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Nissan Formula E Team to tackle the heat in Jakarta

Sacha Fenestraz: “The hottest race of the year, everybody has been telling me how tough it will be! On the racing side, I’m very excited, following our best weekend of the season in Monaco. Heading to Jakarta, we are happy and in a good position in terms of the team environment. We’ll be looking to back up our performance from Monaco and prove it wasn’t a one-off, so it’s an important event for us. The track looks interesting, similar to Monaco or Cape Town in terms of some of the corners and the track characteristics, so I’m hoping for a great weekend.”

Sacha Fenestraz

Norman Nato: “I’m excited to race in Jakarta, a new venue for me. It will be really tough physically for the teams and drivers with the high temperatures. We’ll look to build on the promise we showed in Monaco, and hopefully be able to put both cars in the points. To be second and third in qualifying was an incredible achievement, but we have to always look to improve and continue the momentum. This weekend we need to take that promise and convert it into two strong races to get the second half of the season off to a great start.”

Norman Nato

Mid-season review with Nissan Formula E Team drivers

Nissan/NMC to enter Fuji 24-hour endurance race with the Nissan Z Racing Concept

#3 Niterra MOTUL Z and #23 MOTUL AUTECH Z finish 5th and 7th

Strong points finish for Nissan Formula E Team in Monaco E-Prix

Sacha Fenestraz races for Nissan Formula E Team at the Monaco E-Prix

“A really positive weekend overall, with a fantastic qualifying session. It might not officially be our pole but I see it as ours, as we set the fastest lap and only lost it due to an overuse of power. Still, we were very happy to be starting on the front row. Our strategy could have been a little bit better, but we’re pleased with our pace and to be back fighting at the front. We picked up a really strong haul of points today, the team is working hard and we’ll keep pushing for the rest of the season.”

“I used my Monaco experience in qualifying, and I was delighted to top the group and progress to the Duels. I didn’t get to do a lap at 350kW in practice, so it was interesting and quite fun to experience. Sacha did a great job in the semi-final, but we were still happy with P3 and even more so to have both cars at the front. In the race, we lost a few places during the Attack Mode phase and then once we were in the middle of the pack, it made it difficult to regain positions. I then picked up some damage that ended our hopes of a top-10 finish, but we showed plenty of potential this weekend and we’re feeling encouraged for the rounds to come.”

Nissan Formula E Team targets points at famous Monaco E-Prix

Norman Nato races for Nissan Formula E Team

“I’m very excited to race in Monaco, it’s an incredible place with such a remarkable history. I’ve never competed in an official World Championship event here, so it’s a privilege to be able to do so. It’s a track that I have a lot of fond memories of as I’ve won here twice in my junior career, so I can’t wait for the weekend to start. We had a tricky time in Berlin, but the goal is to bounce back. The Rookie Test gave us a great opportunity to find some solutions, and I’m optimistic that we’ve made progress. Our potential has been high at times this season and I aim to show that off and get back into the points as we think Monaco should suit us.”

“Driving around Monaco is always a dream, I’ve lived here for many years but I still get excited every time I head out onto the circuit. It’s always a challenge to overtake, so qualifying will be more important than usual this weekend. The goal is to unlock our potential and bring home some points for the team. I’ve won here in the past in karting and in junior formula, so hopefully I can use that experience to help the squad.”

Nissan Formula E Team completes strong Berlin Rookie Test with Ghiotto and Martins

Luca Ghiotto driving for Nissan Formula E Team at the Rookie Test

“The biggest job for me today was evaluating how the simulator correlates to the on-track performance of the Nissan e-4ORCE 04, and I was really impressed. There are always factors you can’t compare, such as the g-forces and the vibrations, but in terms of speed and the pure feeling, the car acted in the way I expected from my time in the simulator. I have a lot of information that I can now take back to the factory and apply to support the team moving forward. Both Sacha and Norman were helpful, allowing me to be as prepared as possible for the test, which will only benefit the entire squad. I also got to know the people in the team a little better, which is great as they have to rely on my feedback in the simulator, so there has to be a level of trust Together we worked really well and every person in the garage helped each other to achieve our collective goals. I am thankful to Nissan Formula E for this opportunity, and I am happy it was useful for the whole team."

Luca Ghiotto

“Formula E is so different compared to any other series I’ve ever driven in. The tires are grooved and not slick, which lowers the grip levels dramatically. Energy management is also a unique challenge and it’s incredibly difficult to maximize the pace and be on the limit. It was such a privilege to work with the Nissan Formula E Team, I tried to make the most of it and communicate with everyone in the garage to get the best out of the day and to provide what was expected of me. They made it easy to adapt to the environment and the car and I enjoyed every lap out on track.”

