Nissan is set to support Sacha Fenestraz for the final season of his current contract, but is already considering a high-profile acquisition in preparation for the Gen4 era starting in 2026. Fenestraz’s position at Nissan was in jeopardy due to a disappointing season, but the lack of viable alternatives and loyalty from Nissan led to a decision to retain him for 2025.
Despite a poor performance compared to his teammate Oliver Rowland’s stand-in Caio Collet at Portland, Fenestraz’s seat was secured after a crash in free practice and a clash with another car compromised his results. Another disappointing weekend in London further highlighted the gap between Rowland and Fenestraz, with Rowland achieving his second victory of the season while Fenestraz failed to score any points.
Nissan also had discussions with Tiago Monteiro, the representative of Norman Nato, about a possible return to the team. However, Nissan ultimately decided to continue with Fenestraz, believing that a stable start is necessary for their test and development work with the Gen3 Evo car this summer and autumn. Fenestraz is highly regarded as a development driver, particularly by his previous employer Jaguar. Nissan acknowledges that Fenestraz’s struggles in 2024 were primarily mental and believes that he has the skills to overcome them. The objective for Nissan next season is to compete for the championship, and they need both drivers to be in top form.
Nissan is expected to confirm Fenestraz and Rowland as their drivers for the 2024-25 season next month. However, Nissan has a reputation for frequently changing drivers in recent seasons. After Sebastien Buemi’s departure in 2022 and a difficult season with Maximilian Guenther, Nissan signed Fenestraz and Nato. But when Rowland became available in 2023, Nissan replaced Nato despite his better performance and first podium finish for the team in almost two seasons. Fenestraz’s struggles have raised doubts about his ability to perform at the highest level in Formula E, prompting Nissan to consider their next driver move for the Gen4 era.
Nissan is keeping a close eye on Antonio Felix da Costa, who has one more season on his Porsche contract. Da Costa has expressed a desire to return to the World Endurance Championship and may be open to a season-long deal with Nissan in 2026. Another potential candidate for Nissan is Nico Mueller, who could replace da Costa at the works team after a potential one-off season at customer squad Andretti in 2025. Mitch Evans and Theo Pourchaire are also linked to Nissan, but Evans is committed to Jaguar until at least the end of the 2024-25 season, and Pourchaire is pursuing a career in IndyCar. Limited opportunities in the North American series may lead Pourchaire to consider other options for his future.
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