Nissan Formula E Team endured a challenging start to the Berlin double-header weekend at the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, as Round 13 of the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship unfolded under difficult wet conditions. While Oliver Rowland’s race ended prematurely following late contact, debutant Sérgio Sette Câmara completed his first full E-Prix with the team in 15th position.
Frustrated opportunity for championship leader
Oliver Rowland began the day in a strong position, qualifying third despite the cancellation of FP2 due to weather conditions. The Briton entered the weekend with a chance to seal the drivers’ championship title but ultimately failed to capitalise.
Following a controlled early stint and his second attack mode activation, Rowland made a bold move on Stoffel Vandoorne at the Turn 6-7 double-right-hander shortly after a late-race Safety Car restart. However, the move ended in disaster as contact with the Maserati MSG Racing driver broke his front-left suspension, forcing him to retire from the race.
Reflecting on the incident, Rowland stated: “We showed good pace in Qualifying, starting on the second row and during the pit window I felt strong and confident. I made an error of judgement on the Safety Car restart, attempting to overtake a lapped car and got on the wetter part of the track. It was a shame to be caught up in an incident like this because I think the final ten laps would’ve been very positive for us as I had saved my energy well. We’ll regroup now and look to improve tomorrow.”
This marks a difficult run for the championship leader, who has scored only one point across the last three rounds. Nevertheless, due to his earlier consistency, he maintains a 50-point lead over Pascal Wehrlein—who finished second behind Mitch Evans—with three races remaining.
Sette Câmara shows resilience in debut outing
In contrast, Sérgio Sette Câmara made his first competitive appearance for Nissan, stepping in during a particularly difficult scenario. With no second practice session and unfamiliar wet conditions, the Brazilian driver started from 21st but worked his way up to 15th by the chequered flag.
Sette Câmara commented: “I felt confident after yesterday’s FP1 in dry conditions, but with FP2 cancelled, it was very challenging to head straight into a wet Qualifying session, having never driven this car in these conditions before. The track changed throughout the E-Prix and I was saving energy waiting for an opportunity late on. Unfortunately, I made a mistake and suffered some contact which I apologise for, but I’ve learnt a lot from this event. Let’s see what the weather brings for us tomorrow and I know we’ll be back stronger.”
Despite an early incident, the reserve driver displayed maturity and racecraft in adapting to rapidly evolving conditions, offering promise for further participation should the opportunity arise.
Team management reflects on missed potential
Team Principal and Managing Director Tommaso Volpe acknowledged the difficulties but remained focused on the broader campaign:
“It was a difficult day with no FP2, especially for Sérgio, being his very first race with the team – he really could not have had worse conditions! Of course this is not the result we were hoping for. We’re disappointed as we were in such a privileged position to have a chance to win one of the three championships today with three races still to go, thanks to the amazing job that the team has done so far this season. But days like this are part of racing. The season is not over yet and we’ll continue to fight until the very end.”
Championship picture and looking ahead
Despite failing to score in Berlin’s first race, Nissan remains firmly in contention across both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships. The team currently sits second in both classifications—trailing marginally with 191 and 315 points, respectively.
In the Drivers’ standings, Rowland leads with 172 points, while team-mates Norman Nato and Sette Câmara sit 19th and 23rd respectively.
As the team prepares for Round 14, they will look to regroup quickly. Qualifying begins at 11:20 (UTC+2), followed by the race at 16:00 local time. With changing weather conditions once again expected, Nissan will hope to return to form and keep their title ambitions alive across all fronts.
