Nissan Formula E Team travels to the ExCeL London for Rounds 16 and 17 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship this weekend, with the title still open. Reigning champion Oliver Rowland sits fourth in the standings, 14 points off the lead, and can retain his crown across the double-header. The weekend also closes the book on Formula E’s GEN3 era.

Formula E’s twelfth season reaches its conclusion in the British capital, and Nissan arrives with something still to play for. Oliver Rowland, who won the Drivers’ title with the team in Season 11, is fourth in the championship and 14 points behind the leader with two races remaining. Team-mate Norman Nato comes off a sixth place in Sunday’s race in Tokyo, where he worked his way forward through the field to take points for the team.

A short, tight circuit with two personalities

At 2.09 km, the ExCeL London Circuit is the shortest track on the Season 12 calendar and among the narrowest. The lap starts inside the exhibition centre before running outdoors, and passing chances are scarce until the run down to Turn 10 and the approach to Turn 16, where the layout heads back under the roof. That half-indoor character has made the race a fan favourite since it returned to the calendar in Season 8, and it has hosted the finale throughout the GEN3 era.

The surface change between the two halves is what makes setup difficult. Reserve and development driver Sam Bird described the indoor section as smooth and high-grip, turning bumpy and low-grip once the cars head outside. With overtaking so hard, qualifying position tends to decide the race.

Nissan’s record at the ExCeL

London has not traditionally been one of the team’s stronger venues, but both drivers have had good days there. Rowland won at the circuit in 2024, and Nato has scored points on each of his last three visits.

“Season 12 has been a challenging one for us, with plenty of ups and downs, but thanks to the hard work of the entire team we arrive at the final race weekend fighting for a second consecutive Drivers’ World Championship with Oliver,” said Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal. “London is one of the most complex tracks on the calendar, and with two races left and such a close battle for the Drivers’ title, it should be an exciting finish to the season.”

Rowland, racing at home, was measured about the task. “I feel like we’ve maximized our potential this year, we haven’t always had the quickest car, but we’ve managed to be in the fight until the end,” he said, adding that the track is “low grip and bumpy although it’s really fun to push to the limits in qualifying.” Nato echoed the point about track position: “overtakes are difficult so qualifying will carry extra importance.”

Two different race formats

The weekend runs to a split format. Free Practice 1 begins at 16:00 local time (UTC+1) on Friday, with qualifying on both Saturday and Sunday from 10:40 and lights out for each race at 15:05. Saturday’s round includes Formula E’s mandatory Pit Boost stop; Sunday’s follows the championship’s traditional format, so teams face two distinct strategic problems in the space of 24 hours.

What it means

A title fight going to the final double-header is the argument Formula E has been making about the GEN3 rules package, and Nissan’s position is a reminder of how narrow the margins have become — Rowland won the Season 11 title with two races to spare, and is chasing this one from fourth place. The UK is also a significant market for Nissan, which builds cars at Sunderland, so a home finale carries commercial weight alongside the sporting stakes.

Nissan has been in Formula E since Season 5 (2018/19), the first and only Japanese manufacturer in the series, and bought the e.dams team outright in April 2022. In March 2024 it became the first manufacturer to commit to the GEN4 era, which runs to 2030.

Facts: Nissan Formula E Team in London

  • Event: London E-Prix, Rounds 16 and 17 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
  • Circuit: ExCeL London, 2.09 km (1.30 miles), part indoor, part outdoor
  • Drivers: Oliver Rowland, Norman Nato; Sam Bird reserve and development driver
  • Championship position: Rowland fourth, 14 points behind the leader
  • Schedule: FP1 Friday 16:00 local (UTC+1); qualifying Saturday and Sunday from 10:40; races at 15:05
  • Formats: Saturday with mandatory Pit Boost, Sunday standard

The London E-Prix closes the 2025/26 season and the GEN3 era this weekend.

Source: global.nissannews.com