Nissan’s Formula E team will look to turn promising pre-season testing pace into early championship points when the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship opens this weekend on the streets of São Paulo.
The season-opening race will take place at the 2.93-kilometre Anhembi Sambadrome circuit, a revised layout that is one lap shorter than last year’s version and places greater emphasis on outright speed and braking efficiency rather than energy conservation. The track, which runs alongside São Paulo’s famous carnival venue, is known for bumpy surfaces, long straights and heavy braking zones.
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Reigning Drivers’ Champion Oliver Rowland enters the weekend after topping the timesheets on the final day of pre-season testing in Valencia. He is joined by teammate Norman Nato as Nissan aims to convert testing performance into race results under the second season of the GEN3 Evo regulations, which have tightened competition across the grid.
“Managing temperatures in hot weather is crucial,” Rowland said. “I led much of last year’s race and aim to fight at the front again.” The British driver secured last season’s championship with four wins, seven podiums and three pole positions, clinching the title with two races to spare.
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Overtaking opportunities at the Anhembi circuit are expected at Turns 1, 4 and 7 following long straights, while Turn 10 could also become a key passing point under aggressive braking. Hot ambient temperatures and low track grip are likely to test tyre and battery temperature control throughout the weekend.
Nato said the team would look to carry momentum from Valencia into the season opener. “We topped timesheets on testing’s final day. A strong start builds team confidence; we’ll leverage last season’s pace here,” he said.
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Nissan Formula E managing director Tommaso Volpe said the team had focused on operational improvements over the winter, including the introduction of a new Dynisma driver-in-loop simulator. He said the priority for São Paulo would be “error-free execution” as teams continue to adapt to the evolving GEN3 Evo package.
Nissan has competed in Formula E since the 2018/19 season and became the sole Japanese manufacturer in the championship after acquiring full ownership of the former e.dams team in 2022. The company has committed to the GEN4 era through 2030 as part of its broader Ambition 2030 electrification strategy, which targets carbon neutrality by 2050.