Yamaha will be present in Formula E starting from the next season in 2025. The Iwata-based manufacturer is part of the Lola Cars project as a technical partner.
Lola is working with Yamaha ‘to develop and supply a powertrain’ for the electric single-seater championship. The manufacturer’s identity is well represented in the conceptual images of the car that have been released.
Primarily associated with motorcycle racing, Yamaha has a history in four-wheel racing, notably in Formula 1: it was an engine manufacturer from 1989 to 1997 (consecutively from 1991 to 1997), collaborating with legendary teams such as Brabham, Jordan, and Tyrrell. However, the results were always poor, with two podium finishes standing out: Mark Blundell was third at the 1994 Spanish GP giving Tyrrell its last podium; and Damon Hill was second at the 1997 Hungarian GP for Arrows.
Outside racing, Yamaha also participated in building engines for cars, doing so for Toyota or Volvo, and had a partnership with Ford. Additionally, it signed a series of concept cars between 2013 and 2017, in collaboration with Gordon Murray Design.
Heiji Maruyama, director of Yamaha Motor, explained this move into Formula E: ‘Yamaha Motor Company is accelerating the research and development of various technologies that contribute to sustainability. As the technical partner, we hope to acquire more advanced energy management technologies through the highest level of electric racing in Formula E. We also share Lola’s new philosophy of sustainable motorsport and we are very pleased and honored to form this partnership with them’.