Victor Martins

Challenging weekend for Nissan Formula E Team in Berlin

Sacha Fenestraz races for Nissan Formula E Team in Berlin

“It was a tough weekend, both races were chaotic and we were able to get close to the points. We found ourselves in a difficult situation in qualifying but we learned a lot and put in two good performances in the races. Energy management was really key and we did that well, which is why we moved through the field. We need to be realistic, we’ve come a long way since the start of the season but of course everybody else is also improving so we have to keep working hard to come back stronger and fight for a better result in Monaco.”

“We were very good in terms of energy management this weekend, but unfortunately we were missing a bit of performance, which kept us out of the points. Our strategy was good, but we had too much tire degradation. We’re still working hard to improve at every event, and we’ll take what we’ve learned in Berlin and in the first half of the season to be more competitive in Monaco.”

Nissan Formula E Team looks to maximize potential at Berlin E-Prix 

Norman Nato racing for Nissan Formula E Team

Sacha Fenestraz on track for Nissan Formula E Team 

“It’s the first double header since Diriyah, so it will be good to get plenty of time on track. It’s going to be my debut at the Berlin circuit, so I’m excited to compare my development to the rest of the field, as most drivers already know the track. I’m feeling very motivated, we’re coming off a difficult weekend in São Paulo and the whole team has been pushing since then. I’ve spent plenty of time in the simulator, the Tempelhof circuit looks really fun, with lots of overtaking opportunities. Qualifying will be crucial, as will energy management because there’s a lot of straights. The first part of the season has been positive, despite a lot of ups and downs, but we’ve been learning at each round so I’m looking forward to attacking the Berlin weekend.”

“Coming to Berlin is always special for me. I took my first ever E-Prix here, so naturally I have very fond memories of the city and the track. The whole team knows that this weekend is a big opportunity due to the double-header. The Tempelhof circuit is tricky and puts an emphasis on tire management due to its surface. The racing line is often narrow due to the amount of marbles produced, so we’ll have to be careful not to be caught out. The aim is to fight for the podium this weekend, improving in qualifying will be vital to those chances, but the potential is there.”

#23 MOTUL AUTECH Z takes season opening win 

#23 Nissan MOTUL AUTECH Z crew celebrating their Super GT win in Okayama

#23 MOTUL AUTECH Z takes season opening win

Nissan Formula E Team enters Ghiotto and Martins in Berlin Rookie Test

Luca Ghiotto and Victor Martins in Nissan Formula E race suits

“I’m really excited to be part of the Nissan Formula E Team, in such an incredible championship. Nissan is a massive brand, which makes this even more special. I can’t wait to feel a Formula E car in real life for the first time. My job as simulator driver is to help the team by testing different settings and programs, as the on-track time in Formula E is quite limited, meaning our data from the simulator can be really important during race weekends. The Rookie Test will definitely aid my work at the factory, as I’ll have a reference and understanding of how the real car feels. So, on top of it being an exciting opportunity for me, it will also help for the next time I’m in the virtual world. The Berlin track looks really fun, I’ve driven it on the simulator and I’m looking forward to getting out there and experiencing it.”

“It’s a huge honor to be selected for the Rookie Test with Nissan Formula E. The team has a close relationship with the Alpine Academy, which I’m a part of, and it’s a great chance for me to experience a Formula E car for the first time. I’ve already been in the simulator and found it really interesting, there’s a lot to learn and I have to use a different style of driving. Formula E is a very attractive series, it’s extremely competitive and complex, so I’m excited to get going. Opportunities like this don’t come up too often, and I’ll look to make the most of it and learn as much as I can from the team and my time on track.”

Season 9 so far: Q&A with Nissan Formula E Team

Frustrating São Paulo E-Prix for Nissan Formula E Team

Sacha Fenestraz drives for Nissan Formula E Team at the São Paulo E-Prix

“I was feeling good in the car all weekend, we were quick during practice and came really close to making it through to the Duels. Lining up in P8, I was on the dirty side of the grid, so didn’t make a great start and was immediately involved in a really tight battle. Heading into Turn 3, the driver ahead of me had to stop sharply to avoid contact and I had nowhere to go. I tried to go round him but it was too late and unfortunately we made contact that ended my race. It wasn’t the day we expected, but we’re making progress and we’ll look to do better in Berlin and score good points after this short break.”

“It was an unfortunate event for the whole team with both me and Norman out early. It’s a big shame because we were expecting better following our strong performances in recent rounds. We know there will be ups and downs in this championship and that’s exactly what happened here. I was just settling into the race when I hit the brakes to avoid an incident in front of me at Turn 4 and 5, locking up the rear and touching the wall. The contact caused damage to the wishbone and radiator and ended our day. A difficult weekend but there are still positives we can build on and we’ll aim to come back stronger.”

