. Zane has demonstrated his abilities in a variety of junior categories and proven himself as a race winner, and we’re looking forward to seeing him get behind the wheel in testing, and then at round one in São Paulo.”
“We are very much looking forward to having Zane as part of the team for Season 11, and he has already brought a breath of fresh air during our first days working together,” added ABT CEO, Thomas Biermaier. “Giving young talent a chance and supporting them has been a strong tradition at ABT for many decades and that’s why it was clear to us that we would also follow this path in Formula E.”
Born and raised in Barbados, Maloney’s blossoming career has already seen him win the British Formula 4 Championship, finish runner-up in the FIA Formula 3 Championship and be named FIA Rookie of the Year in 2022. The 20-year-old is currently third in the FIA Formula 2 Championship and is a reserve driver for Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber. A reserve and development driver for the Andretti team since 2023, Maloney already has Formula E experience, having completed several tests.
“I am delighted to be part of the Lola Yamaha ABT team and looking forward to this exciting challenge,” he said. “Although I already know the championship well, this is a completely new chapter for me, so working with such an experienced team, and alongside such a successful driver, is the perfect next step. I’ve followed and admired Lucas’s battles over the past seasons, including when he became champion. I’m sure that I will learn a lot from him and together we will push both ourselves and the development of the car forward.”
Maloney’s rise through the junior ranks of motorsport has been hugely impressive, having started his karting career on the 0.9km Bushy Park circuit in his native Barbados where he competed against and beat juniors almost twice his age. Honing his speed and astute race craft, he took the bold step to compete in European karting, where he faced grids almost ten times the size of those he was used to. Success in these categories led to Maloney competing in numerous junior formulas, including claiming the British F4 Championship, as well as securing race wins in the Formula Regional European Championship and Formula 3.
Maloney has already joined the team for testing in Varano, Italy, and is back in the new car in Spain this week. “We won’t know how good our package is until São Paulo. I am confident that I have the raw speed to be competitive, but experience is key in Formula E, so I will do everything I can to catch up here as quickly as possible,” he said. The eleventh ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season kicks off in São Paulo on 7 December. In early November, all teams will gather in Valencia, Spain for the only official test sessions. Lola’s agreement to join the Formula E grid with ABT is set to be just one element of a joint venture between the two companies to explore far reaching areas of sustainable motorsport. For the upcoming season, they have formed a team using a powertrain developed by Lola and technical partner, Yamaha Motor Company, the first step in Lola’s strategy to re-establish itself as an industry leader focusing on three areas of electrification, hydrogen, and sustainable fuels and materials.