Robert Shwartzman has been confirmed as the first driver to have signed for the Lola team, as it gets set to enter its third season of Formula E. Shwartzman becomes becomes the third rookie to be confirmed for the first GEN4 season in addition to Opel’s Theo Pourchaire and Paysafe Envision’s Zak O’Sullivan. Two more rookies are expected to compete in Formula E next season.
2025 Indy 500 polesitter, Shwartzman, sat out racing completely this year before signing a deal with Stellantis Motorsport in the summer. He will complete a dual programme in 2027, racing for Peugeot TotalEnergies in the FIA WEC and for Lola in Formula E.
Formula E Notebook believes that unlike fellow Peugeot drivers Nick Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne, Shwartzman will have to prioritise his WEC seat on the weekend of July 10/11, when the Shanghai E-Prix clashes with the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo at Interlagos.
Shwartzman, the 2019 F3 champion, achieved a stellar junior single seater career which included a runners-up position in the 2021 championship, when he was beaten to the title by teammate Oscar Piastri.
The Russian-Israeli, who was partly brought up in Italy, moved to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2024 where he partnered Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye at the AF Corse Ferrari team. The trio took a memorable victory at the 2024 Lone Star Le Mans race at Austin, Texas.
That preceded a move to the Indycar series with the Prema team with which he drove in both F3 and F2. Although he ultimately had a disappointing season, Shwartzman astounded the world in May 2025 by taking pole position, becoming the first rookie since
Shwartzman has previously completed rookie tests and free practice sessions for DS Penske where he is said to have impressed the team with his aptitude in understanding Formula E techniques.
The 27 year-old has been testing the Lola GEN4 development car recently and said that Formula E is “such a competitive, unique championship and one I’ve wanted to race in for a long time.
“Balancing my commitments between WEC and Formula E is going to make for a demanding, non-stop season but honestly, after not racing in 2026, I missed it so much. Being back to doing what I love most, especially with a double campaign across two world class programmes is an incredible feeling. I’m really grateful to everyone who worked behind the scenes to give me this opportunity.
“What makes joining this project so special is working with a legendary name like Lola as we enter the GEN4 era. The GEN4 car is an absolute beast and so much fun to drive, I really can’t wait to start the season and push it to the limit on what looks like a fantastic calendar”.
Shwartzman began speaking to Lola last spring and attended the Berlin E-Prix, holding several meetings with management at the team.
A deal appeared to be a formality but changes to Lola’s structure, several key staff departing, and uncertainty over the British manufacturers driver policy saw the talks dissipate in the summer.
These were picked up again in September after Dan Ticktum and Sting Ray Robb had tested for them, before a deal was agreed in early October and signed shortly after.
Lola has also recently tested former F2 race winner, Enzo Fittipaldi, who could become Shwartzman’s teammate for the forthcoming season. Fittipaldi is said to have made a favourable impression on the team and is considered a favourite to land the place next to Shwartzman.
