Oliver Rowland will make his Formula E return in 2023/24 with Nissan NISMO alongside Sacha Fenestraz.
Nissan Formula E Team will field the returning Oliver Rowland for the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, partnering Sacha Fenestraz following his impressive rookie season. Rowland joined Nissan as a rookie in 2018, the same year the Japanese manufacturer debuted in Formula E. He raced for the team between Seasons 5 and 7, taking five pole positions and five podiums, including a victory in Berlin in 2020. The 31-year-old driver from Barnsley has a strong racing CV in addition to his Formula E success, taking the 2015 Formula Renault 3.5 Series title, along with a third-placed finish in the 2017 FIA Formula 2 championship.
Meanwhile, Fenestraz will continue his development with the Nissan Formula E Team after a promising Season 9. During his rookie year, the 24-year-old impressed many with his ability to adapt to Formula E machinery, claiming pole position and the fastest Formula E lap of all time at the Cape Town E-Prix in just his fifth race with the team. He also set the fastest lap of the race in Monaco and regularly fought at the front of the field.
Season 10 will be Formula E’s biggest of all time, with 17 races planned, including the first-ever E-Prix in Japan, set to be hosted in Tokyo on March 30, 2024. Pre-season testing will take place in Valencia on Oct. 23-27, before the opening round of the championship in Mexico City on Jan. 13, 2024.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’re delighted to announce Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz as the Nissan Formula E Team drivers for Season 10. We’re very happy to welcome Oliver back, we know his talent and experience and we’re sure he will contribute significantly to the future success of the team. He will complete a strong pairing with Sacha, who proved his raw talent since he joined. He’s shown to be excellent in qualifying and has huge potential to grow and become a major force in the championship. We’re continuing to work hard at the factory and with the drivers so we can be ready to attack the season straight away in Mexico City. It’s going to be our second year racing as Nissan Formula E Team in the series, we’ve learned a lot already and will look to make more positive steps on our Formula E journey.
“At the same time, we also want to wholeheartedly thank Norman Nato for all his hard work and efforts throughout Season 9. 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.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m really excited, it’s a bit of a homecoming for me, back to the place I started my Formula E journey and somewhere I had a lot of success. The team has been on a great trajectory over the last year, with performances improving. I’m confident Sacha and I will make a strong pairing, he showed incredible speed in his first season. I’m looking forward to getting back to work, ready to go and can’t wait to see what we can do as a team.”
Sacha Fenestraz, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m extremely excited to continue my journey with Nissan Formula E Team. I’ll attack this season with a new approach as it will be my second year in the championship, so we’re aiming to hit the ground running immediately. I’m looking forward to building on our strong maiden year together and fighting for positive results throughout the season. I’m also very happy to welcome Oli back to the team. He knows most of the crew so I’m sure he will settle in really quickly and we can work well together to help the team move forwards. I can’t wait to be back on track soon and hoping for another great year together with Nissan!”
Formula E line-up so far:
Jaguar – Mitch Evans, Nick Cassidy
McLaren – Jake Hughes, Sam Bird
Envision – Sebastien Buemi, Robin Frijns
Nissan – Sacha Fenestraz, Oliver Rowland
Andretti – Jake Dennis
Maserati – Edoardo Mortara
[Note: The story is as per press release]
