Nissan Formula E Team has confirmed an unchanged driver line-up for next season, with World Champion Oliver Rowland being partnered by Norman Nato.

The Japanese marque were in little doubt of retaining Rowland, who stormed to his maiden title after a dominant campaign.

But the Yorkshireman has put to bed any doubt as to where his future lies, penning a multi-year deal, in what will be, in total, his sixth season with the team.

Speculation arose as to his partner for the upcoming season, which commences in Sao Paulo on December 6, with drivers including reservist Sergio Sette Camara rumoured.

But Nato has kept his seat, despite finishing 20th in the Drivers’ standings, his best results being two sixth-place finishes in Miami [also taking pole position] and Shanghai.

“I’m thrilled to sign with Nissan Formula E Team on a multi-year deal, in what will be my sixth season with the squad,” Rowland said in a statement.

“What we’ve managed to achieve following my return in 2023/24 has been remarkable.

“Since I came to Formula E, the team has felt like my home, and I have a high level of trust with them as well as plenty of support.

“The aim for Season 12 is to replicate and improve on what we did last campaign, but we know how hard we need to work in the off-season to achieve the best results possible.”

Nato, who won the 6 Hours of Sao Paulo for Cadillac Hertz Team Jota in the World Endurance Championship last month, was similarly excited to be remaining with the team.

“I’m delighted to continue with Nissan Formula E Team for another season as it was always the target to extend my stay here,” the Frenchman said.

“It’ll be my third campaign with the team and my second consecutive one, which gives me a lot of confidence moving forward.

“I still have plenty of areas to improve on, but I’m not starting from scratch this year so I can use factors I’ve learned in Season 11 to help me in the future.

“I’m sure Oli will perform at a very high level again and I’m positive that together we can fight for the Teams’ Championship.”

READ MORE – Exclusive: Dan Ticktum ‘very likely’ to remain at Kiro for Formula E Season 12

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Nissan have announced that Norman Nato will partner Oliver Rowland in its FIA Formula E squad for the forthcoming 11th season of the championship.

The Japanese marque have confirmed that former driver Nato, who appeared to be out of Formula E after leaving Andretti in August, will return in place of Sacha Fenestraz, who was told by the team at the 11th hour that he will, after all, not be retained, leaving his own FE future in doubt.

Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s Team Principal, has addressed the situation in a statement released by the team, alluding to Nato’s experience as being a key reason for his inclusion.

“We’re excited for Season 11 after a very good performance in the last campaign,” he said.

“We’ve refreshed our driver line-up by welcoming back Norman, who will bring his wealth of experience and performance. 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. Oli had a fantastic Season 10, and we’re confident he can continue at that level.

“We believe that Norman and Oli will form a strong pairing, both are team players and will do their best to help us improve throughout the upcoming year.

“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 forhis future career.”

Rowland, who had a sterling Season 10 with two victories and a fourth place finish in the Drivers’ Standings, said:

“I’m excited to continue with Nissan Formula E Team after a very strong year. It’s been great to have some time off.

“I’ve been training and working with the team which has been positive. For next season we need to try and bring more consistency to all elements of our race weekends, whether that’s in qualifying or car development.

“Last year we executed some races perfectly, so for this season we have to maintain that progress and improve the small bits we can to continue moving further up the order. I’ve known Norman for a few years, he’s very experienced and knows the team well, and I’m looking forward to working together.

“The GEN3 Evo car will be a challenge for everyone on the grid, so it’s a chance for us to maximize our performance and start the season on the front foot. I also want to give my best to Sacha, I enjoyed working with him during Season 10 and hope to see him back on the grid soon.”

Nato said: “I’m really happy to be back with the team. 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 teammates!

“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.”

Fenestraz completed two campaigns with the team, originally partnered with Nato, and despite a difficult Season 10 in which he was comprehensively outscored by Rowland, it seemed as if he would continue for a third.

Fenestraz told motorsport.com: “I was told around the beginning of August that I was staying, but everything has now changed apparently…a lot of drivers have had similar years to the one I’ve had and they managed to bounce back.

“Unfortunately they didn’t give me that opportunity, which is a shame, but it’s the reality.”

Nato’s previous run with Nissan in Season 9 yielded a 10th place finish in the Drivers’ table, with eight points finishes, including a solitary podium in Rome.

Nissan will be aware that the Frenchman, like many FE drivers, will have FIA World Endurance Championship commitments, with one clash expected between the Interlagos round of WEC and the Berlin E-Prix weekend.

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Frenchman Norman Nato is to leave the Andretti FIA Formula E team after just a single season with the American brand.

