Nissan Formula E Team Faces Setbacks in Sanya E-Prix

The Nissan Formula E Team encountered a challenging weekend at Round 11 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Sanya, China. Despite implementing a strong race strategy, both drivers, Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato, were forced to retire due to separate incidents, preventing the team from scoring any points in the Nissan Formula E Sanya E-Prix.

Sanya Race Summary

The Sanya E-Prix marked Formula E's return to Hainan Island since 2019, with extreme heat and humidity creating difficult conditions. In qualifying, neither Nissan driver advanced to the Duels stage, resulting in Rowland starting 10th and Nato 16th on the grid.

The team adopted an energy-saving strategy for the initial race phase, planning to push harder later. Following a red flag stoppage midway through the E-Prix, both Rowland and Nato effectively utilized conserved energy and Attack Mode. This allowed Rowland to take the lead shortly after the restart, while Nato rapidly climbed into the top four positions.

Unfortunately, Nato's promising run ended prematurely when another driver made contact from behind, sending his car into the wall. A few laps later, as Rowland continued to battle at the front, a rare mistake caused him to hit the wall, also ending his race early. These incidents meant the Nissan Formula E Sanya event concluded without points for the team.

Team and Driver Perspectives

Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director and Team Principal for the Nissan Formula E Team, expressed frustration at leaving Sanya without points despite effective strategies. He acknowledged a lack of qualifying pace but highlighted the team's successful fight back. Volpe noted Nato's retirement was due to an incident beyond his control, while Rowland's was a "rare but costly mistake."

Oliver Rowland reflected on his ongoing struggles with qualifying pace this season and took responsibility for his mistake. Norman Nato also commented on a challenging qualifying, and the frustration of his race-ending contact given the potential for a strong result.

Path Forward in China

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues with Rounds 12 and 13, a double-header event scheduled for July 3-5 at the Shanghai International Circuit. This will be the final two of three races held in China for Season 12.

Nissan has a significant history in Formula E, having debuted in Season 5 as the first Japanese manufacturer. The company has committed to the GEN3 and GEN4 eras, extending involvement until 2030. This supports Nissan's Ambition 2030 electrification targets, aiming to electrify all new vehicle offerings by the early 2030s and transfer racing technology to road cars.

Despite the disappointing outcome in Sanya, the Nissan Formula E Team remains focused on analyzing race data, learning from incidents, and preparing for the upcoming double-header in Shanghai. The team aims to translate strategic strengths into tangible results and secure valuable championship points after the challenging Nissan Formula E Sanya race.