Nissan Formula E Team endured a difficult 2026 Shanghai E-Prix double-header, leaving with just 5 points after mixed weather conditions compromised strategy and pace.
Oliver Rowland finished P13 and P8 across Rounds 12 and 13, respectively, securing Nissan’s only points of the weekend, alongside the bonus point for fastest lap. Meanwhile, Norman Nato faced an even more frustrating weekend, crossing the line in P20 and P17. The disappointing weekend leaves Nissan with work to do as Season 12 heads into its final four rounds.
Nissan currently sits P6 in the Teams’ Standings with 125 points. On the Drivers’ Standings side, Rowland still occupies P3, 27 points behind leader Pascal Wehrlein, while Nato is 19th.
Rowland on missing out on points in Round 12
Rowland’s difficulties began early in FP1, where the Brit finished P20 after reporting steering issues on his car. Later, despite taking P7 in FP2, Rowland couldn’t maintain the momentum into Round 12 Qualifying, missing out on the Duels and finishing P13.
He showed good progress in the first stint of the race, making his way up into the top five. However, as the rain intensified, Rowland dropped down the order, ultimately finishing P13.
Reflecting on Round 12 at the 2026 Formula E Shanghai E-Prix, the Nissan driver shared: “On Saturday morning I felt good in the car during the practice session. However, in qualifying I had a lot of understeer and couldn’t advance into the Duels. Then during the race, we started strongly moving forward into the top five and being efficient on our energy saving. Unfortunately, when the rain came, we struggled for pace meaning we dropped back.”
Nissan aims to deliver in Tokyo
After missing out on points in Round 12, Nissan opted to pursue a bold full wet set-up as Rowland qualified 4th. In the Round 13 race, the reigning World Champion managed to remain inside the top-ten until the Shanghai International Circuit began to dry. Falling back, Rowland pitted during the late Full Course Yellow, changing his tyres and pressures for dry running. The move proved key as the Brit gained several positions in the final moments, securing P8, alongside the fastest lap.
“Heading into the second E-Prix, we made some changes and qualified well in the wet, lining up fourth,” Rowland continued. “In the race, it became more difficult as the track dried out on our wet set-up. I was outside the points and losing pace, so it made sense to take the risk of pitting and changing to dry-pressure tires under the full course yellow. In the end that decision paid off and we moved forward to collect a handful of points from the event.”
Looking ahead to the double-header in Tokyo, he concluded: “We’re still in contention for the title with four races remaining and it’s not over until it’s over, so we’ll now have a good reset and aim to deliver in Tokyo, where we have a strong history.”
Nato: “We already knew it would be a difficult one”
On the other side of the garage, Nato entered the 2026 Formula E Shanghai E-Prix weekend with a 60-place grid penalty for multiple component changes in Monaco and Sanya. Starting P20 on the Round 12 grid, Nato served a 10-second stop-and-go penalty on the opening lap, as he wasn’t able to serve the full penalty on the grid.
The French driver worked on saving energy throughout the race before pitting to change his tires and the pressure. However, an issue during the stop delayed his release, denying him the chance to make up positions, leaving him in P20.
Speaking after the race, Nato noted: “Coming into the event it was always going to be a tough opener with the 60-place grid penalty as well as the stop and go. We saved tires in qualifying and managed our energy well during the E-Prix. We got the Safety Car we were hoping for and came in to change tires, but an issue during the stop meant I rejoined in traffic, which of course wasn’t what we were going for. It was frustrating to not take the opportunity to do better during the first race, although we already knew it would be a difficult one on my side.”
A “frustrating” Round 13
Misfortune carried over into Round 13 as, despite initially qualifying P5, Nato suffered a post-Qualifying disqualification for a minor technical infringement. Like his teammate, Nato wasn’t able to make up many positions in the opening stint. However, after taking his final six-minute Attack Mode, Nato slowly began progressing through the field before his progress was halted due to a Full Course Yellow.
After ultimately finishing P17, Nato left the 2026 Shanghai E-Prix double-header frustrated, but motivated to drive in front of Nissan’s home crowd in Tokyo.
“The adjustments we made overnight helped us improve on Sunday, especially in qualifying. We topped Group B and were lining up P5 before the penalty, meaning we had to start the race from the back of the grid. We went for a wet set-up and initially it looked good but as the E-Prix progressed the track dried out, making it more challenging.”
He added: “However, we were advancing well in the final Attack Mode before a full course yellow came out as we were halfway through the six minutes. Overall, it’s been a frustrating weekend hindered by penalties out of my control and we’ll aim to put it right next time out in what is always a special weekend in Tokyo.”
