Nissan Formula E Team is set to take on the Portland International Raceway for just the second time in Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as the series reaches the penultimate weekend of Season 10.
The squad currently sits third in the teams’ standings with four races remaining, following a solid performance in Shanghai last month, where Oliver Rowland picked up points in both races.
Following the inaugural race last year, Formula E now returns for a double-header at the Oregon circuit. The series’ first visit to the track saw Nissan Formula E Team produce an excellent qualifying performance, taking second and third on the grid, with Sacha Fenestraz lining up on the front row.
The 2023 edition also featured the birth of the peloton style races, which have become common throughout this season, with careful energy management and late sprints to the line to be expected again this weekend.
The 3.19-kilometer track gives the drivers great overtaking opportunities into Turn 1 before a tight chicane which leads into a demanding technical section. Exiting Turn 8 sees a right kink that heads onto the long back straight, providing another brilliant chance to pass into the final corners of the Portland International Raceway.
Formula E’s visit to the USA is one of the highlights of the season for the team, as Nissan has a strong relationship with the country, where it has been in operation since 1960, with its current headquarters based in Franklin, Tennessee. The engagement in the US provides 21,000 jobs, selling over 800,000 vehicles in 2023.
Track action gets underway with FP1 on Friday, while qualifying starts at 09:40 (UTC-7) and the E-Prix at 14:03 (UTC-7) on both Saturday and Sunday.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’re delighted to arrive in the USA third in the teams’ championship going into the penultimate weekend of action. We’re one of only two teams to have scored points in every round since Race 3, and I’m extremely proud of the whole crew for this! But we know we’re going to have to continue to work hard to maintain our position. Portland was the birth of the peloton style races, and we’re expecting the same across both events this year too. Even though there is a difference in the number of laps between the two races, we’re expecting both to be similar to what we’ve seen in Berlin and Shanghai. It’s important that we have two cars in the top-10 not only in Portland but throughout the last four races, and we have full confidence in both of our drivers to do this.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “It’s been an all-round very positive season for us as a team, and we’re looking to continue this into the penultimate event. I’ve never raced around Portland before, but I’m confident that I can get in tune with the track quickly, so that we can score some good points. We know it’s likely to be another peloton style race, which we’ve thrived in during this campaign. It’s important to stay out of trouble, and to take the chances to overtake when they’re on offer at the right time. I’ve enjoyed these races since the start of the season, and hopefully we can have another strong weekend in Portland.”
Sacha Fenestraz, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “The last few months have been intense with a lot of racing and travelling, so the break was welcome to get ready to head into these last two weekends freshly prepared. It’s important now to maximize the opportunities in front of us and to make sure that we finish as high as possible in the teams’ standings. We’re expecting more peloton style races at this event, so we know how crucial it is to have a clean weekend and remain in contention until the final laps. Last year in Portland, I qualified on the front row and felt very confident, so I’m looking forward to returning and seeing what we can achieve.”
SOURCE: Nissan
