F1: Lola unveil F1 plan

Sportscar manufacturer Lola has revealed that plans are afoot to re-enter Formula One in 2010.

The company, which currently supplies prototypes to a number of LMS and ALMS outfits including Aston Martin Racing, is undertaking a full technical, operational and financial evaluation of entering the sport next season amid the FIA’s radical cost cutting measures announced by the World Motor Sport council on March 17.

One of those measures sees the total season’s budget capped at £30 million, a substantial reduction on what teams currently spend but one that would enable the company to work within less restrictive technical constraints.

Work has already started on the project which will be given the green light subject to further details released by the FIA as well as entering into discussions with a number of parties with a view to creating a Lola-designed, manufactured and developed car for next season.

New staff have been appointed to oversee the venture whilst some of Lola’s top design team have also moved across from the company’s sportscar arm to assist. Incidentally, a number of key elements in building a grand prix operation already exist at Lola’s Huntingdon headquarters, including an F1 standard wind tunnel, the latest CFD and FEA equipment as well as a seven-post dynamic chassis rig.

A prolific sportscar manufacturer, Lola also have recent experience of building a diverse range of single-seaters including Formula Nippon, Formula 3, Champ Car, A1GP and Formula 3000 machinery. The company also competed in Formula One throughout the 1960’s, ‘70’s and ‘80’s before a disastrous attempt to re-enter in 1997 all but secured its closure.

Lola’s Executive Chairman Martin Birrane confirmed that the sport’s adoption of radical cost cutting measures represented the perfect opportunity for his company.

“The announcement that Formula One teams may opt for a prudent, financially responsible ‘cost capped’ regime from 2010 has resulted in us deciding to fully evaluate the opportunity to develop a car to compete in the FIA Formula One World Championship,” he said.

“Providing world-class engineering excellence, offering high quality solutions governed by a tightly controlled financial regime has been part of Lola’s DNA over the last decade. The current necessity for Formula One to adopt a responsible approach in times of economic uncertainty has created the ideal conditions for us to consider developing a car for the World Championship.

“Lola possesses the technical resources, capability and know-how to develop cars capable of competing at the very highest levels of international motor sport, including Formula One. We are therefore embracing the WMSC’s timely announcements and assessing a relevant programme for F1 with a view to making formal entry in the coming weeks.”


Tom Hornsby