Season Nine of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is certainly edging ever closer, as the renamed Nissan Formula E Team unveiled their stunning livery for their first Gen3 challenger the Nissan e-4ORCE 04 in Madrid, Spain. There is so much to look forward to for the Japanese outfit, who as well as having a completely new livery, also have a new driver line-up to go with it.
With Sébastian Buemi and Maximilian Günther having left the side, Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz have been brought into the team, who have big ambitions for Gen3. 2023 will be a special year for Nissan in the all-electric series, given that they’ll be running under just their name alone, having acquired and dropped the e.dams name from the outfit’s official team name.
The team have opted for an exciting blend of youth and experience for 2023, with the experience coming thanks to Nato. At thirty years old, Nato has done it all in his career, with the Frenchman having won in a variety of championships including Formula 2 and previously Formula E. Nato won the Berlin E-Prix race in Season Seven for ROKIT Venturi Racing, in what was his last full season in the championship.
He did step in for Sam Bird at the Seoul E-Prix last season, after the Brit broke his hand. The experienced driver is certainly looking forward to the start of Gen3 and is crucially a huge fan of the “great” design.
“I really like the new livery, it’s different and will definitely stand out on track. Cherry blossom design is a great touch. This season is also a new beginning for me, and one I’m extremely excited for.
“Now, we have to keep focusing on getting ready for the season ahead, developing the car, and building relationships within the team so we are prepared for the first race in Mexico. Testing is coming up soon and we’ll look to use our time in Valencia to improve and develop our understanding of the new Gen3 car to be at our best for the start of Season 9.”
Credit: Nissan Formula E Team
“It’s a big step for me to race in Formula E” – Sacha Fenestraz
On the other side of the Nissan garage, Fenestraz is certainly an exciting edition to the championship, with the Franco-Argentine having only made his debut at the final race of Season Eight. Fenestraz comes into Formula E on the back of finishing second in Super Formula, following a very successful campaign which included three podiums and a victory.
At just twenty-three years old, Fenestraz has proven himself in Japanese F3, Super GT and Super Formula, with it now seemingly time to see if he can deliver in a World Championship. Nissan have likely had their eyes on Fenestraz for a while, given how much of his racing career so far has been spent in the manufacturer’s country.
Fenestraz “can’t wait” to get the season underway and is aiming for the start of his debut season to be incredibly “positive”.
“The car looks beautiful, I love the idea of the cherry blossom. It’s the first time we’ve seen anything like this in Formula E and it’s great to celebrate the Japanese heritage of the team.
“I can’t wait to be on track and I’m really excited to get to Valencia and start testing soon. It’s a big step for me to race in Formula E, and to see the professionalism and dedication of the team is only pushing me to achieve the best possible results. We’re building up nicely to the season, in the simulator, tweaking and developing the car to start the campaign in a positive way.”
Credit: Nissan Formula E Team
Ashwani Gupta, Nissan’s Chief Operating Officer shared the team’s delight at entering their fifth season of Formula E as “one team”, something which has motivated the Japanese outfit for a “very successful” start to the incredibly exciting new generation of the sport.
“Electrification is at the centre of Nissan’s long-term vision, with Formula E playing an expanding role in it. Season 9 marks a new era for Nissan’s participation in the championship. It will be our fifth competing in Formula E but our first as one team.
“We have a long history in racing, and we also love to dare to do what others don’t. Our new livery celebrates our Japanese heritage and I’m certain that the design will stand out on track like never before. I’m really excited for the season to get underway, and I am confident that we have all we need to make the start of the Gen3 era a very successful one for us at Nissan.”
Tommaso Volpe, General Manager, Nissan Formula E, and Managing Director, Nissan Formula E Team, spoke a little more on the team’s “totally different and unique” livery for the upcoming campaign, one which represents the manufacturer’s “Japanese DNA”.
“We wanted to create something totally different and unique for this season to mark such an important moment for us in Formula E, and also to celebrate our Japanese DNA.
“The upcoming campaign is a big moment for the series, with the introduction of the Gen3 cars. But it’s also key for us at Nissan, with the team running under its new name as we take full ownership of all our operations in Formula E. All of us at Nissan are very excited for this new beginning, very motivated to tackle this new challenge, and very much looking forward to getting started.”