Rowland and Fenestraz put in strong recovery drives on Monte-Carlo streets
MONACO, Monte-Carlo – Nissan Formula E Team showed great race pace during Round 8 of the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as both Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz scored points following a tough qualifying at the Monaco E-Prix.
In closely-matched groups around the Circuit de Monaco, neither driver was able to advance to the Duels stage of qualifying, with Fenestraz lining up 14th on the grid, just ahead of Rowland in 15th.
The duo enjoyed solid starts, quickly moving up into the top-10. In a 31-lap race twice interrupted by Safety Car interventions, the pair battled hard and avoided major incidents to secure well-deserved points.
Englishman Rowland picked up sixth to keep himself in the frame for the title battle, while Franco-Argentine Fenestraz finished in the top-10 for the third time in a row, clinching eighth. The event also sees the squad remain fourth in Teams' Standings, having scored in each of the last six races.
Heading into the second half of Season 10, Formula E returns to Berlin in two weeks' time for a double-header in the German capital.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: 'It's always a tough day for all of the teams in Monaco with short turnarounds between sessions. To be spot on with car set-up is very important, and unfortunately we had a few issues with the tires, which affected our qualifying performance after a couple of messy practice sessions. In the E-Prix, our plan was to be aggressive and both drivers executed our strategy perfectly. They showed how strong we are in races, making some great moves, attacking and defending at the right times and scoring solid points. It's a positive result for us, our target was to have both cars in the top-10 and we achieved that, so we come away happy and with a good plan of how we can continue to improve ahead of Berlin.'
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: 'It was an interesting race! I'm happy with our performance, we had solid pace and stayed out of trouble. Qualifying was tougher, our one-lap speed wasn't as good as in previous rounds so we need to work out why and put it right for the upcoming events. However, in the race, we performed really well as a team, it was one of my strongest races of the season. Sacha was right with me all the way as we moved forward through the pack, which is a huge positive for us. We're still building as a team, results have been strong recently so we now need to keep our confidence and push for even more in Berlin.'
Sacha Fenestraz, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: 'It was a solid race, making it three points finishes in the last three E-Prixs for me, which is pleasing. We turned it around after a challenging qualifying, and it's good to see both Oli and I in the points. We helped each other out and played a good team game, so overall it was a positive race. We've been improving throughout the season after a difficult start, so hopefully we can continue this trend and pick up a podium on my side! We are becoming stronger as a team, the car is performing well, but we need to keep pushing and developing in Berlin.'
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.
For Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Nissan Formula E drivers will be Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz.
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.
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.
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 centres in a bid to combat air pollution and lessen the effects of climate change.
Photo credit: Nissan posted on conceptcarz.com
