The DGR-Lola Concept is a bold motorsport vision, and I have all the details in this week’s Sustainable Motorsport Roundup. I also have news on Porsche’s new Formula E team, hydrogen in motorsport and much more!
Overview
Sustainable Motorsport News
The Bold Motorsport Vision of the DGR-Lola Concept
Lucas di Grassi has teamed up with Lola, his current Formula E team to unveil the DGR-Lola Concept, an electric fan car that redefines the concept of downforce.
“Featuring variable active aerodynamics, an enhanced modular battery design, improved safety features, and open software integration, along with all-wheel drive, a twin motor setup delivering 600 kW (804 hp) of power and powered by a fully integrated 60 kWh modular battery, the car is said to be capable of lap times 4.3 seconds quicker around Monaco than current Formula 1 cars (a number that could theoretically improve to 11 seconds as battery technology improves and weight decreases), while also being 10 times more efficient. It also features a twin-turbine suction device to generate large amounts at any speed.”
Here are two articles covering the car and why it was developed.
- A new fan car? Di Grassi’s bold vision for racing’s future The Race)
- DGR-Lola concept car is Lucas di Grassi’s vision for racing’s future (RACER)
Vauxhall to Make Motorsport Return in 2026
Vauxhall will make its return to motorsport by fielding a factory backed car in an all-electric rally championship next year. The British brand will enter the ADAC GSE Rally Cup and it will see aspiring Welsh rally star Ioan Lloyd pilot a Vauxhall Mokka GSE Rally car. Autosport has more details.
Season 12 of the Formula E Better Futures Fund
The Formula E Better Futures Fund is back in Season 12 to support local causes in all host cities on the Formula E Season 11 calendar!
If your charity, cause or community organization is making a difference in one of these cities, aligned to the fund impact themes, we invite you to express interest in receiving €25,000 (EUR) of funding. In addition to financial support, selected causes will also have the opportunity to receive volunteer support from Formula E and engage with our races.
You can express your interest by applying here.
Swiss Energy Company ABB Finding New Business Deals in NASCAR Amid EV Tests
ABB has struck some new B2B deals with NASCAR industry sponsors in Stanley Black & Decker, Inc.’s DeWalt brand and The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, the latest example of one of the sport’s longtime marketing calling cards. Chris Shigas: “NASCAR is helping us bring this [conversation about energy] to the heart of America.” Read more at Sports Business Journal.
Sustainable Motorsport Tech
Can Hydrogen Be Harnessed Effectively to Provide a Source of Power in F1?
Pat Symonds in an Autosport Plus article investigates whether hydrogen could work in Formula 1. “We can use hydrogen in two ways. The first is a fuel cell and the second is to use it in much the same way as gasoline in an internal combustion engine.” You can read the full article here.
Hydrogen a Focus at PMW
In Hall 10.1 of the Cologne Exhibition Center during the recent PMW (Professional Motorsport World) conference, more than 200 booths are hosting major and minor players in motorsport from 45 countries, some with many years of experience in competition, others more recent, as specialists in a newly deployed technology. Hydrogen exemplifies this collaboration between established motorsport entities and others working to deploy their expertise on circuits around the world. MissionH24, a program between the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and H24Project for the creation of a Hydrogen category in Endurance racing, was thus able to present this pioneering challenge for the decarbonization of motorsport and mobility.
Moderating a roundtable discussion, MissionH24, represented by its Technical Director Bassel Aslan, accompanied by several partners, Pierre Tipner, Engineering Sales Manager at FORVIA; Michael Mürlebach, Project Director for Bosch Motorsport; Douglas Campling, General Manager of Motorsport at Fortescue Zero; Sam Guest, Head of Telemetry, Control and Analysis, Motorsport at Motion Applied; and Jean-Baptiste Pouradier, CEO of Texys Group, shared updates on the upcoming H24EVO, the latest hydrogen-electric prototype currently under development, and the potential of hydrogen.
I hope to have a follow-up with the details of the discussions in a future edition of the Sustainable Motorsport Roundup.
Inside the World’s First Hydrogen Race Cars – The Future of Motorsport
Series News
Porsche Motorsport Announce Additional Formula E Entry from 2026/27
Porsche Motorsport has announced that from Season 13 (2026/27) onwards, the German manufacturer plans to field two teams under its own marque, to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, marking its ambitions in top-level motorsport.
With the two additional cars raced by Porsche, plus a customer team, a total of three teams would be supported by the Porsche 99X Electric package, demonstrating the German manufacturer’s commitment to the championship and furthering the development of electric technology.
Thomas Laudenbach, Vice President, Porsche Motorsport, said: “Motorsport shapes our brand. Our heritage in traditional motorsport is unique and is reflected in every Porsche. In the future, we want to be able to say the same about electric motorsport.
“Compared to other racing series, Formula E offers a very attractive balance between effort and return. It also gives us the opportunity to further develop technical solutions that are relevant to our production sports cars. Among other things, we want to use this adaptation to find and promote new talent at all levels, not just drivers.
“In marketing the additional cars, we want to create as much independence as possible and not simply expand our existing presence. Next year marks 75 years of Porsche Motorsport – a success story that shall be shaped by a wide variety of stories from electric motorsport in the future.”
According to The Race: Porsche is believed to be close to confirming Cupra Kiro as its now sole customer team for the 2026-27 campaign, the first of the Gen4 era, and will part from its agreement with Andretti – which is believed to be close to a deal to run Nissan Gen4 cars. The confirmation of Porsche’s new entry will likely ensure that Formula E has a grid of 24 cars for the start of the Gen4 era. Opel, via its parent company Stellantis, is highly likely to enter a team alongside sister brand Citroen.
The Race Has the Details on Formula E’s Covert Gen4 Test
In more Formula E news, The Race uncovers all the news from Formula E’s covert Gen4 car test that was held at Monteblanco in Spain. “Laptimes have not been disclosed outside of the teams’ own knowledge and different power modes are being used across the entrants. A specific track layout with a temporary chicane is being used.”
How a Former F1 Marketer is Building Fandom for Formula E
Marketing Brew profiles Formula E CMO Ellie Norman as she transitions from marketing Formula 1 to Formula E. “One of the things I’ve spoken about inside the organization is, ‘How do we become the defining motorsport for youth culture?’” Norman said. “That’s a very deliberate set of words, but for me, youth culture isn’t about age. It literally is an attitude.”
Tom Brady Is A Competitive Force And Sustainability Advocate For E1
Forbes explains how Tom Brady has become both a competitive force and a sustainability champion in the E1 Championship. “One of the coolest things for me was seeing how genuinely invested he is,” Coleman told me after the first practice run in Miami. “He’s constantly in communication with us and the team about how it’s going.”
Getting to the Track Sustainably
- 12 Times The Speed Of Sound? A Look At The World’s 1st Hypersonic Jet Powered By Hydrogen Fuel (Simple Flying)
- Entrepreneurs, Companies Increasingly Considering Sustainability in Aircraft Purchases (Climbing Fast)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
