Dan Ticktum will test for Lola this week and is talking to the British manufacturer about a potential race deal for the first Gen4 season that will begin later this year.
Formula E Notebook can reveal that the current CUPRA KIRO driver will be test in Spain this week and will run the Gen4 development Lola Yamaha in a planned two-day test run.
It is understood that Ticktum is still exploring options with CUPRA KIRO, but is also looking around at possible alternatives for his future. His present team are known to be fully aware of his test this week.
The deal for Ticktum to test for Lola was concluded at the London EPrix last week and the British driver is running with a team other than CUPRA KIRO (nee NIO333/ERT) for the first time ever in his six season Formula E career.
The test all confirms that Ticktum could leave the CUPRA Kiro team this autumn, although no official communication regarding his exit is planned to be issued this month. Ticktum has scored the two EPrix wins that the British based/American entered team have secured since its inception in September 2024 with wins at Jakarta in June 2025 and in Tokyo last month.
Ticktum is known to have also spoken to Penske and Porsche in recent weeks with seats available at each of those teams, with the latter being the long mooted second factory team. Ticktum is well-known to Porsche as he has used the Weissach based simulator on multiple occasions over the last two seasons.
27 year-old Ticktum told FEN in London last week that “I think the likelihood is I will remain in the Porsche family in some way, shape or form.”
He made that comment after describing his acquiescence to Pascal Wehrlein in the qualifying semi-final duel, wallowing the then champion elect to go through to the final where a similar outcome played out with factory teammate Nico Mueller.
“I think it was in my best interest to play the game a little bit there,” said Ticktum after that qualifying session.
“Also, we’re obviously Porsche powertrains as well, but my championship was over a long time ago this season. If I can help Porsche, that’s who I need to help.”
Who will drive for Lola in Gen4?
With Zane Maloney set to soon be confirmed as Oliver Rowland’s teammate at Nissan, two seats are up for grabs at Lola Yamaha after Lucas di Grassi retired after the London ePrix earlier this month.
Lola is in what can best be described as a period of re-calibration. Its deal with ABT is over, it is changing some senior positions there and its Gen4 testing programme will be taking up most of its resources next month, although at present it doesn’t have any drivers on its books other than Hugh Barter, who hasn’t driven in a credible championship now for three years.
Its Ticktum call up for the Guadix test may be with a view of getting him in a seat for next season but it will cost them. Lola is capable of attracting such a top driver. It made an audacious bid for soon to be Opel confirmed Mitch Evans earlier this year, so is ambitious.
Yet at the same time rumours are starting to swirl around the team that it is also looking at budgeted drivers for next season too with pressure on its commercial priorities also becoming a reality.
Either way, Lola has a lot to sort out over the next 12 weeks before the official test at Jarama. Drivers is just one part of that ‘to do’ list which started to get ticked off last week when it formally moved in to its new premises in Silverstone, UK.
All this may mean that Ticktum could indeed be a fresh injection of swagger and pace that Lola Yamaha can really start to feed off as Gen4 starts to come over the horizon.
Additionally, Lola is known to have had considerable dialogue with Victor Martins, Richard Verschoor and Robert Shwartzman about possible Gen4 race deals too. Lola is not expected to confirm its drivers until late October at the earliest.
