The Jeddah E-Prix marks the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s first double-header of the season. Taking place over the weekend, two races heightened the stakes of the championship, and for the Nissan Formula E team, this was vital. A slower start to the weekend for the red livery quickly changed when Oliver Rowland took home a podium finish and gifted the team crucial points for the Team’s Championship.
Race Day One: The Tale of Duels
In the first Qualification of the weekend, Nissan Formula E team saw a mixed result when both cars left the garage to put in their fastest lap. Whilst Norman Nato demonstrated the true pace of the Nissan, Rowland struggled to find his footing.
Out in Group A, Nato found himself in sync with his car, putting in a fast final lap which took him just +0.136 seconds behind the group leader, Edoardo Mortara. A testament to his management around high-speed corners rewarded Nato a place in the duels. Nato starts in P4, his highest qualification result of the season yet.
After a crash in Free Practice, pressure was apparent on Rowland, who had to get it right to put Nissan in a good position for the fourth race of the weekend. A big slide into the final corner saw Rowland lose precious seconds, denying him of his chances to progress into the duels. Rowland found himself sitting in P16 ahead of the race – a harsh start to the Brits’ weekend.
Race Day One: Two Finish, No Points
Lights went out in the first race of the weekend, and the Frenchman was sitting comfortably at the top of the grid. The introduction of the infamous Pit Boost opened the doors to strategy being the leading factor during the race, and luckily, Nissan picked the right time to bring Nato in for his Pit Boost.
Released from the pits, Nato led for multiple laps before losing places to competitors during his Attack Mode stint, finishing in P13. Reflecting on the race, Nato expresses his frustrations with his results despite feeling confident that he extracted the most out of his car.
”I felt good in the car and led comfortably for several laps, but a technical issue affected our pace, and we dropped down the order in the second half.” He added,”It’s disappointing, as I think we could’ve achieved more.”
The reigning world champion was unable to make an impact during the race. Starting in P16, Rowland found it difficult to progress any further. He finished the race in P17, eager for adjustments to be made before race day two.
Race Day Two: Rowlands Redemption
Saturday brought out the second race of the doubleheader in Saudi Arabia. Rowland celebrates his 100th Formula E race start by making it to the duels with a better performance in qualifying.
Fans saw the Brit lead the race in the early stages. Nissan once again demonstrated their strategic abilities, activating Rowland’s Attack Mode at the right time. Paired with his brilliant drive and efficient management of energy, Rowland made a game-changing move in his final six minutes of Attack Mode. An important overtake past fellow brit, Dan Ticktum, elevated Rowland to third position, securing a podium finish. Nissan celebrates a podium after hard work was put into making the correct adjustments to promote Rowland’s success.
During the post-race interview, Rowland expressed his gratitude to the team by celebrating his podium whilst simultaneously accepting that there is still room for improvement to mirror their competitiveness in Season 11.
”Friday was a tough day for us. The team worked really hard overnight to make adjustments to the car, and it paid off today as we lined up fourth on the grid.” When reflecting on his race, he added, ”It was a well-managed race, and it’s great to be back on the podium. A huge thanks to the team for their dedication, which made this result possible.”
Race Day Two: Nato’s Unfortunate End
Despite celebrations for one side of the garage, Nato ends a crucial double-header with zero points under his belt. A disappointing finish in the qualification saw Nato start the race towards the bottom of the field in P15. Much like Rowland’s performance in the Friday race, he was unable to advance in the standings, finishing in 17th. A discouraging finish to such a promising start to the weekend.
A Change in the Standings
Despite the podium celebrations, the team leave Jeddah with a sense of disappointment as the championship standings change. Sitting in fifth position after the Miami E-Prix, Nissan falls in the Team’s Championship to sixth place as a result of a shortfall in points. Nato will be eager to chase the points he missed out on at the Jeddah E-Prix, whilst Rowland aims for a back-to-back podium finish. Both drivers will be keen to recover position in the Teams Championship.
With Formula E heading to a new setting in Madrid, Nissan must refine their strategy to maximise the points they can collect. These points are cruical for Nissan’s championship campaign.