Races

The 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship comes to an end with Rounds 15 and 16 at the unique semi-indoor ExCeL London Circuit. 

R16 London E-Prix

Nissan Formula E Team aims to push on at maiden São Paulo E-Prix

“Heading to another new venue, it once again evens the playing field between myself and the more experienced drivers. This weekend almost feels like a homecoming as it’s the closest race to where I grew up, in Córdoba in Argentina and I’ve got some friends coming over to watch which is really exciting. Cape Town was positive for us, I took my first pole position in a World Championship event and now the goal is to carry that momentum forward. The track looks like it will promote overtaking and the surface seems extremely bumpy which will make performing lap after lap a challenge, but we are well rested and feeling strong.”

“I’m excited to discover the São Paulo track, it looks incredibly bumpy which will be an added challenge. There’s a lot of slow chicanes and on paper it seems like overtaking will be easier than on other circuits. We’re going to have to be alert as there is the possibility of rain for the first time this season, which could spice things up for the fans. I’ve scored points in the previous two races so the potential is there for more. The whole team has worked hard over the last month, and we aim to take another step forward.”

R15 London E-Prix

Nissan Formula E Team takes pole at inaugural Cape Town E-Prix

Sacha Fenestraz exits the Cape Town E-Prix for Nissan Formula E Team

“Overall we had a really strong weekend, we were quick in every session. To take pole position was amazing, I have to thank the team for their hard work. They’ve been pushing day and night since the start of the season. It was a great moment so hopefully we can continue to show this level of performance. In the race we were doing well, a bit unlucky with the timing of the second Full Course Yellow, but I managed to get back up to third before the contact took us out of the race on the final lap. It’s a hard pill to swallow, but we know we are quick and have the car to compete at the front for the rest of the season.”

“We showed some really positive signs this weekend and our pace is clear to see. In qualifying I got caught up in some traffic, which cost us a bit of time on my best lap, but we had a good race and I’m happy to score points for the second weekend in a row. Today the pace of the car wasn’t quite as quick as in previous weeks, but we still managed to finish in the top-10 for the second race in a row, which shows the progress we’ve made as a team. Time for a short break before we move on to Sao Paulo and hopefully capitalise on our pace there.”

A regular on the calendar, the penultimate race weekend of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in Rome. 

R14 Rome E-Prix

Nissan Formula E Team aiming to build momentum in Cape Town

"Cape Town is a brand-new track on the calendar and it is expected to be the fastest of the season, so it will be challenging to put a lap together with all the high-speed sections and the bumps. We've scored points in the last two races and are continuing to improve as a team, but we are hungry for more. Taking a step forward and scoring with both cars is the target so we've been working hard in the simulator to optimize our performance."

"It's going to be a very interesting track, it's set to be the fastest of the season. Overtaking looks like it will be tough, which makes qualifying extra important this weekend. Our pace in the last two races has been getting stronger and obviously we were very unfortunate in Hyderabad. We've been improving throughout each event this season, so we've got a good chance to score plenty of points in Cape Town. The high speed corners will make it challenging, but being a brand-new track it also gives me confidence as a rookie, as once again nobody has driven here before. I'm looking forward to the weekend and hopefully we can achieve a positive result!"



Nissan/NISMO announces 2023 motorsports programme

Nissan/NISMO announces 2023 motorsports programs

A regular on the calendar, the penultimate race weekend of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in Rome.

R13 Rome E-Prix

Nissan Formula E Team in the points despite bad luck in Hyderabad

Norman Nato on track for Nissan Formula E Team at the Hyderabad E-Prix

“The overall feeling is frustration as we had a massive chance for a podium or at least a top-five finish. It’s difficult to swallow but this is racing and we know the performance is there. Qualifying was good, it was my second time in the Duels this season and I think we could’ve made it through, but I made a mistake at Turns 1 and 2 and we just missed out. Despite that, P4 was still a really good starting position and we were looking strong in the race. We put everything together although in the end, it was out of our hands. Now we just need to keep our heads down and move forwards, we have a good car and a great team, we’ve been progressing really quickly and I’m sure the results will come soon.”

“I’m happy to score my first points of the season but I still feel like it could’ve been more today. Halfway through the race, we were running in the top-10 before I was hit and got a puncture, meaning we had to pit. That cost us a lot of time and positions so the fact that we recovered to finish seventh shows how good the car and the strategy were. The Safety Car came at the right time for us, but I still had to manage the race and stay out of trouble to regain the places lost. We still have areas to improve on, especially in qualifying, however the car is fast and if we can qualify closer to the front then we have the potential to score some big points. Now we look forward to Cape Town and continuing our development there.”

The last of Season 9’s four brand-new venues, the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to Portland for Round 12.

Fuji Speedway - Round 2