Nato, who joined from Nissan to replace Andre Lotterer for Season 10, will exit after an underwhelming season, in which he amassed 47 points, 75 points adrift of team-mate Jake Dennis.

His highlight of the season came in FE’s inaugural Shanghai E-Prix weekend, taking third place.

In a statement on the team’s X account, Andretti said: “A heartfelt thank you to @NatoNorman for his time spent in our red and white machine this season.

“Norman has been a brilliant asset to the team over the last year, and we are grateful for his efforts and commitment.

“We would like to wish Norman all the best for the future.”

Motorsport Week understands that Nato has held discussions with several FE teams regarding a seat for Season 11, but it is believed that he will forego a drive in order to concentrate on his commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship, in which he currently drives for Hertz Team Jota, which announced this week that it will take over the Cadillac factory programme from next season.

Andretti is due to make an announcement in the coming days as to who will succeed Nato to partner Dennis.

Nico Müller, who severed ties with ABT-Cupra after the final round in London three weeks ago, is expected to be named as the driver to take the vacancy.

The Swiss driver is highly-regarded in FE, and was infamously tested by Tag Heuer Porsche – Andretti’s powertrain suppliers – between the Diriyah and São Paulo rounds of last season as a potential replacement for Antonio Felix da Costa.

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Andretti’s Norman Nato topped the timings in FP1 ahead of tomorrow’s Portland E-Prix.

The Frenchman, coming in off the back of his first podium of the year in Shanghai last time out, set a time of 1:09.079s, ahead of Mitch Evans [+0.174s], with team-mate Nick Cassidy [+0.207s] third.

Antonio Felix da Costa, arriving in America having lost his Misano disqualification appeal, finished fourth fastest [+0.238s], with the in-form Nyck de Vries fifth [+0.340s].

ABT Cupra’s Lucas di Grassi made a good showing in sixth [+0.378s], with Pascal Wehrlein, looking to eat into Cassidy’s title lead, seventh [+0.446s].

Sergio Sette Camara, who slid off the circuit through T10 earlier in the session, also impressed with eighth spot [+0.533s]. Maximilian Günther was ninth [+0.571s], with Edoardo Mortara rounding-up the top 10 [+0.580s]

Caio Collet, standing-in for the unwell Oliver Rowland at Nissan, was 20th [+0.992], the final driver of the 22 within a second of Nato’s time, an impressive feat given the Brazilian F2 driver took to the Portland International Raceway without any simulator work given the lateness of the call-up.

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Norman Nato topped Free Practice 2 on Friday afternoon at the Diriyah E-Prix, courtesy of a solid 1m 13.584s.

The Frenchman set the quickest lap of the session ahead of qualifying on his final venture around the circuit, narrowly beating Maximilian Günther and Andretti teammate Jake Dennis. Behind the reigning World Champion in fourth was Sébastian Buemi and Mitch Evans, meaning four different powertrains featured in the top five.

Stoffel Vandoorne finished sixth ahead of Free Practice 1’s fastest driver Oliver Rowland. Sacha Fenestraz secured eighth ahead of a surprising P9 for Lucas di Grassi. Nick Cassidy finished 10th. Concerningly, Mexico City winner Pascal Wehrlein could only manage a worrying P15, seven-tenths of a second behind Nato.

What happened in FP2

FP2 got underway in baking heat, significantly warmer than Free Practice 1 which took place on Thursday evening when the temperature started to cool. With qualifying taking place in similar conditions to FP2 rather than FP1, it was a crucial session to get the cars in the right window.

A key feature about Thursday evening’s session was how dusty the circuit was; however, it had cleaned up significantly for Friday, thankfully. Because of this, it only took 10 minutes for times to fall below what was set in the slow first session of the weekend. Dennis was the early pacesetter, courtesy of a 1m 15.067s.

The times continued to tumble as the session developed, something which was unsurprising given that the circuit was described by Neom McLaren Team Principal Ian James as being the slipperiest its ever been ahead of an E-Prix. One driver who was trying to make up for lost time was Buemi, who caused a red flag in FP1.

Buemi suffered from an RESS issue, resulting in a new battery being fitted. Cassidy also had parts of his powertrain changed ahead of FP2, as a precaution by the factory Jaguar outfit. In terms of track action, Dennis was still the fastest driver as the final practice session ahead of the first race entered the last 10 minutes.

With six minutes remaining, he topped the session on a 1m 13.687s, ahead of Edoardo Mortara, Sérgio Sette Câmara and Dan Ticktum, in what was a surprising top four. In all fairness to ERT Formula E Team, their one-lap pace looks very promising in Diriyah. The timesheets changed with every single lap though, highlighting the rapid improvement of the track surface.

