MasterCard Lola

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**Lola**

Full name	MasterCard Lola
Base	Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom
Founder/s	Eric Broadley

Notable drivers	Vincenzo Sospiri, Ricardo Rosset
World Championship Career

Engines	Ford
Debut	1997 Australian Grand Prix
Races competed	2 (0 starts)
Constructors' Championships	0
Drivers' Championships	0
Race victories	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
Final race	1997 Brazilian Grand Prix

Formula One Portal

MasterCard Lola is a former Formula One team that contested one race in the 1997 Formula One season.

Team principal Eric Broadley didn't cover himself in glory with the effort, which sometimes is not even recognized on that season's entry list. After years of providing chassis to other teams, mainly Larrousse, Broadley planned a team that was the culmination of years of development. A prototype chassis was first tested in 1995 with Allan McNish and in late 1996 Broadley announced the team's participation in the near future. The team had originally intended to enter F1 in 1998, but entered a year early in 1997 as MasterCard wasn't forthcoming with financial support.

Ricardo Rosset (pictured) and Vincenzo Sospiri both failed to qualify for the 1997 Australian Grand Prix.

Stewart Grand Prix, headed up by Grand Prix legend Jackie Stewart, had his new team all prepared with the Alan Jenkins-designed SF01 launched before Lola got started on their own. The Lola chassis, dubbed the T97/30, was based off most of their IndyCar technology yet never saw the inside of a wind tunnel and barely had on-track tests. Vincenzo Sospiri and Ricardo Rosset were signed to drive, but wound up as the victims of the project. By the time the ungainly car made it to the 1997 Australian Grand Prix, the complete lack of symmetry on the car in all aspects made it painful to watch. Sospiri and Rosset never even got near a good enough time to qualify, 11 and 13 seconds respectively off the pace.

The MasterCard support faded prior to the second round in Brazil and the now sponsor-less cars arrived devoid of any money or hope, and it marked the end of the road for the team. The foray proved a huge financial setback for the organization and it was only thanks to the works of Martin Birrane, who bought Lola from Broadley, and Keith Wiggins that Lola survived at all. While the 1997 season may have been remembered for a remarkable season-long duel between Jacques Villeneuve and Michael Schumacher, it can also be remembered for MasterCard Lola's disastrous attempt at Formula 1.