Nissan Formula E Team heads to the season finale in London on August 15 and 16 with a strong British heart. Reigning champion Oliver Rowland sits fourth in the championship and still in contention for back-to-back titles, while the team’s overall strategy and knowledge base can thank a British simulator driving team for vital preparation work ahead of the closing weekend of Season 12.
The Reigning Champion
Oliver Rowland (34), from Barnsley, has been an established single-seater racer since 2010 and a Formula E driver since Season 5 (2018/19), where he scored two podiums to claim Rookie of the Year wearing Nissan colours. His first victory arrived in Season 6. The Brit enjoyed a superb campaign in Season 11, winning the driver’s championship with two races to go, claiming seven podiums, four wins and three pole positions across the season. Oli now has over 100 Formula E race starts to his name.
ROWLAND Oliver (gbr), Nissan Formula E Team, Nissan e-4ORCE, portrait podium, portrait during the Mexico City ePrix, 2nd round of the 2024-25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, on the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez from January 10 to 11, 2025 in Mexico City, Mexico – Photo Eric Alonso / DPPI
Q: When did you learn to drive?
A: I started go-karting at Rye House when I was five years old. I learned to drive when I was 17; I had a three-hour lesson to learn the basics of the road and then went straight to my test. That was in my mum’s car, which we then shared.
Q: How has Formula E impacted your views on electric vehicles?
A: It’s definitely changed my perception. It’s opened my eyes to the damage that we do to our planet and how we can help. Electric vehicle technology is moving on so quickly and the cars are improving year after year, whether it’s race cars or road cars. EVs are now enjoyable cars to drive.
Q: Why should we be excited for the GEN4 Formula E car?
A: Next year’s car is a huge step. It’s going to be really exciting for the drivers. The mix of downforce levels between low and high, depending on the race, will be quite a big challenge. With 600kW and four-wheel drive the GEN4 car has proper performance too. I’m looking forward to it!
The Experienced Reserve
Sam Bird (39), from Roehampton, is a mainstay of Formula E having joined the grid in Season 1 and experienced every generation of racecar since. He’s achieved race wins across GEN1, GEN2 to GEN3 and is currently deep in Nissan’s Formula E GEN4 racecar development programme thanks to his role at Formula E Team. His single-seater career stretches back to 2004 while his CV also includes wins and podiums in the World Endurance Championship. A typical Formula E weekend sees Sam work his Nissan role alongside presenting work for Formula E television coverage.
Nissan Formula E Team confirms Sam Bird as reserve and development driver
Q: When did you know you wanted to become a racing driver?
A: I wrote a letter to my parents when I was about four years old telling them that I wanted to be a racing driver. I got my first go-kart when I was eight. Ten years later I was jumping into Williams F1’s 2007 machinery for the first time. So dreams do come true!
Q: What was your first car?
A: My very first road car was an Austin Metro. My grandma passed away and I got her car.
Q: What specific talents does a Formula E driver need?
A: We are all world-class racing drivers that have adapted our skillset in order to extract the maximum performance from Formula E machinery. It’s a racing car, so we’re pushing it to its limits when we’re qualifying, but then the race is very detailed, very challenging. You’ve got to move forward at the right time to ensure that you finish at the front. I like to call it the world’s fastest game of chess.
The Rising Talent
Abbi Pulling (23), from Gosberton, joined Nissan Formula E Team in 2025. The Brit impressed the Formula E paddock during the first-ever all-women’s session in Madrid ahead of Season 11, where she topped the timesheets. In addition to her F1 Academy success, Abbi also became the first female driver to take a race victory in British F4. Abbi’s role as rookie and simulator driver sees her drive the current GEN3 Evo racecar and play a vital role in race preparation on the Nissan Formula E Team sim.
Nissan Formula E Team to field Abbi Pulling at all-women’s test in Valencia
Q: When did you know you wanted to become a racing driver?
A: My dad raced motorbikes. I really loved being trackside amongst the atmosphere; it was like a different world. I was seven years old was when I began asking for a go. I started go-karting at the age of eight, fighting for championships at 12 to 13, and won two championships back-to-back aged 14 to 15. I get to do what I love, what I enjoy and what I’m good at. I’ve built lifelong friendships in motorsport.
Q: When did you first drive a car?
A: I got my racing licence for cars when I was about 14 years old, so I could drive a racecar before I could drive on road. The first time I actually drove a car was on a field. I was eight or nine years old, driving a flatbed. My family were putting hay bales onto the back and I was driving in a straight line, learning my clutch control. I wasn’t allowed to turn! My dream car as a kid, and I’m not just saying this, was the Nissan GT-R. I was aware of how massive it was in the Super GT series in Japan.
Q: What skillset do you need as a simulator driver?
A: Formula E has a completely different driving style to it. The regen, getting your battery back and the race runs are all quite particular, especially when you have the pit boost in there too. You’ve got to be fast on the sim, but the most important thing is your feedback and how you verbalise that to the team. I’ve always used a simulator as a driver tool, but it’s a new kind of skill using it as a development tool for the team; one which is really, really fun. It’s how motorsport runs at its higher levels now.
What Their Bosses Say
Dorian Boisdron, Team Director and Vice Team Principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “Oliver Rowlands’ racecraft is absolutely incredible. He always manages to be in the best position around the track to overtake without consuming too much energy. We’ve been surprised many times after the first part of the race when we see how many positions he’s made up without using attack mode. He’s making the magic.
“Sam Bird’s experience in Formula E, for us, is priceless. He’s very good in terms of feedback, setting up the direction of the car, and as a leader of our preparation team. He’s supporting us before the lead racing drivers are coming to the workshop and during a race event he’s a big brother for all of us.
“We decided to work with Abbi Pulling because she’s a rising star with a lot of potential. She has a very good understanding of the car and its systems, so we try to involve her more and more. She’s following a very interesting progression curve so let’s see what we can do with her in the future. I would be happy to have her in the car more often.”
Tommaso Volpe, Managing Director and Team Principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “Our three British drivers are making a difference to Nissan Formula E Team. The United Kingdom is a country with a massive expertise in motor sport. There are not just plenty of drivers coming from the UK, but also masses of engineering expertise. We try to acquire talents from the UK beyond our drivers to help us improve.
“Oliver is one of the best drivers in the history of Formula E. He has made a huge difference in the performance of the team and not only because of his driving abilities, but also for the level of his feedback which is very educated and very sophisticated. It helps us to improve the way we plan the races and develop the car.”
Nissan’s Beating British Heart
Nissan has based its most crucial European operations on Great British soil for decades. Nissan Motor Manufacturing UK (NMUK) opened its doors in Sunderland, Tyne & Wear in 1986 and has produced over 11 million cars since, over a third of which are examples of the multi-award winning Nissan Qashqai. NMUK exports to over 100 countries around the world.
Nissan Technical Centre Europe (NTCE) in Cranfield, Beds is home to over 800 employees and has played a vital role in the development of 33 production cars since its 1988 inception including the Qashqai, JUKE and all-electric Nissan LEAF.
Nissan Design Europe (NDE) has occupied a bold listed building in Paddington, London since 2003. Its team has played a significant role in Nissan’s business and imparted a huge influence on the wider car industry having pioneered the segment-moulding Qashqai and JUKE.
