Nissan Formula E Team Storms to Podium in Thrilling Season 12 Opener in São Paulo

The 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship kicked off in dramatic fashion as the Nissan Formula E Team celebrated a standout podium finish at the São Paulo E-Prix. Oliver Rowland delivered a stunning charge through the field, climbing 11 places to secure second place, while teammate Norman Nato demonstrated strong pace despite an unfortunate early retirement.

The event began with an extended FP2 session after FP1 was cancelled on Friday due to technical issues with radio communications. Both Nissan drivers impressed immediately, placing inside the top ten.

Rowland Charges from 13th to Second

Rowland narrowly missed out on the Qualifying duels in Group A and started 13th after serving a three-place grid penalty carried over from last season’s finale in London. But once the lights went out, the Brit wasted no time carving through the field. Strong race management and well-timed Attack Mode deployments saw him lead the E-Prix at multiple points.

A late Safety Car threatened to disrupt his rhythm, arriving with a minute remaining on his second Attack Mode. However, Rowland handled the restart confidently and managed a late Red Flag interruption to cross the finish line in second - an outstanding result to begin the new campaign.

Nato Shows Front-Running Speed

Nato displayed impressive form throughout the weekend, topping Group B in Qualifying and progressing to the duels. He lined up seventh and immediately made progress on the chaotic opening lap, rising to fourth.

Both Nissan drivers briefly led the race during their early strategic pushes, but contact between Rowland and Nato on Lap 17 forced the Frenchman to pit. He retired a lap later, losing out on what had been a strong points-scoring opportunity.

Team Reaction

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team, said:
"It's great to score a podium on the opening weekend of the new season. Oli and Norman showed great pace in the race and both looked like they were going to collect a good amount of points. However, they made contact between them and, while we know these things can happen in motor racing, it's of course very frustrating for the whole team. We'll review the situation as a team to avoid anything like this in the future, but overall we're happy to collect a trophy and start the campaign in a positive way. We will now be fully focused on the next race in Mexico, which is like a second home for us as the country is such a significant market for Nissan, and we'll aim to replicate the success that we enjoyed there in Season 11."

Oliver Rowland reflected on his hard-earned podium:
"I'm pleased to achieve such a great result after a tough start to the day. We narrowly missed out on the duels in Qualifying and, with the three-place grid penalty carrying over from London, it was always going to be tricky. We were a bit lucky with the timing of Full Course Yellows and Safety Cars, but ultimately, we did an excellent job to gain 11 places and clinch second. It's going to be extremely tight this season so it's about maximizing the results when you get the opportunity to score big like today. It's 18 more points than what I got here last year so I'm pleased with that as we head to Mexico."

Teammate Norman Nato added:
"I was happy with how we optimized everything across the weekend even though our performance wasn't at its full potential. It's what we've been working on compared to last year and I was delighted to be quickest in Group B during Qualifying. Our race was going well as we spent the early stages in fourth, and we were aiming for a top five finish. Unfortunately, we had contact with Oli which forced me to retire. It's frustrating because we were in a great position to score strong points today, but we'll now focus on Mexico."

Next Stop: Mexico City

Formula E resumes in the New Year as the 2026 season continues at the iconic Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on 10 January, where the Nissan Formula E Team will aim to build on its strong start.