The Nissan Formula E Driver Lineup for 2024-25 season has been confirmed as Norman Nato joins Oliver Rowland as the team’s new driver, replacing Sacha Fenestraz.
Norman Nato will return to the Nissan Formula E team for the upcoming 2024-25 season, rejoining the squad that sidelined him last year in favour of his new teammate Oliver Rowland.
The decision to bring back the Frenchman, who previously drove for the team in Season 9, comes after Fenestraz struggled in his second season, finishing 17th in the championship with only 26 points.
Despite being a highly coveted development driver who showed promise during his rookie campaign, the French-Argentine driver’s performance was hampered by a lack of consistency and unfortunate incidents throughout the season.
Nato’s previous stint with the Japanese manufacturer was marked by a solid performance, including a podium finish in Rome. His familiarity with the team and the car is expected to provide a significant advantage as he aims to build on his past successes.
“I’m really happy to be back with the team,” said Nato. “We ended Season 9 strongly together and I’m looking to pick up where we left off.
“We will be aiming to perform straight away, so the fact I know the car and the team will be helpful.
“Oli proved how quick he is last season, we’ve been battling on track since Formula Renault 2.0 but never been team-mates. I’m sure we will get along well and hopefully we can share some podiums together.
“It will be interesting to see how the car has improved, and the goal is clear. We want to win races and championships.
“Finally, I wish Sacha all the best, he’s a top guy and it’s never easy to replace someone you previously partnered with. I’m sure we will be racing each other again very soon.”
The 32-year old’s experience and ability to provide valuable feedback will be crucial as a part of Nissan Formula E Driver Lineup as the team transitions to the new GEN3 Evo car, which is set to debut in the upcoming 2024-25 season.
“We’ve refreshed our driver line-up by welcoming back Norman, who will bring his wealth of experience and performance,” Nissan Formula E team principal Tommaso Volpe said.
“Norman knows the team well and showed his talent when he was previously with us. His feedback and insight are valuable and he has a track record of developing cars, so we are delighted to see him return.
“At the same time and while it hasn’t been an easy decision, we have to say goodbye to Sacha. He has been a fundamental part of the establishment and development of Nissan Formula E team, and we thank him for his hard work and his ever positive attitude.
“We’re proud to have grown together with him and wish him all the best for his future career.”
Nissan’s performance in Season 10 was a step in the right direction, finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship, a significant improvement from previous years.
This newfound momentum has set high expectations for the upcoming 2024-25 season, and the addition of Nato is seen as a strategic move to build on that success.
With Oliver Rowland, who had a strong showing last season, finishing fourth in the drivers’ standings with two victories, the new Nissan Formula E driver lineup presents a formidable lineup that could challenge for higher positions in the standings.
However, Norman Nato is quite likely to take part in a double racing schedule in 2025 due to his World Endurance Championship commitments meaning that he will miss the Berlin E-Prix in July.
There is a lot of speculation in the WEC paddock that he will be one of the six drivers competing for the Jota squad, which will field factory Cadillac Hypercars.
This means Nissan will need to find a replacement driver to race in Berlin due to the clash.
