Lola will make her return and aims for the 24 Hours of Le Mans

A new era begins for Lola. The British manufacturer, which has distinguished itself in numerous disciplines in the history of motorsport, comes under the control of the Englishman Till Bechtolsheimer, based in the United States. The Briton is no stranger to motorsport, as he himself is a driver in IMSA, in the GTD category. He will also be at the start of the 6 Hours of Glen this weekend with the No. 3 Gradient Racing Acura NSX GT66. He also competed in Pikes Peak and the Baja 1000.

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For the new owner, the opportunity to acquire and run an iconic motorsport brand was too good to pass up. “I have always been passionate about motorsport and, like most fans, I have always loved Lola. What Eric Broadley and Martin Birrane have accomplished with this brand is impressive. It's a daunting prospect, but exciting to try to rebuild Lola in their footsteps and do justice to their legacy.", Bechtolsheimer said.

“Reestablish Lola as a leading force”

Amanda Birrane, daughter of Martin Birrane, spoke on this subject: “My family is very pleased that the Lola brand is owned by a businessman and racing driver who will write the next chapter for this long-established British motor racing icon. My father would be delighted to see Lola return to competitive motorsport and especially at Le Mans. We wish Till every success. »

“Our plan is to re-establish Lola as a leading design and engineering force in modern motorsport”, adds Bechtolsheimer, founder of the New York-based investment firm Arosa Capital, which specializes in energy, energy efficiency and renewable energy, including emerging technologies in transportation and automobiles.

A return to competition for 2024 or 2025

“I built my career investing in energy efficiency and motorsport plays an important role in innovating and testing new solutions, explains the person concerned. Through Lola, we hope to develop and provide investment for some of these solutions. I have a lot of respect for the industry and understand that this will be a long process. »

“We have immediate plans for substantial upgrades to the Lola Technical Center, particularly the wind tunnel, and we are actively working on our first project for cars, continues the new owner. I firmly believe that our greatest asset is the Lola name and what it represents to so many people in the motorsport industry, this will help us attract great talent and form lasting partnerships. »

More details on Lola's future projects will be announced in the future. The British structure hopes to return to the competition tracks in 2024 or 2025. If Till Bechtolsheimer is still studying the options of his new brand for the future, the return of Lola to the 24 Hours of Le Mans could materialize by entering a prototype, with an LMDh or an LMH.