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Autosport
Sport
Rachit Thukral

Rowland to make Formula E return in 2024 with Nissan

Rowland will partner Sacha Fenestraz in the second season of Formula E’s Gen3 era, replacing Norman Nato in Nissan’s driver line-up.

The announcement marks a homecoming of sorts for the British driver, who spent his first three full seasons in Formula E with Nissan between 2018-21, scoring five pole positions, five podiums and a maiden win in Berlin in '20.

Rowland switched to Mahindra in 2022 alongside fellow Brit Alexander Sims but struggled with a less-than-competitive package, ending the year with a single podium in Seoul.

Results took a further dive this year as FE moved to new regulations and, following a Monaco E-Prix in which he crashed after an aggressive drive from lower down the field, Mahindra announced that it has parted company with Rowland with immediate effect.

The 31-year-old has been looking for a place elsewhere on the grid since then, with Wednesday’s announcement confirming he will continue in FE for a sixth season.

“I’m really excited, it’s a bit of a homecoming for me, back to the place I started my Formula E journey and somewhere I had a lot of success,” said Rowland.

“The team has been on a great trajectory over the last year, with performances improving. I’m confident Sacha and I will make a strong pairing, he showed incredible speed in his first season. 

“I’m looking forward to getting back to work, ready to go and can’t wait to see what we can do as a team.”

Nissan moved to an all-new line-up in 2023, signing former Venturi (now Maserati) driver Norman Nato to partner Fenestraz.

Although Nato finished 10th in the championship and scored the team’s only podium of the season in Rome, Nissan has decided not to continue with him for 2024.

Instead, it is relying on Franco-Argentine driver Fenestraz, who impressed with his pace throughout his rookie campaign, scoring pole position in Cape Town and coming close to a podium on a number of occasions.

Oliver Rowland, Mahindra Racing (Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images)

“I’m extremely excited to continue my journey with Nissan Formula E Team,” said Fenestraz.

“I’ll attack this season with a new approach as it will be my second year in the championship, so we’re aiming to hit the ground running immediately. I’m looking forward to building on our strong maiden year together and fighting for positive results throughout the season. 

“I’m also very happy to welcome Oli back to the team. He knows most of the crew so I’m sure he will settle in really quickly and we can work well together to help the team move forwards. I can’t wait to be back on track soon and hoping for another great year together with Nissan!”

Nissan finished seventh in the FE teams’ standings in 2023, one place ahead of its customer team McLaren.

The 2024 season will mark a special year for the squad, with Tokyo hosting its first race on 30th March.

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team said: “We’re delighted to announce Oliver Rowland and Sacha Fenestraz as the Nissan Formula E Team drivers for Season 10. 

“We’re very happy to welcome Oliver back, we know his talent and experience and we’re sure he will contribute significantly to the future success of the team. He will complete a strong pairing with Sacha, who proved his raw talent since he joined. 

“He’s shown to be excellent in qualifying and has huge potential to grow and become a major force in the championship.” 

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