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Nissan-Powered Teams Face Overpower Challenge in São Paulo

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports  |  By Imma Aurino  |  Last updated Dec 8, 2024 8:57 AM ET

The São Paulo E-Prix, the chaotic opener of Formula E’s 11th season, proved to be a mixed bag for Nissan-powered teams.

While the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team celebrated a stunning podium finish for rookie Taylor Barnard and a solid P4 for Sam Bird, the Nissan factory team left Brazil empty-handed, plagued by penalties for excessive power infractions.

Nissan’s Powertrain Challenges in São Paulo: A Race of Contrasts

The penalties for excessive power were a defining feature of the race for all Nissan-powered cars, but timing played a crucial role in determining their impact.

Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird incurred their penalties early, during the chaotic first half of the race.

This misfortune ironically worked in their favour, as a series of red flags and incidents allowed them to recover and capitalize on the mayhem.

Barnard secured his first-ever Formula E podium, becoming the youngest in the series’ history, while Bird finished just behind in fourth.

Reflecting on the race, Barnard said:

“Today’s race was absolutely crazy. Sam and I were at the back at one point, so to finish third and fourth for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team is fantastic – especially in my first race as a full-time driver in the championship. To secure my first podium – I am speechless. A huge thank you to the team for the great strategy that helped us cross the line where we did.” – Taylor Barnard.

Bird echoed his teammate’s sentiments, emphasizing the team effort:

“What a rollercoaster of a day. I’m delighted for Taylor – he thoroughly deserved that podium. We played it smart, and I didn’t want to put him under unnecessary pressure. Bringing home a great haul of points for the team is a fantastic way to start the season.” – Sam Bird.

Nissan Formula E’s Woes

In stark contrast, the Nissan Formula E Team endured heartbreak.

Both Oliver Rowland and Norman Nato suffered from excessive energy boost penalties, but theirs came during critical moments in the latter stages of the race.

Rowland, who had led for significant stretches, dropped to 14th, while Nato, initially battling for points, fell to 13th after a post-race penalty compounded his woes.

Tommaso Volpe, Nissan’s team principal, expressed his frustration but remained optimistic about the team’s potential:

“It’s obviously frustrating not to score points, but the result doesn’t do justice to our performance on track. Oli showed he had the potential to win, but we made mistakes that cost us dearly. The car has fantastic pace, and we’ll focus on bouncing back stronger in Mexico.” – Tommaso Volpe.

Rowland echoed the disappointment:

“We were strong in practice and qualifying, and the first half of the race was perfect. Unfortunately, we made errors, and the penalties took us out of contention. However, the positives are there – the car is fast and competitive.”

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Identifying the Cause of Overpower Penalties Before Mexico

The São Paulo chaos underlined the razor-thin margins of error in Formula E, especially in the Gen3 Evo era.

The overpower penalties that plagued the Nissan-powered cars point to an underlying issue with the powertrain that needs immediate attention.

Whether the cause lies in human error or potential software malfunctions, Nissan will need to work quickly to identify and rectify the problem.

They will have more than four weeks before the next race in Mexico, but with the Christmas break and mandatory stops in the middle of this period, time is limited.

The team will need to leverage every opportunity during the available testing sessions to fine-tune their systems and ensure that they can avoid similar penalties moving forward.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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