Norman Nato will return to the Nissan Formula E team for the upcoming 2024-25 campaign, replacing Sacha Fenestraz.
The Frenchman has rejoined the Japanese manufacturer after just one season with Andretti where he scored a single podium in Shanghai and finished 15th in the drivers’ standings, with his spot in the American team taken by Nico Muller.
The 32-year-old previously raced for Nissan during the 2022-23 season and finished the campaign strongly, with six points finishes on the bounce, which included a podium in Rome.
Nato will now partner Oliver Rowland for the start of the Gen3 Evo era, the Briton having taken two wins last term en route to fourth overall in the drivers’ standings and a title push.
“I’m really happy to be back with the team. We ended Season 9 strongly together and I’m looking to pick up where we left off,” said Nato. “We will be aiming to perform straight away, so the fact I know the car and the team will be helpful.
“Oli proved how quick he is last season, we’ve been battling on track since Formula Renault 2.0 but never been team-mates. I’m sure we will get along well and hopefully we can share some podiums together.
“It will be interesting to see how the car has improved, and the goal is clear. We want to win races and championships.
“Finally, I wish Sacha all the best, he’s a top guy and it’s never easy to replace someone you previously partnered with. I’m sure we will be racing each other again very soon.”
Fenestraz had spent two seasons with Nissan but struggled in his sophomore campaign against Rowland, registering a best result of just fifth and finishing only 17th in the standings.
The French-Argentine driver confirmed to Motorsport.com earlier this month that he had been let go by Nissan, despite claiming the team had assured him he would be retained to see out the remaining year of his contract.
It leaves the 25-year-old with little time to find an alternative spot on the grid, as only the second seat alongside Lucas di Grassi at Abt and both seats at ERT and Envision have yet to be confirmed.
Tommaso Volpe, Nissan team principal, said: “We’ve refreshed our driver line-up by welcoming back Norman, who will bring his wealth of experience and performance. Norman knows the team well and showed his talent when he was previously with us. His feedback and insight are valuable and he has a track record of developing cars, so we are delighted to see him return.
“At the same time and while it hasn't been an easy decision, we have to say goodbye to Sacha. He has been a fundamental part of the establishment and development of Nissan Formula E team, and we thank him for his hard work and his ever positive attitude. We're proud to have grown together with him and wish him all the best for his future career.”
