Nissan Formula E Team takes excellent win and second place in maiden Jeddah E-Prix
Nissan Formula E Team's Oliver Rowland took a dominant victory in Round 4 of the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, backing up his second-place finish the day before.
Having qualified second, the British driver put in a great performance, leading for much of the race and executing a perfect Attack Mode strategy to return to the front in the latter stages. In a healthy position in terms of energy, Rowland extended his gap to almost six seconds, leading a Nissan-powertrain 1-2, with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team's Taylor Barnard taking second.
Meanwhile, after starting 10th on the grid, Norman Nato picked up positions on the opening lap before losing out through the Attack Mode phase. In a tightly-packed field, the Frenchman was unable to save energy for a late push and crossed the line 15th at the end of the 31 laps.
Rowland's victory added to his second-place finish in Friday's race, which saw the debut of Pit Boost. These performances take his tally for the season to 68 points, putting him on top of the Drivers' Championship. Nissan Formula E Team has also leapt to the top of the Teams' standings. Meanwhile, podiums in both races for the Japanese squad and the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team see Nissan open up a 47-point lead in the Manufacturers' Championship.
Earlier in the week, Gabriele Minì took part in the rookie-only FP0 for the team. The Italian racer, who will compete in Formula 2 in 2025, previously drove for Nissan Formula E Team in Berlin last year and furthered his Formula E experience on Thursday around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Completing a solid session, Minì helped the squad to collect data ahead of the event, setting the second-fastest time.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: 'We are very happy to take our second win of the season today following yesterday's P2, especially at such an important venue for both Nissan and our innovation partner Electromin. The second race of a double-header is always a challenge as every team has a lot of data from the previous day, but we made some good adjustments overnight. In qualifying Norman was unfortunate to miss out on the Duels, but Oli did a superb job to line up on the front row. In the race, Oli saved energy early on, which allowed him to move to the front and push. The strategy was perfect, staying out of trouble when needed and taking the right amount of Attack Mode at the correct time. On Norman's side, starting in the midfield is not easy and it was difficult to save energy early on, which meant he couldn't move forwards at the end. Despite some challenges, we are very proud to finish this race week in Jeddah holding the lead in all three championships. However, this first part of the season has also highlighted some areas to improve on. Our focus now is to keep working to address those points in the upcoming gap before Miami. Our competitors will improve so we must also do the same to keep on performing at this level and hold our position in the standings.'
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: 'I'm so happy to have taken another victory with a great performance in Jeddah. Qualifying second was great, I dropped back early and made the most of the slipstream to save some energy which was the perfect scenario. At times it was getting a bit aggressive in the pack, so I chose those moments to get to the front and stay out of trouble. Our strategy with Attack Mode was perfect and it ensured I was able to extend a gap at the front for a smooth finish. The car was fantastic all weekend, they were two very different races but we performed strongly on both days. It's amazing to be leading all three championships but our focus is on taking it race-by-race and doing our best to be in a good position at the end of the season.'
Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: 'We had a strong car this weekend, but just weren't quite able to put it all together. The technical infringement yesterday was frustrating and it put us well out of position and unable to make the most of the strategy in the Pit Boost phase. Then today, it was a tough race, I got up to P7 in the early stages but it got messy in the pack and I dropped a few positions after some contact. We tried a different approach in an attempt to break into the top-10 but it didn't happen for us. It's frustrating to leave with no points, we have a competitive car, as proven by Oli, and I'm feeling comfortable on track, but some bad luck and a few mistakes have made it difficult. We'll keep working and we are determined to learn from this weekend and come back better to fight for the top positions.'
Gabriele Minì: 'It was an interesting FP0, I learned a lot and improved massively throughout the session. It's a very different car to the one I drove in Berlin, the tires made a massive difference with the increased grip levels. It was great to do laps in both 300kW and 350kW power modes and I'm pleased to have helped the team and completed a smooth session. I'm happy with my performance and would love to drive the car again if there is an opportunity. Well done to the team for such an incredible weekend and hopefully the form can continue for the rest of the season!'
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