Former F1 driver Johnny Herbert has opened up on what it was like to drive Lola’s Formula E Gen4 car, describing the acceleration as "phenomenal".
Herbert, a Lola global ambassador, drove the Gen4 car in a shakedown test at Abingdon Airfield, having previously driven its current Gen3 Evo last year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Formula E is busy preparing for the introduction of the Gen4 beast next season, which will replace the Gen3 Evo at the end of this season.
It will represent Formula E’s next major step, with the new car producing 600 kW of power (equivalent to 815+ bhp) and featuring permanent four-wheel drive.
Some drivers on the grid have already tested the Gen4 as part of a first manufacturers’ test last November in Monteblanco, and another test last month in Almería.
Praise for the Gen4 in its early development has been easy to find in the paddock, which is clearly very excited for its competitive debut.
The Gen4 has the appearance of a more traditional single-seater, and Herbert is convinced it will test drivers to the "maximum."
Asked for his thoughts on Gen4, Herbert told RacingNews365 during an interview in Miami: "Yeah, very cool. Just externally, it looks like a proper race car. It’s quite a bit more bulky, even for my short legs, and I need a little step to get over the side of the bodywork.
"But it really looks nice. Then, when I drove it at Abingdon during a shakedown, it felt right — everything underneath it felt very, very tight.
"And then, once that 600 kW comes in through the right pedal, it accelerates at a phenomenal rate and puts a massive smile on your face.
"And I think that’s what it should do as a driver. It will test drivers to the absolute maximum, and that’s what racing cars should do. I think it’s the racing car that has finally come alive for Formula E."
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Herbert's Gen4 test experience
It is not only the Gen4 car itself that is brand-new for next season, but a new tyre supplier has also come on board.
From next season, Bridgestone will replace Hankook as Formula E’s official tyre supplier. The new tyre compounds have received considerable praise, particularly the new Typhoon tyre, which is specifically designed for very wet conditions.
For Herbert, the immense level of grip was a key standout from his test in Lola’s Gen4 car, with the team having announced last week that it would split from ABT and take its operations fully in-house next season.
Discussing the biggest standouts from his Gen4 test, Herbert said: "I think the biggest thing was the ride, because it was much tighter than I felt with the Gen3 Evo. There’s more aerodynamics, which helps a little as well.
"The tyres — of course, switching to Bridgestone — are definitely a big difference at the same time. So it just seems more together; you feel more connected to the car.
"And I think even the permanent four-wheel drive makes a stability improvement as well. Your connection to the car, your relationship with it — I think you’re more in tune with what’s going on.
"And then, of course, you get that huge amount of acceleration that comes with it, but you also have that grip level, which is going to be very, very interesting when they go to Monaco, for example.
"Visually, it’s going to be huge, because in slow corners these cars are going to be pretty quick around the streets of Monaco."
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