The Nissan Formula E Team is set to tackle Round 5 of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this weekend, with the series travelling to South Africa for the country’s first ever E-Prix.
Both drivers showed very good pace last time out in Hyderabad, with Norman Nato scoring good points despite a puncture; and Sacha Fenestraz fighting for the podium, giving the team belief heading into the second brand-new event of Season 9.
The 2.94-kilometre Cape Town Street Circuit flows through the city’s Waterfront and Green Point districts. It’s expected that the 12-turn track will be one of the fastest on the calendar, so there will be no room for error as the drivers dash down Mouille Point’s oceanfront Beach Road.
“This new venue in Cape Town will be very challenging and demanding for both the drivers and the cars,” said Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team.
“From our work in the simulator we know it will be very fast, even faster than Hyderabad, so any mistake could have major consequences.
“In India, we managed to put together an entire weekend very well, although we didn’t get the results we expected due some bad luck, especially with Sacha. So now the team has extra motivation to fight for points with both cars in South Africa.”
Sacha Fenestraz said: “It’s going to be a very interesting track, the fastest of the season. Overtaking looks like it will be tough, which makes qualifying extra-important this weekend.
Plenty of points
”Our pace in the last two races has been getting stronger and obviously we were very unfortunate in Hyderabad. We’ve been improving throughout each event this season, so we’ve got a good chance to score plenty of points in Cape Town.
“Cape Town is a brand-new track on the calendar,” added Norman Nato. ”It will be challenging to put a lap together with all the high-speed sections and the bumps.
“We’ve scored points in the last two races and are continuing to improve as a team, but we are hungry for more. Taking a step forward and scoring with both cars is the target so we’ve been working hard in the simulator to optimise our performance.”