After Lola’s takeover by Till Bechtolsheimer, the brand returned to motorsport in 2024, partnering with the Abt team in Formula E.
While results have been far and few for Lola so far, given its rivals already had a two-year advantage with the development of the programme, the British marque can take advantage of a level-playing field in Gen4 to move up the front.
Di Grassi has already been involved in developing Lola’s Gen4 powertrain and could take on a bigger role within the company, particularly as it builds its own in-house operations after splitting with Abt.
At the same time, di Grassi could join Formula E and shape the very future of the series. He remains very optimistic about the championship’s potential and believes it could become the fastest series in the world with further technical innovations down the line.
Asked about his next move, di Grassi said: “One or the other. So either the team or the championship.
“I think there is a huge opportunity in Gen4 for the teams and championship. I also feel there is a need to make sure that with Gen5 we create the fastest motorsport car on the planet, so there is still a big step [to do] from Gen4 to Gen5.
“There are so many projects to do. From the championship to the team. I’m very glad that I’m together with Lola. So, creating a legacy together with Lola [could be an option], so if I could help the team as well. I’m still developing the Gen4 [powertrain].
“I’m still finishing the cycle, I’m still going to be close to the team for the next months to come. Also, it’s a very interesting challenge to be with the team which is last in the grid now, to be one of the top runners. That’s a very cool challenge to do.
“It’s not my focus right now. My focus right now is to do well in the next nine races. It will be a dream come true to be able to win one of these 11 races or do another podium like we did last year, to finish on the high, and we’re gonna work very hard to do that.”
Lola team principal Mark Preston left the door open for di Grassi to remain involved at the squad after retirement, revealing that discussions had already taken place about what such a role could look like.
“He’s been thinking about [when to retire] for a while and it’s pretty obvious he’s been thinking about what he does next,” Preston told Motorsport.com. “We’ve been talking about what he might do continuing with Lola.
“I’m not super surprised [by his decision to retire], although he’s obviously done an amazing amount for this championship. I’ve raced against him for many years [while working with Techeetah], so it’s always good to be racing with him now, and we’ll look forward to seeing what he does next.
“He’s put a lot into the championship, so hopefully he can continue supporting us as we go forward as well.”
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