Nissan Formula E Team headed to São Paulo aiming for a strong start to the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, fresh from a productive week of pre-season testing in Valencia. The championship returned for a fourth visit to Brazil, racing on the bumpy, high-speed 2.93-kilometre Anhembi Sambadrome circuit, its main straight laid over the iconic Carnival venue in the north of the city. Drivers’ World Champion Oliver Rowland and team-mate Norman Nato carried confidence from their previous outings here, where Rowland had stood on the podium in 2023/24 and both had fought at the front last December before penalties erased their reward.
Rowland eyes composed São Paulo charge to kick-start Nissan’s Formula E season
For Rowland, São Paulo will mark the start of a fresh Formula E campaign with Nissan, rather than a victory lap as the reigning champion. Last year he targeted every session, intent on extracting the maximum in an even tighter field. The São Paulo layout demanded his respect, with scarce grip, heavy bumps and a car constantly on edge. Managing tyre and battery temperatures in the heat became a race of its own, while settling into a smooth rhythm from the first practice laps shaped the weekend. Memories of controlling much of last year’s E-Prix lingered, and despite everything that had unfolded since, fighting at the front again remained his benchmark as he aims to launch Nissan’s season on strong footing.
“I’m looking forward to being out on-track in Brazil and starting the new campaign as defending Drivers’ World Champion. It’s a new season so our focus is once again on maximizing our performance throughout as the field will be even tighter. It’s a tricky circuit, there is minimal grip as well as it being quite bumpy. Managing the temperatures in the hot weather is going to be crucial and it’ll also be important to settle into a good rhythm from FP1. I led the majority of the São Paulo E-Prix last year, of course there has been a lot of racing since then, but I will be aiming to fight at the front again to ensure a strong start to the new season.”
Nato targets confident opener in Brazil after standout testing form
Nato returned to Nissan’s Formula E line-up, eager to launch the season in São Paulo. Pre-season in Valencia had given him a solid base, with the team sharpening procedures and ironing out technical details, before he underlined their work by setting the pace on the final day. A strong opening mattered to him, not just for points, but for the confidence it injected into both driver and crew and the lift it gave the whole garage. The Anhembi Sambadrome suited his style, rough around the edges but rewarding commitment. With memories of last year’s speed still fresh, he targeted another step forward and a haul of points to start Nissan’s campaign on the right note.
“I’m excited to be back and ready to kick off the season in São Paulo. We prepared well at Pre-Season Testing, we were mainly working on improving our procedures and on some technical areas but we showed great speed on the final day to top the timesheets. It’s important to start the season well – it grows confidence within yourself and in the team, and it creates a good atmosphere around the garage. I enjoy the track, it’s bumpy but cool to race on. We had good pace there last year, so we’ll be looking to build on that to kick off the year with strong points.”
