The Nissan Formula E Team is set for Round 4 of the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship as the series travels to South America for the second running of the São Paulo E-Prix.
The team will be looking to build on a positive showing last time out in Diriyah, where Oliver Rowland took pole position and third place in Round 3, and Sacha Fenestraz secured strong points in sixth.
Following a seven-week break, the two drivers have had a chance to reflect on the opening exchanges of Season 10, and have been working with the team in preparation for the trip to São Paulo.
A city obsessed by motorsport, this weekend’s race will take place in the Santana district, with the main straight on the Anhembi Sambadrome, the venue of the famous Carnival of São Paulo.
Strong presence
The 2.93-kilometre track features 11 corners, with three long straights leading into heavy braking zones at Turns 1, 4 and 7, offering drivers ample overtaking opportunities.
Nissan enjoys a strong presence in Brazil, having opened a manufacturing site at the Resende Industrial Complex in the state of Rio de Janeiro in 2014.
Nissan has recently pledged significant further investment to provide new equipment for the production of two new SUVs and the assembly of an advanced turbo engine at the complex. The 2023-2025 investment plan forms part of the strategy to reach the goals set out in Nissan’s Ambition 2030 vision.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of the Nissan Formula E Team, said: “It was really important to pick up a strong haul of points in Diriyah to launch our season and keep us on track for the targets we have set ourselves.
”It was perfect timing as we were able to enter this break in a positive mindset and continue to work on improving. We’ve been able to adjust certain factors that we weren’t previously maximising and had the opportunity to develop as a team.
”The track in São Paulo is bumpy and it’s likely to be hot, so we will have to manage the way these conditions will affect our performance. But, overall, we go back on track with confidence yet still cautious, and prepared to keep working hard to tackle the challenges ahead.”
Driver Sacha Fenestraz said: “It’s a big race for me, the closest event to home in Argentina, so I’m very excited to compete in São Paulo. We’ve been working hard in the background since Diriyah.
Feeling positive
“It’s been a long break but we’re ready to attack a really busy few months.”
Fellow driver Oliver Rowland said: “The team is feeling positive following the pole and podium in Diriyah. Being able to perform well in both one-lap pace and race trim is a good sign for us.
”This weekend we only have one event, so we need to make sure we are at the top of our game straight away, as we don’t have a second day to make improvements. The slipstream will be important for energy management, so we need to play it well strategically and execute our plan as best we can.”