LONDON – Nissan Formula E Team capped off the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with a positive performance in London as Norman Nato secured two points finishes in the double-header.
Taking on the unique half-indoor, half-outdoor ExCeL Circuit, Frenchman Nato raced well in Round 15 on Saturday and looked set for a strong result, before a five-second penalty demoted him to ninth following a chaotic race. Meanwhile, Sacha Fenestraz was involved in an incident midway through the event and had to retire.
On Sunday, Nato continued his great form in qualifying, taking third on the grid for the final event of the season. A delayed start and tricky wet conditions made it difficult for the entire field, but Nato performed solidly again to clinch fourth place. Franco-Argentine racer Fenestraz ended his impressive rookie year with a 15th-placed finish.
This weekend's results saw Nato break into the top-10 in the final drivers' standings on 63 points, while Fenestraz claimed 16th with 32. The duo combined for 95 points, putting Nissan Formula E Team seventh in the teams' standings.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: "We missed an opportunity in qualifying on Saturday, the car balance was just on the oversteer side which made it difficult for our drivers. We knew incidents could happen on this narrow track, which turned out to be the case. Norman was fighting in the top-five, he was doing a great job before the contact and was set to take a strong result, but the penalty cost him a lot of positions and points. Sacha's accident was an unfortunate one as he was doing well in managing the energy and had good rhythm in the car.
"Today, Norman put in an excellent qualifying performance. He did amazingly well to secure P3 and in the race he competed well in tough conditions to take fourth and finish the season with a positive result. Sacha was unlucky to be caught out by rain on his final qualifying run, which forced him to start down the order. On a track where overtaking is so difficult, that prevented him challenging for points, although his pace was solid.
"Season 9 was our first as a manufacturer team, it was a huge transition for us, but as the year has progressed, we've improved and become more competitive. There have been some obvious highlights, Sacha's pole in Cape Town, Norman's podium in Rome and many other positives. We also know what we need to work on, we've got a clear plan in front of us and we're already looking forward to Season 10!"
Norman Nato: "I'm happy to finish the season with a positive showing. Yesterday was a crazy race with the late red flag and damage at the end. We put in a good performance, we knew anything could happen and were unfortunate to receive the five second penalty which cost us several positions. I'm really pleased with today's qualifying, third was a great result and one we can be proud of. It was tough with the track being wet outside and dry inside. The outside section was very slippery so we had to be careful. The pace wasn't there to challenge for the podium, but I'm satisfied to take fourth to cap off a solid second half of the season."
Sacha Fenestraz: "I struggled for pace in qualifying all weekend, which hasn't been the case this season. We tried to stay positive throughout the event but it's frustrating to end the year outside the points. It's been a strong rookie season, with pole position in Cape Town, fighting at the front of the field and learning a lot. A big thanks to the team for helping me adapt to the series and I hope there's a lot more to come!"
About Nissan in Formula E
Nissan made its all-electric racing debut in Season 5 (2018/19) of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, becoming the first and only Japanese manufacturer to enter the series.
In Season 7 (2020/21), Nissan announced its long-term involvement in Formula E and its commitment to the Gen3 era, which will run from Season 9 (2022/23) through to the end of Season 12 (2025/26) of the all-electric racing series.
In April 2022, Nissan acquired the e.dams race team, with the Japanese automaker taking full ownership of its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
In June 2022, Nissan announced it would supply its Nissan EV powertrain technology to McLaren Racing for the entirety of the Formula E Gen3 era.
For Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Nissan Formula E drivers will be Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz.
On 28th March 2024, ahead of the first ever Tokyo E-Prix, Nissan announced its long term commitment to Formula E, becoming the first manufacturer to sign up for the Gen4 era, which runs until 2030, reinforcing its pledge to its Ambition 2030 electrification targets.
Nissan races in Formula E to bring the excitement and fun of zero-emission electric vehicles to a global audience. As part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050, Nissan intends to electrify every all-new vehicle offering by the early 2030s in key markets. The Japanese automaker aims to bring its expertise in transferring knowledge and technology between the racetrack and road for better electric vehicles for customers.
About Formula E
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint from inception back in 2020, having invested in certified climate-protecting projects in all race markets to offset emissions from every season of electric racing.
All cars in the championship are powered by electricity, with the series acting as a competitive platform to test and develop the latest in electric technology.
The World's greatest manufacturers race against each other on street circuits and Formula E promotes the adoption of sustainable mobility in city centres in a bid to combat air pollution and lessen the effects of climate change.