By Oke Peter
Nissan Formula E Team is prepared to take on this weekend’s Sanya E-Prix in Round 11 of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as the series returns to Hainan Island for the first time in seven years.
The Japanese squad heads to China following three podium finishes in the past four races, including victory last time out at Monaco with Oliver Rowland. After more than a month’s break in the calendar, both Rowland and Norman Nato will be looking to set themselves up for a strong ending to the campaign as Season 12 enters its final seven races.
Sanya holds good memories for Rowland. On the series’ only visit to the island back in Season 5 (2018/19), the British driver earned his maiden pole position in the championship, before backing it up with a second-place finish in the race to also score his first podium in his and Nissan’s debut year in the sport.
Meanwhile, Nato has not previously raced at Sanya, but the French driver has taken strong finishes in the past in China, scoring points on both previous Formula E visits to the country, including a podium in Shanghai in Season 10.
The track has been slightly modified since 2019, with the length increased from 2.236 kilometers to 2.52 kilometers. The first half of the circuit has changed, with an extra corner added in the opening turns. Two back-to-back long straights bring the most obvious overtaking opportunities giving a chance for extended battles between drivers.
The weekend begins with Free Practice 1 at 16:30 local time (UTC+8) on Friday, before Saturday’s action gets underway with FP2 at 08:30. Qualifying takes place at 10:40, ahead of the lights going out for Round 11 at 15:05.
For this round as well as for the successive double-header in Shanghai next month, Nissan is partnering with its joint venture in the country, Dongfeng Nissan. With China being the only country to host more than two Formula E races during Season 12, this is the perfect opportunity to showcase Nissan’s innovative EV technology, as well as an exciting experience of a global motorsports event for the local fans. The partnership will see Dongfeng Nissan’s branding feature prominently on Nissan Formula E Team’s race cars, as well as on the drivers’ overalls and garage walls. Additionally, Dongfeng Nissan will also run activations at both events, with guest programs and fan activities showcasing the latest Nissan EVs.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’re happy to return to Sanya. We had a great result there with Oliver in 2019 and, while we can draw on some experience from that previous visit, a lot has changed in Formula E since then. We head to China having made strong progress over the last few races and with the confidence that comes from our victory in Monaco. During the break since then, we’ve focused on preparing for this very intense period, with three consecutive races in the country. China is a hugely important market for Nissan, and we’re delighted to be working alongside our joint venture, Dongfeng Nissan, for both this weekend in Sanya and the Shanghai double-header in July. The competition remains incredibly close, so we know we’ll need to execute at our best. So far we’ve shown how competitive we can be; the challenge now is to maintain this form for the rest of the season and continue to fight at the top until the end.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’ve had a busy schedule on and off-track since the last event, including testing the GEN4 car, which was exciting. We’re now into the final seven races of the season, and it’s a great feeling to be heading into the run-in after some good results in Berlin and Monaco. We know it’s not going to be easy, but our recent performances give us plenty of confidence. It’s been a long time since our last visit to Sanya. I was new to the series and made good memories there, with my first pole and podium. The circuit is quite similar to 2019, with some small variations mostly in the opening corners. It’s short and simple but bumpy in places so it will bring a challenge. With it being a single-header, it’s going to be extremely important to get up to speed straight away.”
Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m looking forward to racing in Sanya for the first time this weekend. I’ve enjoyed driving the circuit in the simulator, so I can’t wait to discover it for real. It looks like the race will be a challenging one, considering the expected hot weather and the importance of strategy during the E-Prix. Managing the energy and the battery temperature will be the key factors to having a strong event. We’ll aim to maintain the qualifying pace we’ve had all season and target a well-deserved strong points finish.”
Sam Bird, reserve and development driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “Sanya is a fun circuit, in 2019 qualifying was very key and also challenging, with plenty of sand and dust on the track. I don’t think it will be so important this year given the energy management, we’re expecting more of a pack race so anything is possible. There’s been a few changes to the layout, mostly in Sector 1, while Turn 11 has also been re-profiled. The main overtaking places will be later in the lap, at the hairpin of Turn 9 and also at the final two corners.”
