Rookie Sacha Fenestraz heads to the inaugural Portland E-Prix this weekend glad that Saturday will see a “more level” playing field, given that the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has never visited the Portland International Raceway.
The Frenchman goes to the West Coast having claimed an excellent result in the second race in Jakarta. The first race was nothing special for the rookie as he claimed nineteenth; however, he matched his best ever FE result in the second race after finishing fourth. He’s now finished fourth in two of the last three races, something which has given him lots of confidence.
Looking ahead to this weekend, Fenestraz is expecting a very strategic race due to how vital energy management will be, giving him the impression that the race will be “similar to Monaco or Berlin.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Portland, it’s another brand-new venue, which makes the playing field more level as nobody on the grid has raced here before. We’ve been really close to the podium positions in recent races, which proves that we have a strong car and team behind us. I think the race may be similar to Monaco or Berlin, leading might not be the best strategy.
“We are very motivated following the result in Jakarta and we’ve kept working hard since to improve further. It’s also going to be amazing to race in America, the fans and environment are always great there, so I’m excited for it.”
“Possibly the most strategic race of the year” – Norman Nato
On the other side of the Nissan Formula E Team garage, Norman Nato also had an excellent second race in Jakarta, whilst he too failed to score points in the first. The French driver finished twelfth in the opening race and fifth in the second, to claim his best result since returning to FE.
It means that he too is heading to Portland with some confidence, with the Frenchman also expecting this weekend to be the “most strategic race of the year”. The venue for Saturday is interestingly an actual race track, adding an extra element to the twelfth round of the 2022/23 season. Overtaking will therefore be more than possible, making for a fascinating E-Prix.
“We’re coming to Portland hoping to continue showing the pace we had in the second race in Jakarta,” said Nato. “It’s not a traditional street circuit, so that will change our way of driving. Grip will likely be higher and it’s going to be interesting on the energy-saving side, possibly the most strategic race of the year. It looks like it’s going to be quite a fast track, and there will be a few opportunities to overtake thanks to the long straights and wide track, particularly Turns 1, 7 and 10.”