One driver who was struggling is Evans, who complained over the radio of not feeling confident in his Jaguar I-TYPE 6. Despite lacking confidence, he still finished the session in the top 10.

It looked for all the world like Dennis would top the session; however, his teammate and Günther pipped him on their final hot lap, with Nato topping the session from the Maserati driver.

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Norman Nato is ensuring that he’s “doing my best to learn as much as possible” ahead of his debut for Andretti Formula E, which’ll take place this weekend at the season-opening Mexico City E-Prix.

Nato heads to the Mexican capital perhaps fortunate to even be on the grid this season, given that he received the boot from the Nissan Formula E Team before a deal with Andretti was reached. Season 10 is seen by many as a huge opportunity for Nato, given that he’s in the team who won the Drivers’ Championship in 2023, courtesy of Jake Dennis.

The Frenchman only returned to Formula E in Season 9 after not having a seat for Season 8, with it having taken him some time to get back up to speed. Had he been quick instantly last season, then perhaps Nissan would’ve retained him.

In a bizarre way, his initial Season 9 struggles have worked hugely in his favour, as he’s now got one of the best cars on the grid. He will be able to compete for rostrums much more often with the Porsche powertrain at his disposal. At least that is what’ll be expected from him.

Nato has been signed by Andretti as they see him as the ideal driver to support Dennis in fighting for the Constructors’ Championship, something the reigning World Champion would love to win for the team. Given that he raced with a Nissan powertrain in 2023, Nato will need time to get used to the different machinery, although Andretti can’t afford for this process to take long.

2024 really is a make-or-break year for Nato if he wants to prove that he can fight with the fastest drivers on the grid consistently. A good weekend in Mexico City would do him the world of good.

“I’m really excited to start the season in Mexico City with a new team, a new car and new systems for me to discover,” Nato said.

“There’s always such a great atmosphere at the track and the fans are really pushing us to provide them with the best show. We’ve been preparing thoroughly with a lot of simulator work over the past few months to ensure we’re in the best place possible come the first race of the season.

“My time in the car has been fairly limited, so I’m doing my best to learn as much as possible so that we can be fast and consistent as early as possible during Season 10.”

Nato will be desperate for a significantly better race in Mexico City than he had 12 months ago, as he failed to even finish the season-opener last year.

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Andretti Formula E have unveiled a completely new livery for the 2023/24 Formula E World Championship, which now consists of white, red and blue.

The famous American outfit showed the design to the world on Friday afternoon, with the company’s Formula E team being the first to showcase their new colours since rebranding as Andretti Global. The livery is made up of mainly white, whilst the side of the car is made up mostly of red, which streaks to the back of the car. A blue strip is also present and runs down the car, starting in-line with the wing mirrors.

The Porsche customer team’s new livery will make its debut next week in Valencia, where pre-season testing will take place. Reigning World Champion Jake Dennis has been retained by Andretti for season 10, whilst he’s been joined by Norman Nato.

Andretti Global CEO and Chairman Michael Andretti believes it’s “fitting” that the new livery in recognition of the company’s rebrand will be run by the reigning World Champion, ahead of what Andretti hopes will be another triumphant season.

“Andretti Global is built on a foundation of racing excellence, and it’s been rewarding to see our history and success come together in such a seamless, visual way,” said Andretti.

“The special Formula E livery we’re running in Valencia is a great representation of what we set out to achieve with this rebrand, and it’s fitting that the first time the Andretti Global brand will be on full display will be riding along with a reigning World Champion.”

Dennis’ season nine campaign was unbelievable, with him having broken the record for most podiums in a single season. Being World Champion, of course, comes with its perks. One of them being the ability to run the No.1 plate. Dennis told Motorsport Week after he claimed the title in London that he intended to run the special number, something which has since been confirmed.

“I’ve always wanted to earn the right to use the No. 1 at some point in my career, and to do so for the first time in our new Andretti Global livery makes the moment even more special,” Dennis said.

As mentioned, alongside Dennis this season is Nato, who has joined Andretti to replace André Lotterer. Nato was released by Nissan at the conclusion of season nine, in what was a surprise to many given how well he ended the season. He will retain his No.17 for 2023/24, with the number being a “tribute” to his “great friend”, the late Jules Bianchi.

“I’m proud to race under the No. 17 for the upcoming season – the number means a lot to me,” said Nato. “I started in karting and won championships with the 17, but Jules also raced with the number, which makes it even more special. It’s a tribute to a great friend and an outstanding driver.”

