Nissan confirms driver line-up

Nissan has announced Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz in their all new driver line-up ahead of Season 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the first campaign of the Gen3 era.

Nato, a previous Formula E race winner back in Berlin in Season 6, makes his full-time return to the series with the Japanese manufacturer, having competed in FIA World Endurance Championship in 2022 and stepping in for Jaguar TCS Racing as its reserve driver in Seoul.

I’m very happy to be making my comeback as a full-time driver in Formula E with Nissan. The Gen3 era will be a new chapter for the championship, and I’m excited to prepare for testing and drive the car. The hard work starts now – I have a lot to learn and areas to develop in with the team to be at my best for the first round of Season 9 in Mexico City.

Norman Nato on his return.

Whereas for Fenestraz, next season will mark his first full time campaign in Formula E, following his debut at the final round of season 8 at Dragon / Penske Autosport.

The French-Argentine racer won the Japanese Formula 3 title in 2019 and continues to compete in both Super Formula and the GT500 class of the Super GT championship. So far in 2022, the 23 year old has taken victory in both championships and currently tops the Super GT standings.

It’s a dream come true. It will be a big step forward in my career, to move up into a World Championship for the first time and to be competing at such a high level against some of the best drivers in the world. It’s going to be a different challenge for me as it will be my first season in an all-electric car. I’m excited to compete in this championship as street circuits are my favourite, with high risks and no room for errors. As a rookie in a new format, there is a lot of preparation to do and plenty to learn! I’ve been dreaming of this moment for a very long time, and I am very grateful to Nissan for this opportunity. I can’t wait to get started and I’ll do everything to perform as best as I can.

Sacha Fenestraz on his move.

This is a significant moment for the team as we commence the Gen3 era, and we are very happy to welcome both Norman and Sacha on board. Season 9 will be our first season competing as one team, following Nissan’s acquisition of e.dams earlier this year, and also the beginning of our partnership with McLaren Racing. This marks a new era for the Nissan Formula E Team, and we believe that a combination of experience and the opportunity to nurture new talent is the right balance for us right now. In Norman and Sacha, we have found two strong drivers to fulfil our vision. Norman has proven to be a very talented driver in Formula E and in other series, and he brings a wealth of experience and skills to the team. As for Sacha, we have monitored his progress and performance over the past few years and have been very impressed. We believe he has great potential and that this is the right time to bring him into to the team. I am convinced that they will complement each other and the team very well. I can’t wait to see them both in action on track in our new Nissan Gen3 car.

Tommaso Volpe, General Manager, Nissan Formula E.