Why Norman Nato Is Leaving Nissan Formula E—and What Comes Next

That performance followed a prior campaign in which Nato finished 20th with 21 points. The difference is small in points but important in context: the second Nissan car again failed to provide the consistent support the team needed in the teams’ championship.

Nissan also had a clear reason to use the Gen4 transition as a reset. Season 12 was the final campaign for the Gen3 Evo car, and the manufacturer had already secured Rowland on a multi-year contract to lead its next phase.

How Nato’s final season compared with the previous one

Nato’s Season 12 ended with 20 points and 19th place, according to reporting after the London finale. His previous season ended with 21 points and 20th place.

The raw totals therefore show a broadly similar outcome rather than a major breakthrough. Nato did produce some stronger individual performances in the latest campaign, including a reported fifth-place finish, but he did not turn those flashes into a sustained run of points.

His late-season form was especially difficult. By the Madrid round, he had scored only three points across the previous 12 races after finishing sixth in the first Shanghai race of that stretch. The London finale did not provide a decisive turnaround: Nato finished 15th in the first race, while the chaotic second race produced an unusual championship climax and left him among the drivers classified in the points positions in reports of the event.

The broader verdict is clear: Nato remained capable of isolated strong results, but not consistent enough to retain a Nissan race seat through the manufacturer’s next technical era.

Why continuing a full Formula E–WEC programme is difficult

Nato has already been balancing Formula E with the FIA World Endurance Championship, where he competes in Cadillac’s Hypercar programme operated by Hertz Team JOTA. That dual commitment has become increasingly difficult as both calendars expand and overlap.

The projected Gen4 Formula E schedule is expected to create direct conflicts and logistical pressure around key WEC events. Reported examples include a Spa–Monaco clash and congestion involving the Interlagos and Shanghai races.

Those clashes are more than a travel inconvenience. Factory teams need drivers available for testing, preparation, simulator work and race weekends, while endurance programmes require continuity across long events and manufacturer commitments. Nato has already missed Formula E events because of WEC obligations, with his Cadillac/JOTA contract taking priority in at least one previous conflict.

For that reason, a full-time return to Formula E alongside a factory Hypercar programme looks increasingly unlikely. It is possible that Nato could remain connected to Formula E as a reserve or development driver, but the available reporting points more strongly toward endurance racing as his main focus.

What comes next for Nato

Nato is expected to continue with Cadillac and Hertz Team JOTA in the WEC rather than immediately pursue another full-time Formula E seat. His departure announcement described the end of the Nissan chapter, while reports have not strongly linked him with an available race seat elsewhere in Formula E.

That does not necessarily mean the end of Nato’s relationship with electric single-seater racing forever. A reserve, testing or development role remains a possible path, especially given his experience with Nissan machinery. However, that possibility should not be confused with a confirmed future Formula E contract.

How Nissan’s Gen4 lineup is taking shape

Oliver Rowland is the confirmed cornerstone of Nissan’s Gen4 project. The reigning champion signed a new multi-year agreement, ensuring that Nissan will build its next-era effort around him.

Victor Martins is the leading reported candidate to replace Nato. He has tested Nissan’s Formula E machinery and was identified in multiple reports as the likely new teammate for Rowland.

The important caveat is that Martins’ arrival was still reported as a prospective deal rather than a formal Nissan announcement in the available material. If completed, the expected Rowland–Martins pairing would give Nissan a mix of proven championship performance and a younger driver with prior Formula E testing experience.

Formula E’s Gen4 era is scheduled to begin at the Jeddah E-Prix on 18 December 2026. Nato’s departure therefore marks more than a routine driver change: it is part of Nissan’s wider attempt to start a new technical cycle with a stable lead driver and a revised second seat.