Nissan Formula E Team ready to battle it out under the lights in Jeddah

Nissan Formula E Team is looking to bounce back this weekend as Jeddah hosts Rounds 4 and 5 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Following a successful maiden trip to Jeddah Corniche Circuit in 2025, which saw Oliver Rowland take a dominant victory in the second race, the championship returns to Saudi Arabia for more action.

The Japanese outfit has shown solid pace in the early stages of this campaign, with Rowland scoring podiums in São Paulo and Mexico City. On the other side of the garage, Norman Nato will be aiming to convert his speed into valuable points at the first double-header of the season, with the event presenting a major opportunity for the squad to move up the standings.

This will be the eighth consecutive season that Saudi Arabia has hosted an E-Prix, with it being held in Jeddah for a second time. Located on the coast of the Red Sea, the night event will take place under the lights on a 3.001-kilometer variation of Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The 19-turn track provides a thrilling fast-paced lap, with overtaking likely into Turns 1, 8 and after the long, fast sweeping left-hander of Turn 12.

The opening race of the weekend will see Pit Boost return for the first time in Season 12, with the cars receiving a 10% energy increase (3.85kWh) from a quick, 30-second 600kW re-charge in the pit lane. A change for the 2025/26 campaign is that in a Pit Boost event each driver will only have one Attack Mode deployment, which will be activated for six minutes. Saturday’s event will be a more traditional E-Prix with no Pit Boost and two Attack Modes, that can be used over the standard eight-minute period. This means we’ll see two very different races at the same venue across the two days, which is a huge challenge for the teams.

For this weekend’s action, both Nissan e‑4ORCE 05 cars will once again feature additional branding from its innovation partner Electromin for its home E-Prix. As well as its regular positions, the Electromin logo will also be visible on the halo and the front wing. The leading electric mobility solutions provider in the Middle East has been in a global partnership with Nissan Formula E Team since 2024. The collaboration has highlighted both companies’ shared vision of shaping the future of electric mobility with innovation and sustainability at the forefront.

Track action begins on Thursday with Free Practice 1 from 20:00 local time (UTC+3). Qualifying on both Friday and Saturday will get underway at 15:40, with lights out for both rounds at 20:00.

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’re always delighted to return to Saudi Arabia, and to be back in Jeddah after a great first-ever weekend here last year. The preparation for this first double-header of Season 12 has been quite intense given the quick turnaround – we will have two very different races across the weekend plus the return of Pit Boost, so the past week has been incredibly demanding for the team. After a disappointing weekend in Miami, we now have a clear understanding of the areas that needed improving and we have put solutions in place, so I’m optimistic that we are in a good position to fight for the podium again. Saudi Arabia is especially important for us given our close collaboration with our innovation partner Electromin. They’ve been an important ally since 2024 and have been crucial in creating synergies which promote the Nissan brand both in the region and worldwide, and we’re excited to continue our work with them and to have the chance to race in their home country.”

Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “Jeddah was one of our strongest tracks last season as we showed great performance on our way to taking victory in the second race. However, we know that everyone has improved their understanding of the GEN3 Evo cars since last year. The circuit has a nice variety of challenges with some tricky braking zones which will test all of us drivers. Qualifying is definitely an area to work on from the opening three events, because I know if we improve on this then we can be fighting towards the front end of the field throughout the E-Prixs, and that’s the goal this weekend.”

Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’ll be aiming to bounce back from a frustrating race in Miami and this double-header is a massive opportunity. With Pit Boost, it means that we must prepare for two completely different races as the energy management and lengths of Attack Mode are different each day. I enjoyed the event in Jeddah last year - it’s a very cool track to drive, especially under the lights. We know that Qualifying will be important here and I’m confident on that side after making the Duels in two of the opening three rounds. There’s a lot of points on offer with it being a double-header and we’ll look to maximize our potential to move up the championship standings.”

Sam Bird, reserve and development driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “The main challenge of Jeddah is the difference in track temperatures from Qualifying to the start of the E-Prix. Qualifying is in the heat of the day while the race gets underway in much cooler night conditions, which helps for tire longevity. It’s an interesting circuit layout with more slow speed changes of direction and corner variety than there has been so far this season. We’ll have two very different events, but I still expect there to be energy management in both and I can see the benefit of sitting just behind the leader before it goes flat out towards the end.”

Nissan made its all-electric racing debut in Season 5 (2018/19) of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, becoming the first and only Japanese manufacturer to enter the series.

In Season 7 (2020/21), Nissan announced its long-term involvement in Formula E and its commitment to the GEN3 era, which will run from Season 9 (2022/23) through to the end of Season 12 (2025/26) of the all-electric racing series.

In April 2022, Nissan acquired the e.dams race team, with the Japanese automaker taking full ownership of its involvement in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

On 28th March 2024, ahead of the first ever Tokyo E-Prix, Nissan announced its long term commitment to Formula E, becoming the first manufacturer to sign up for the GEN4 era, which runs until 2030, reinforcing its pledge to its Ambition 2030 electrification targets.

Season 11 (2024/25) saw Nissan Formula E Team secure the Drivers’ World Championship with Oliver Rowland as the Brit took seven podiums, including four victories, and three pole positions, winning the title with two races to go.

For Season 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Nissan Formula E Team drivers are Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato.

Nissan races in Formula E to bring the excitement and fun of zero-emission electric vehicles to a global audience. As part of its goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its operations and the life cycle of its products by 2050, Nissan intends to electrify every all-new vehicle offering by the early 2030s in key markets. The Japanese automaker aims to bring its expertise in transferring knowledge and technology between the racetrack and road for better electric vehicles for customers.

Global.NissanNews.com/FormulaEPressKit

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship became the first global sport to be certified with a net zero carbon footprint from inception back in 2020, having invested in certified climate-protecting projects in all race markets to offset emissions from every season of electric racing.

All cars in the championship are powered by electricity, with the series acting as a competitive platform to test and develop the latest in electric technology.

The World’s greatest manufacturers race against each other on street circuits and Formula E promotes the adoption of sustainable mobility in city centers in a bid to combat air pollution and lessen the effects of climate change.