For Norman Nato, the Formula E Berlin E-Prix Race 2 finally broke a frustrating Season 12 pattern. Strong pace, top-five potential, and a steady stream of small problems had kept turning promise into disappointment all season long, but Sunday at Tempelhof delivered the clean afternoon he had been waiting for.
Starting from 16th on the grid, the Nissan driver capitalised on key moments, briefly leading the race during the Attack Mode phase, and held firm to take the chequered flag in fifth. After the race, Nato sat spoke to Pit Debrief about how the weekend turned around, why Saturday had been so frustrating, and what Berlin means for his Monaco preparations.
When the team made the difference
Nato’s Berlin weekend opened in the worst possible way. A car issue on Saturday left him fighting the machinery rather than his rivals, and overnight the Nissan crew got to work on putting it right. By Sunday morning, the picture had changed.
When Pit Debrief asked how he felt after a solid race that took him from 16th on the grid all the way to fifth at the chequered flag, with a stint at the front along the way, Nato could not hide his satisfaction.
“I’m really good. It’s been a good race. A lot of strategy going on, on tyres, on energy management, on attack mode as always,” Nato said.
A contrast from Race 1
What made the recovery sweeter, however, was the contrast with the Saturday he had just endured. For Nato, the most painful kind of race day is the one that takes the steering wheel out of your hands.
“Especially after the day yesterday, where it’s been a difficult day, like I had an issue on the car all day long. But it’s actually the worst for the team, but even for myself, where you can’t even fight. You know, like some day you had a feeling that at least you gave everything and tried, but when you cannot fight because there is an issue, that’s actually the worst.”
The lack of useful data only added to the problem, leaving Nato heading into Sunday’s preparations with little to work with. Credit, he insisted, belonged to the team for getting the car back to where it needed to be.
“And you also on top of it don’t really learn. So yeah, today on the team we managed to turn around the situation. Thanks to the team for the reaction last night to change a part which was not correct in the start. And yeah, that’s positive. Really happy with that.”
Confidence already there, now finally rewarded
Nato’s confidence in his own pace has rarely wavered this season, even as results have repeatedly slipped through his fingers. Pit Debrief turned the conversation to whether his Berlin recovery sends him to the Monaco double-header with renewed belief, and what lessons he plans to carry forward from the weekend. The Frenchman’s response pointed to a deeper truth about his Season 12 so far.
“Of course, it’s always better to finish on a good note and go to the next race with some confidence. But honestly, as I said, since the beginning of the season, every race, since actually the pre-season test, I’m fast, always top five. So yeah, confidence is there.”
The story until Berlin had been one of speed without reward, with a string of small misfortunes denying him the points his pace warranted. Race 2 finally gave him the clean afternoon he had been waiting for.
“Of course, I’ve been frustrated because I never turn around in points. Always small things happen and it impacted me quite a lot. Today, honestly, we just had a clean race. Everything was good and not perfect on my side, not perfect on some of the things. But it’s a really good step forward, so I’m really happy with that.”
For Nato and Nissan, the Berlin E-Prix Race 2 ticks a box that has been waiting all season to be checked. With the underlying pace clearly there and a clean race finally in the bank, the streets of Monaco now offer the chance to push that momentum even further forward.
