Nissan has made a major decision regarding its Formula E driver lineup. According to information initially published by The Race and confirmed by GRANDE PRÊMIO, the Japanese manufacturer has notified Norman Nato that he will not hold a race seat with the squad for the 2026/27 season. The primary candidate to replace him is Victor Martins, who is taking part in testing for the upcoming Gen4 machinery and is closing in on a deal to partner Oliver Rowland.
Nato has already been informed of the decision, bringing an end to a three-season stint spread across two separate spells—the first in 2022/23, and the second spanning 2024/25 and 2025/26, with a single-year tenure at Andretti in between. Throughout this time, the Frenchman struggled to deliver expected results, particularly in direct comparison to Rowland.
While the Briton claimed the World Championship title last season and remains in contention for a second crown, Nato collected a modest 21 points in 2024/25 to finish 20th in the Drivers’ standings. In the ongoing campaign, his performance has been even tougher: despite sitting one spot higher in the table, he has managed just 11 points. That deficit severely hampered Nissan’s bid to compete for the Teams’ Championship title.
During the Tokyo E-Prix weekend, Nato himself conceded that extending his stay at Nissan was unlikely. As a result, he is exploring alternative career paths, which are expected to center on his factory commitment with Cadillac in the World Endurance Championship (WEC). While not ruling out remaining on the Formula E grid altogether, he admitted that increasing schedule overlaps between the two series make a dual program increasingly unviable.
“I’m not closing the door on anything. My priority was to find out whether I could stay with Nissan, but that looks very unlikely. On top of that, the calendar clashes don’t help. There are already two overlapping dates, which is plenty. If that number grows, it becomes unsustainable. Looking at both schedules, you realize just how many back-to-back weekends you’d be facing trying to do both,” Nato said.
“I’d love to remain in Formula E, but everything has to be evaluated step by step. WEC is my primary focus right now, as it has been for the past two years, and I have zero regrets because things are going really well there. But I don’t need to rush a decision today. Under the circumstances, I have a bit more time to decide my next step,” he added.
Nissan Team Principal Tommaso Volpe continues to hold off on officially confirming the driver change. When asked about the matter following the Tokyo E-Prix, he was diplomatic: “We haven’t finalized a decision yet. Right now, we want to enjoy this result and we expect to wrap things up very soon,” he stated.
As Nato searches for a new drive, Victor Martins has emerged as the clear favorite to fill the vacancy. The Frenchman serves as a development driver for Williams in Formula 1 and is part of Alpine’s WEC roster through the end of this year, when the manufacturer will exit the Hypercar class. Despite his wide-ranging commitments, the driver is no stranger to the Nissan setup.
Martins has completed multiple track outings with the Japanese brand aboard the current Gen3 Evo platform, leaving a strong impression on team management. Recently, he took part in Gen4 development testing at the Navarra circuit in Spain and conducted extensive simulator work for Nissan. He is scheduled for further track testing in the coming weeks and could be officially announced shortly after the conclusion of the current Formula E season.
Formula E returns from August 15 to 16 for the final round of the 2025/26 season, the London E-Prix double-header.
