Nissan Formula E Team is looking to continue its strong form in the first ever Jeddah E-Prix, the maiden double-header of the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship campaign. The event will also see the introduction of Pit Boost during the first race of the weekend.
Last month, Oliver Rowland secured his first win of Season 11 with a trio of dramatic late overtakes in Mexico City to ensure maximum points. The Brit’s victory lifted him into second in the Drivers’ Championship.
On the other side of the garage, Norman Nato’s good race pace went unrewarded, but the Frenchman will be looking to bounce back at what is expected to be a thrilling weekend of action.
The first race of the double-header will showcase the inclusion of Pit Boost for the first time. Cars will receive a 10% energy increase (3.85kWh) from a quick, 30-second 600kW re-charge in the pitlane, with the rigorously tested feature set to introduce an extra layer of strategy for drivers and teams to contend with.
Even though Saudi Arabia has hosted Formula E since Season 5, this will be the first E-Prix held in Jeddah. Located on the coast of the Red Sea, the night event will take place under the lights on a new variation of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The 3.001-kilometer and 19-turn track promises to be a thrilling fast-paced lap, with overtaking likely into Turns 1, 8 and after the long, fast sweeping left-hander of Turn 12.
Additionally, this event will also host a Rookie Free Practice session with Gabriele Minì set to drive for the squad in Thursday’s FP0 at 18:00 local time (UTC + 3). The 19-year-old Italian, who will compete in Formula 2 this season, previously experienced Formula E machinery with Nissan in May 2024, when he participated in the Berlin Rookie Test. Minì will look to build on his skills in Jeddah, while also helping the team prepare for the race weekend.
Rowland and Nato will then hit the track at 21:00 with Free Practice. Qualifying on both Friday and Saturday will get underway at 15:20, with the lights out for both races at 20:00.
For this event, the team’s pair of Nissan e-4ORCE 05 cars will feature additional branding from its innovation partner Electromin for its home E-Prix. In addition to its normal positions, Electromin branding will be present on the halo and the front wing. As the leading electric mobility solutions provider in the Middle East, Electromin will also feature on the team’s Pit Boost charger and chief mechanic’s overalls.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “After the win in Mexico we’re even more motivated and determined to achieve a good result, but it will be a big challenge this weekend at a new circuit and also with the introduction of Pit Boost on top. I think both teams and fans are looking forward to seeing the Pit Boost in action during a real race and it could be a game changer. In terms of strategy, our preparation has been to focus on each race separately as they will both be completely different, so it will be even more crucial to collect plenty of meaningful data on Thursday. It’s set to be a very exciting and eventful double-header, and we’re delighted that this will also be the home race of our innovation partner Electromin. As a company dedicated to electric mobility solutions, we’re very happy to have their support as we enter a new chapter in Formula E with the introduction of Pit Boost.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “There is a great feeling around the team after the victory in Mexico and we’ll be aiming to take some solid points at this new track in Jeddah. The Pit Boost will provide a new challenge, but one that I’m really looking forward to. Both races will also be completely different, we’re expecting one of the fastest events in Formula E history in terms of raw pace on Friday, while Saturday’s could be more of a peloton-style race. We’ll have to ensure we adapt to both scenarios and if we do this then I’m confident that we can achieve a positive performance.”
Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team:“The first two races of the season prove that we have a good car and that our pace is strong. Pit Boost is going to be interesting as we’ve never used it before in a race situation. If we can ensure a promising qualifying result, then we should be right in the mix. The track layout is great in the simulator, so I’m looking forward to heading out and trying it for real.”
Gabriele Minì: “From my work on the simulator, it looks like a very exciting track. We’ve seen in other categories that Jeddah is high-speed with fast corners, which, as a driver, is always exciting. Even from driving in the simulator, the difference with the all-wheel drive (AWD) on the GEN3 Evo cars is massive. It feels like the series has taken a huge step forward, so I’m looking forward to trying it out on track. It’ll be one of those unforgiving circuits where the smallest mistake can end your session, so we’ll aim to stay sharp and do our best to extract as much meaningful data as possible.”
Sérgio Sette Câmara, reserve and simulator driver, Nissan Formula E Team:“It’s always exciting for the series to head to a brand-new city and circuit as there are many unknowns and it’s all about who adapts best. We’ve practiced the strategies around Pit Boost in the simulator, but you only really know how it will work when the real-life variables are added into the equation. I’ve enjoyed driving the track on the sim, the flowing first half of the lap will be a challenge for the drivers and great to watch and I’m expecting a race full of overtakes and wheel-to-wheel action.”
