Lola Formulation E Staff has lastly accomplished the primary piece of its driver line-up conundrum with the signing of a former Ferrari Formulation 1 reserve driver.
The British squad has been making ready for the game’s Gen4 period and not using a fastened workforce in place, with Lucas di Grassi retiring and Zane Maloney leaping ship to Nissan.
Its low season has seen a variety of rumours round potential signings, together with Dan Ticktum, who finally opted for a seat with the brand new Fortescue Zero Racing workforce.
However with only one week to go till pre-season testing at Jarama, Lola has bought one half of its line-up locked in – a driver with loads of expertise however is new to the all-electric championship.
Robert Schwartzman fulfills ‘very long time’ Formulation E ambition with Lola drive
Robert Schwartzman, a one-time Indy 500 polesitter, Formulation 3 Champion and Ferrari Academy alumni is the person who’s been chosen for the duty.
The Israeli driver has been largely out of competitors since PREMA’s exit from IndyCar, however has lately made a return to the World Endurance Championship, having raced in it beforehand again in 2024 for Ferrari.
With a cope with Peugeot secured, Schwartzman, like many FE drivers, will stability their endurance duties with it, which seems to be little hardship, as he revealed a seat within the championship has been a long-held ambition.
“I’m very excited to hitch the Formulation E grid and begin this new chapter of my profession with Lola,” he stated.
“Formulation E is such a aggressive, distinctive championship and one I’ve needed to race in for a very long time. Balancing my commitments between WEC and Formulation E goes to make for a demanding, continuous season however truthfully, after not racing in 2026, I missed it a lot.
“Being again to doing what I really like most, particularly with a double marketing campaign throughout two world class programmes is an unbelievable feeling. I’m actually grateful to everybody who labored behind the scenes to offer me this chance.
“What makes becoming a member of this venture so particular is working with a legendary title like Lola as we enter the GEN4 period. The GEN4 automobile is an absolute beast and a lot enjoyable to drive, I actually can’t wait to start out the season and push it to the restrict on what seems like a incredible calendar.”
Lola’s early testing has given some encouraging indicators, with the workforce having at all times been considerably on the backfoot attributable to its entrance into FE coming halfway by means of the Gen3 period.
With Schwartzman having been testing for Lola covertly for a while, it seems that there’s loads of preparation coated already, an encouraging signal for Staff Principal Mark Preston.
“Robert’s outcomes and expertise communicate for themselves, and we’re so happy to be welcoming him to Lola Formulation E,” he stated.
“Whereas he enters the sequence as a rookie going through a real studying curve in opposition to established grid veterans, his confirmed skill to adapt shortly throughout totally different classes makes him a extremely promising prospect for the GEN4 period.
“He has already proven sturdy potential behind the wheel and has built-in effectively into the workforce, offering invaluable suggestions as we put together for the 2027 season.”
READ MORE – Unique: Dan Ticktum delivers early verdict on Fortescue Zero Racing operation
