Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz will be teammates at Nissan e.damns in Season 9.
After four years with the French-based Japanese team, Sebastien Buemi will leave Nissan along with team-mate Maximilian Guenther. Nissan’s all-new line-up, confirmed this morning, will consist of Norman Nato and Sacha Fenestraz.
Nato will make his return to Formula E as a full-time driver for the start of Gen3. The Frenchman was a reserve and test driver for Jaguar in 2022, and competed in the final round of Season 8 in Seoul to replace the injured Sam Bird.
His new team-mate, French-Argentinian Sacha Fenestraz, also made his debut in Seoul for similar reasons; Fenestraz was drafted to replace Antonio Giovinazzi in the season Finale after the Italian injured his hand in Round 15.
“It’s a dream come true,” said the young rookie. “It will be a big step forward in my career, to move up into a World Championship for the first time and to be competing at such a high level against some of the best drivers in the world. It’s going to be a different challenge for me as it will be my first season in an all-electric car.”
Fenestraz shared his excitement at the prospect of competing on street circuits – his favourite. However, he is also aware of the preparation and hard work needed to compete as a rookie in a new category.
Nato is not a rookie, but he is looking forward to the Gen3 era, too – which he defined a “new chapter” for the championship.
“I’m very happy to be making my comeback as a full-time driver in Formula E with Nissan,” he said. “I’m excited to prepare for testing and drive the car. The hard work starts now – I have a lot to learn and areas to develop in with the team to be at my best for the first round of Season 9 in Mexico City.”
“This is a significant moment for the team as we commence the Gen3 era, and we are very happy to welcome both Norman and Sacha on board,” said Tommaso Volpe, general manager and managing director of Nissan e.dams.
“Norman has proven to be a very talented driver in Formula E and in other series, and he brings a wealth of experience and skills to the team. As for Sacha, we have monitored his progress and performance over the past few years and have been very impressed. We believe he has great potential and that this is the right time to bring him into to the team. I am convinced that they will complement each other and the team very well. I can’t wait to see them both in action on track in our new Nissan Gen3 car.”
“Season 9 will be our first season competing as one team, following Nissan’s acquisition of e.dams earlier this year, and also the beginning of our partnership with McLaren Racing,” adds Volpe, referring to Nissan’s recent restructure. “This marks a new era for the Nissan Formula E Team, and we believe that a combination of experience and the opportunity to nurture new talent is the right balance for us right now. In Norman and Sacha, we have found two strong drivers to fulfil our vision.”
The Nissan team manager also had words of praise for their outgoing drivers, Buemi and Guenther both having played “a big role” in the team, contributing to its growth.
“Séb in particular has played a big role in the history of our team, after having been with e.dams for eight seasons, four of which with Nissan. We have grown and evolved with him over the years; his tremendous achievements, perseverance and enthusiasm will always be a part of who we are. To have had both Séb and Max as part of our team makes us very proud.”
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