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It was announced by Andretti Global on Tuesday afternoon that Norman Nato had been signed as André Lotterer’s replacement for season 10, something which is huge for their 2023/24 Constructors’ Championship aspirations.

Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season in London at the end of July, it was beginning to look like Nato was the victim of bad luck once again, as he faced another year without a seat on the grid. Nissan announced in the closing rounds that the Frenchman wouldn’t be retained for next year, with Oliver Rowland having returned to replace him.

It was somewhat of a familiar position for Nato, who sat on the bench at Jaguar TCS Racing in season eight after ROKIT Venturi replaced him with Lucas di Grassi. Even Andretti weren’t initially considering the 31-year-old, with talks having been held with 2022 Formula 2 Champion Felipe Drugovich and season seven Formula E World Champion Nyck de Vries.

Drugovich was expected to take the seat alongside reigning World Champion Jake Dennis; however, the Brazilian’s reluctance to wave goodbye to a potential Formula 1 seat saw Andretti’s interest cool. This opened the door to Nato.

There is no doubting that Nato deserves the seat, with him having proven once again for Nissan this year that he’s one of the quickest drivers on the grid. Whilst he doesn’t necessarily give off the vibes of being a possible title contender, he is a very strong competitor to have in the team.

In many ways, signing Nato is a masterclass by Andretti, given the issues Drugovich or De Vries would’ve presented. Whilst Drugovich has proven to be quick in the Formula E rookie tests – he topped Free Practice 0 in Rome for Maserati MSG Racing – there is no guarantee that he’ll have an instant impact when it comes to the races.

Formula E is a very tricky championship to settle into, something Andretti would’ve had no choice but to give the Aston Martin F1 reserve time to do. In a Constructors’ Championship fight, you need two drivers to be scoring points consistently, something which the American side likely wouldn’t have with Drugovich at first.

The same can arguably be said for De Vries, who hasn’t competed in Formula E since 2022, following his unsuccessful switch to F1. Whilst there is no doubting that De Vries is a very successful Formula E driver, being quick instantly would be a challenge, both because he’s been away from the championship but also because he’d likely be low on confidence for obvious reasons.

If Andretti signed De Vries, they would’ve had to give him time to get back up to speed, something which would, again, likely result in a slow start to the season points wise.

This is what cost the side in the standings this year, with Lotterer having spent the majority of season nine towards the back of the grid following his switch from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. Lotterer’s struggles left all the work to Dennis, who in many ways single-handedly secured the Porsche customer team third in the standings.

Andretti’s package is clearly very strong, as proven by Dennis’ record-breaking 11 podiums in 2023. If Lotterer was stronger, Envision Racing would’ve potentially been beaten by Andretti to the Constructors’ Championship. Andretti finished 52 points behind Envision. If Dennis’ and Nato’s points totals were added together, they would’ve been just 12 behind.

Nato did require time to get back into the swing of things, having spent all but the final two races of season eight off the grid. It took the Frenchman half a season to consistently get back amongst the points, before claiming a top-10 finish in each of the last six races of the campaign.

He notably also secured Nissan’s first podium as an official Formula E manufacturer, despite the Japanese manufacturer’s car lacking in efficiency. Nissan had a very quick car over one-lap, but they often tumbled backwards when it came to the races.

Nato won’t have this issue at Andretti, with Dennis having proven that their car is both rapid in qualifying and incredibly efficient during the races. The Cannes-born driver also seems like the sort of character who would thrive in a team like Andretti, rather than buckle under the pressure of having one of the strongest seats on the grid.

The combo of Dennis and Nato does feel strong enough to take on Jaguar’s new line-up of Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy, in what is the best pairing the Coventry-based side have ever had.

If Nato settles into the team quickly and is able to replicate his end-of-season performances from the get-go in Mexico City, then Andretti could be in with their best chance yet of becoming Formula E Constructors’ Champions.

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Andretti Global have officially announced that Norman Nato will race for the team in season 10, having been chosen as André Lotterer’s replacement.

Nato’s move to Andretti comes after the Frenchman was let go by the Nissan Formula E Team for 2024, so that they could re-sign Oliver Rowland. It’s a huge move for Nato, who was coming close to the Formula E exit door, with reigning F2 Champion Felipe Drugovich having been Andretti’s original target, according to reports.

However, Drugovich’s persistence in trying to force a move onto the Formula 1 grid opened the opportunity to Nato, who has snapped at the chance to join one of the strongest teams on the grid. Nato will race for Andretti alongside reigning World Champion Jake Dennis, in what is a combination which can fight for the Constructors’ Championship.

