Both drivers show superb pace, with Nato denied win by post-race penalty
MIAMI, USA – Nissan Formula E Team earned its maiden pole position of the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship during Round 5 with Norman Nato, as the Frenchman crossed the line first but missed out on victory due to a post-race penalty.
In qualifying, Nato advanced into the duels and fought his way through to the final, where he produced a stunning lap to take his first-ever Julius Baer Pole Position trophy. Teammate Oliver Rowland missed out on the top four in a tightly contested Group A, starting the event from P16.
As the race got underway in the Sunshine State, Nato held the lead off the line and remained competitive, constantly battling in the top five, as Rowland saved energy while advancing through the field.
On Lap 22, there was a red flag as Nato sat in sixth and Rowland 11th, with both having six minutes of Attack Mode left to use. At the standing restart, the drivers immediately took the additional 50kW of power as they made several overtakes, meaning Nato crossed the line first while Rowland finished fourth.
However, both drivers were unable to complete their Attack Mode due to the unfortunate timing of the red flag which impacted their strategies, meaning they received post-race ten second time penalties. Once applied, Nato ended up in sixth and Rowland in 10th, still ensuring a double points finish for the squad.
Formula E gets back underway on 3-4 May with the first ever double-header around the streets of Monte-Carlo.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “It was a weekend filled with ups and downs, especially with Norman taking the win on track but classifying in P6 due to the penalty. The red flag came at the worst possible time for our strategy and eventually cost us a lot of points. Despite this, we’re delighted to see Norman’s strong performance taking his first-ever pole position as well as a solid haul of points during the race. Oli’s event didn’t get off to the best start; he missed a lot of FP1 due to a technical issue which we would have seen easily during shakedown, but this was unfortunately cancelled due to the rain. He then didn’t have a good qualifying, but even with this he was on his way to an excellent recovery result finishing in P4 before the post-race penalty relegated him to P10. Overall it was not a smooth weekend, but we know we have what it takes and are happy to still lead both the Drivers’ and the Manufacturers’ Standings. We leave Miami cautious but confident, and more determined than ever to keep fighting for all three championships until the end.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “We were so close to turning around a bad qualifying during the race as we crossed the line in fourth, but unfortunately, we got the penalty for Attack Mode misusage, meaning I finished 10th. We’ve got unlucky and sometimes these things happen in motor racing, however the pace we showed as a team today during the race was a massive positive heading forward. I felt that without interruptions I could’ve been very competitive towards the front of the field. It’s now about getting ready for a busy upcoming period and aiming to set the weekend up with a better qualifying performance in Monaco.”
Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “It’s great to take my maiden Formula E pole position and also a solid haul of points. It could’ve been even better without the penalty which denied us the victory, but it shows we were strong to have still finished P6 despite the ten-second penalty. I felt comfortable in the car throughout the event and was pleased to record the quickest time in qualifying ensuring I lined up P1 on the grid. The ten-second time penalty after the race feels like it’s summed up my season so far, just being on the wrong side of key moments. I’ve definitely gained confidence moving forward and taking pole as well as sixth is still a solid result which we’ll look to build on next time in Monaco.”
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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.
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.
For Season 11 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Nissan Formula E drivers are Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato.
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.
More information
Global.NissanNews.com/FormulaEPressKit
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 centers in a bid to combat air pollution and lessen the effects of climate change.
Contact
Maria De Juana
Head of Communications, Formula E, Nissan Motor Co.
Phone: +33-6 17 36 37 61
mdejuana@nissan-europe.com
More information
Nissan Global Newsroom
Nismo.com
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