Formula E

Difficult race for Nissan Formula E Team in Miami

January 31, 2026

5 min Reading

Oliver Rowland on track in Miami with the Hard Rock Stadium in the background

Rowland and Nato miss out on points in tricky weather conditions

Nissan Formula E Team had a frustrating Miami E-Prix in Round 3 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with neither Oliver Rowland nor Norman Nato managing to break into the top-10 in the race.

Nato was able to show strong pace on a dry track in qualifying, setting the fastest time in his group to move into the Duels, while teammate Rowland narrowly missed out on the top-four.

Rain ahead of the E-Prix made for a slippery surface in the race. Expecting the track to dry quickly following the start, the team opted for a dry-weather set-up. However, the mixed conditions remained for the majority of the race, making it difficult for the duo to compete.

Starting eighth and 14th respectively, Nato and Rowland battled hard but struggled with grip throughout. Rowland was able to make some progress in the latter part of the event, moving up to 12th and setting the Fastest Lap, with Nato crossing the line 17th.

Despite the difficult weekend, the team enjoyed a productive Rookie Free Practice session on Friday. Rookie and simulator driver Abbi Pulling and Formula 2 racer Gabriele Minì supported the squad as it took on the Miami International Autodrome for the first time, gathering important data as part of the continued collaboration and development plan for the pair. In the 40-minute session, Minì set the third fastest time, while Pulling ended a solid session in 11th after finding traffic on her laps in the 350kW mode.

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “It’s been a difficult weekend for us. Norman showed how strong our pace can be by setting the fastest time in his qualifying group, but our car lacks some speed in wet conditions. The weather showed the limitations of our package, and then a series of mistakes from our side meant that we could not capitalize on Norman’s good qualifying or give Oliver the chance to recover. It has been a weekend to forget, so we will quickly switch our focus to Jeddah. It will be the first double-header of the season, so a great opportunity for us to bounce back and recover points for our championship fight.”

Oliver Rowland

“We had a difficult weekend overall. Free Practice was tough, so that made it hard for us in qualifying. We tried everything we could in the race. Usually we don’t have great pace in the wet, so it was worth a gamble on the dry set-up. The performance was strong in the final few laps, but unfortunately it was too late. We were hoping the track would dry out and energy management would become important, but it never materialized. We did a decent job with what we had, but we need to focus on these issues ahead of the next event in Saudi Arabia.”

Norman Nato

“Every race in Formula E is different and today we made a mistake with the set-up, thinking the track would dry in the race. In the end it was the wrong decision for both cars, but it’s not a completely negative day as I set the fastest time in my group in qualifying, showing we have pace. We’ve got some progress to make, but this championship is very unpredictable and we need to keep working hard ahead of Jeddah.”

Abbi Pulling

“It’s my first time being trackside with the team for a while and I was really happy to be back. We prepared well, Norman gave me some useful advice and I learned a lot from talking with him. The session started well and we had strong pace, all while getting through our program. I got some traffic in the 350kW mode, which affected my position on the timesheet, but the running was useful for the team and that’s the most important part. It was tough with the cool conditions, but I felt comfortable in the car and I’m confident this experience will help me even more for my role in the simulator. Looking forward to the next time to continue my development!”

Gabriele Minì

“It was great to be back with the team after a while out of the car. It was another positive learning experience, with the track walk and briefing ahead of the Rookie Free Practice. The session was productive, we completed our plan and I was able to set strong lap times in both 300 and 350kW modes. Oli was really helpful, he gave me lots of tips and it was great to compare my data to his to see where I can improve further. A big thanks to the team and I hope to be back in the car again soon.”

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