Sacha Fenestraz heads into his first Jakarta E-Prix this weekend having been warned by everyone “how tough” the conditions are in the Indonesian capital, with it set to be even more challenging this season given that it’s a double-header.
The rookie is “very excited” for the tenth and eleventh rounds of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, having shown excellent pace three weeks ago in Monaco. The Frenchman would’ve claimed his second pole position of the season, had his time in the Final not been deleted for an overuse of power. Despite this, he still claimed a season-best result of fourth, with the aim now being to prove that their pace at the Circuit de Monaco “wasn’t a one-off”.
Looking ahead to the trip to Southeast Asia, Fenestraz is targeting another good result, with the aim being to build some momentum throughout the double-header.
“The hottest race of the year, everybody has been telling me how tough it will be! On the racing side, I’m very excited, following our best weekend of the season in Monaco. Heading to Jakarta, we are happy and in a good position in terms of the team environment.
“We’ll be looking to back up our performance from Monaco and prove it wasn’t a one-off, so it’s an important event for us. The track looks interesting, similar to Monaco or Cape Town in terms of some of the corners and the track characteristics, so I’m hoping for a great weekend.”
“It will be really tough physically” – Norman Nato
On the other side of the Nissan Formula E Team garage, Norman Nato is also looking forward to his first time competing in Indonesia, where he’s expecting the races to be “really tough physically”.
The Frenchman was also on good form in Monaco and qualified third; however, a late pit-stop saw him tumble to the back of the field. He nevertheless showed his best pace yet in the Principality, with the aim being to “continue the momentum” this weekend.
“I’m excited to race in Jakarta, a new venue for me. It will be really tough physically for the teams and drivers with the high temperatures. We’ll look to build on the promise we showed in Monaco, and hopefully be able to put both cars in the points.
“To be second and third in qualifying was an incredible achievement, but we have to always look to improve and continue the momentum. This weekend we need to take that promise and convert it into two strong races to get the second half of the season off to a great start.”
