Richard Verschoor, who is tied for the most F2 wins (8), will have his first drive in Formula E with the triumvirate team
He will be joined by Lola Yamaha ABT’s Simulator Test Driver, Hugh Barter, who previously tested for the team in Berlin and Miami
Madrid rookie test will take place on Sunday 22nd March at the Circuito del Jarama
Richard Verschoor and Hugh Barter will take the wheel of the Lola T001 for the Rookie test on March 22nd in Madrid.
It will be Richard’s first time behind the wheel of a Formula E car. The Dutch driver won both the SMP F4 and Spanish F4 titles before moving to Formula Renault Eurocup. In 2019, he moved up to F3 where he became the first Dutch driver to win the Macau Grand Prix and the first rookie winner for more than a decade. Two years later he graduated to F2. Richard went on to spend five seasons in the category, finishing third in his final season in the series last year. In 2026, he will be competing in the European Le Mans series and is also a member of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.
Richard will be joined in the Lola Yamaha ABT garage by Hugh Barter. The Australian-Japanese driver will continue his experience with the team having previously tested with them in Miami earlier this season and Berlin in 2025. Since his early career in karting, Hugh has finished runner-up in the French F4 Championship in 2021 and 2022 respectively, in addition to the F4 Spanish Championship in 2022. He was also part of the team which won the Indianapolis 6H GTD in September 2025. As Lola Yamaha ABT’s Simulator Test Driver, Hugh has worked closely with the team, helping to optimise car setup and strategy for this season, while also playing a role in the development of Lola’s GEN4 race car.
Richard Verschoor: “I’m excited to be joining Lola Yamaha ABT for the Rookie Test in Madrid. Driving the T001 will be my first outing in a Formula E car. I’m eager to learn and push forward together with the team.”
Hugh Barter: “Following the Rookie Free Practice in Miami in January, I’m really looking forward to having more time on track in the T001, both for my own experience and to help provide more in-depth feedback to the team.”
Mark Preston, Team Principal, Lola Yamaha ABT, said: “We are very pleased to have Richard join us for the Rookie Test in Madrid. He is a fast, knowledgeable and promising driver who we are sure will be a great asset to the team over the weekend.
“It’s also great that Hugh is once again joining us to take to the track in the Lola T001. The more time he spends with us both on track and in the sim, the more invaluable his feedback has become. So, we look forward to getting additional input from him in Madrid while giving him crucial development time on track.”
The Rookie Test is taking place on Sunday 22nd March, following the Madrid E-Prix on Saturday with qualifying at 09:40 local time (08:40 UTC) and the race at 14:05 local time (13:05 UTC). Find out where to watch the action where you are here.
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