Nato is “thrilled” to be joining the American side for Formula E’s centurion campaign, and is delighted to have been “given the opportunity” by Michael Andretti.

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Andretti Formula E family for Season 10,” Nato said. “It’s highly exciting to be given the opportunity to have a car capable of winning. I’m looking forward to working with the team and contributing to the team’s long history of success.”

Season nine was actually Nato’s returning campaign to the championship, having been left without a seat for season eight. Whilst he was initially slow to get going, the 31-year-old grew in confidence as the season developed.

His season came to life in Monaco where he qualified third, but his 2022/23 highlight was, without a shadow of a doubt, his podium in Rome R2, which just so happened to be Nissan’s first as an official Formula E manufacturer.

He actually scored points in the last six races consecutively and was Nissan’s highest driver in the championship, making many feel that it was an error by the Japanese manufacturer to decide so prematurely that he wouldn’t be given a new contract for 2024.

Being released by Nissan has in many ways worked in Nato’s favour, with him now being in a car which is quick in both qualifying and over race distance, and boasts sensational energy efficiency.

That’s something he never had at Nissan, who tended to slip down the order during the races. Team Principal Roger Griffiths is very happy to have the Cannes-born star in the team for season 10, with the driver sharing the team’s “passion for victory”.

“We are embarking on an exciting journey with Norman Nato as part of the Andretti Formula E team for Season 10,” Griffiths said.

“Norman’s proven skillset and passion for racing align with our passion for victory. He is highly determined, and we are confident that his contribution will play a pivotal role in taking the team to new heights in the upcoming season.”

The only thing missing for Andretti in season nine was the Constructors’ Championship, given that they had several wins, a record-breaking number of podiums, fastest laps and a pole position to their name, courtesy of Dennis.

With no disrespect to Lotterer – who revealed that he’s retired from single-seater racing to focus on WEC – Nato can help Andretti claim the Teams’ Championship, something the side are “hungry for”, according to the Andretti Global owner.

“I’m confident of the direction that Andretti Formula E is heading as we gear up for Season 10,” insisted Andretti.

“The addition of Norman to our roster reflects our shared mindsets for the pursuit of victory and passion for winning. Norman brings great experience and skill with him, and he caught our attention with his progress throughout the season. After Jake’s remarkable victory in the Driver’s Championship this year, the bar has been set high, and we’re hungry for more.”

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The Nissan Formula E Team have “wholeheartedly” thanked Norman Nato for all that he did for the Japanese side in season nine, following his departure from the team.

Whilst it was already known ahead of the conclusion of the 2022/23 season that Nissan weren’t going to retain Nato, it was officially confirmed on Wednesday that Oliver Rowland had been signed for season 10 to take the Frenchman’s place.

Rowland has returned to Nissan for the 2023/24 season following his mid-season departure from Mahindra Racing, ahead of the Jakarta E-Prix. The Brit will partner Sacha Fenestraz next year, with the young French driver having been kept for a second season.

Nato is supposedly keen to remain on the Formula E grid next season, although there are very few seats available. Mahindra and ABT CUPRA are really the only two possibilities for the 31-year-old, but both are unlikely.

The Cannes-born driver only actually returned to the sport this year, having left ROKIT Venturi at the end of season seven. He spent season eight as Jaguar TCS Racing’s reserve driver, before being signed by Nissan for the start of the Gen3 era.

Whilst he was slow to really get going, Nato ended up being the team’s strongest driver. He only made five duel appearances, yet Nato started from third on the grid four times. Nato really came alive in the races though, most notably in the second half of the season.

The French driver scored 63 points, which was good enough for P10 in the Drivers’ Championship, whereas Fenestraz could only salvage 16th in his rookie season. Nato was also responsible for Nissan’s only podium in season nine, which came in the second race at the Rome E-Prix. His podium marked Nissan’s first as an official Formula E manufacturer.

Unfortunately for Nato, his strong form came too late in the season to save his seat for 2024, as Nissan had decided relatively early that he would be replaced for the second year of the Gen3 era of the all-electric series.

Nissan Team Principal Tommaso Volpe thanked Nato for “all his hard work and efforts” whilst confirming Rowland and Fenestraz for next season, with the outfit’s boss wishing Nato “all the best for the future”.

“At the same time, we also want to wholeheartedly thank Norman Nato for all his hard work and efforts throughout Season 9,” Volpe said.

“Without him and his strong performance during the final few races of the year, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve our final position in the teams’ standings. It has been a pleasure to work with Norman, and we wish him all the best for his future career.”

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