The Nissan Formula E Team have announced that Formula 3 race winner Caio Collet will be there Reserve and Simulator driver this season.
Collet was present last weekend at the season-opening Mexico City E-Prix, where he got to know the Japanese manufacturer. The ex-Alpine Academy driver is likely going to feature in April’s Berlin Rookie test, as part of his role with the Le Mans-based outfit.
The young Brazilian first broke onto the single-seater scene in 2017, where he competed in the F4 UAE Championship. In that series, he collected six podiums and a victory. He won the French F4 title the following year. Collet spent 2019 and 2020 racing in the Formula Renault Eurocup series, with his best championship result having been runner-up in his second season.
His strong performances in that series saw him offered a F3 seat by MP Motorsport in 2021, a side he remained with until the end of the 2022 F3 season. In his two campaigns for MP Motorsport, the 21-year-old won two races and collected a further five rostrums.
After two positive years with the team, Collet moved to Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2023 season. His 2023 highlight was victory in the Spa-Francorchamps Sprint race, whilst he also picked up a further three podiums. He ended the year in P9 in the Drivers’ Championship.
He’s a driver who suits the Reserve and Simulator position “perfectly”, according to Team Principal Tommaso Volpe, who thinks the young star will have a “significant impact” on the team’s performances.
“I’m delighted to welcome Caio to the team for 2024,” said Volpe. T”he role of reserve and simulator driver is an extremely important one in several ways. His feedback from the simulator will have a significant impact on our in-season development, and therefore our performance throughout the year.
“Caio’s profile as a driver fits this role perfectly. He is a young talent with extensive single-seater experience, and his time with Alpine Academy showed us that he is capable of having a positive impact this season. He has shown promising signs already, quickly absorbing new information about key Formula E systems, including energy management.
“With the talent he has, I look forward to seeing him develop as he works with the team throughout the year.”
The São Paulo-born drive is thrilled to have been given the opportunity and has revealed what his first experience was like in the simulator. Collet explained how he “was shocked” at just how different the Gen3 car is to any other single-seater series, making his new role “an exciting challenge”.
“I’m very happy to have the opportunity to work with Nissan this season,” said Collet. “They are a team with strong credentials in Formula E, as well as being a globally respected brand.
“When I first jumped into the simulator, I was shocked by how different Formula E felt compared to other series, both in terms of the systems in use and the driving style required to maximize performance. It’s an exciting challenge and I am very grateful to Nissan Formula E Team for this chance.
“I believe the experience will make me a more complete driver, helping to grow my career. Oliver, Sacha, and the whole team have made me feel welcome and at home already, and I look forward to developing my relationship with them.
“Like all Formula E drivers, they are extremely competitive and professional, so I can learn a lot from working with them both. Now, my full focus is on performing to the best of my ability, and helping the team maximize results this year.”
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