‘I lost trust in myself’

The poor performance was underscored by the fact that Rowland’s last-minute replacement, Caio Collet, out-ranked Fenestraz on Saturday and then ended up higher in Sunday’s final rankings. Because it was such a late call-up, Collet’s performance was the result of not running the simulator, something Fenestraz did more than usual in his prep days for Portland.

The performances left Fenestraz in a contemplative mood, and he told The Race magazine: “I’ve asked myself that question a lot, in terms of what’s going on.

“It’s easy to say it’s this and that and solve the problem, but the reality is I was trying a lot of different things.

“I put in an extra day and a half of preparation compared to my teammates. [Rowland] I’m trying to do everything I can, but it’s not happening. I’m not giving up, and I will never give up, but it’s hard.

“It’s not like I’m just sitting at home saying, ‘Let’s go to the next race, I’m working on it,’ it’s not like I’m not doing anything; it just doesn’t fit with what’s going on.”

Fenestraz had a strong 2023 season, taking pole positions in Cape Town and Monaco (although second place was lost to a technical penalty). But if we look deeper, there may be some flattery in the public perception of his campaign a year ago.

This was the first Gen3 season and it took many teams and drivers some time to find their feet on the then-new design package. Additionally, Fenestraz’s experience with Gen2 machinery was limited which meant there was a degree of freshness to the package that initially rewarded bravery, something he had plenty of.

But it’s clear now that he looks somewhat lost in a Nissan team that had its best season ever statistically, but whose second car barely featured.

“I think I lost confidence in myself,” says Fenestraz.

“I lost a lot of confidence in my talent, and that’s very easy because once you drive without confidence you doubt yourself, and when you drive like that it gets worse.

“In this tournament when things are already so difficult, it doesn’t help.”

Finisterres is developing and Nissan has supported them this season, but that won’t last forever. The truth is that if Finisterres had contributed just 25 more points than they have so far (26), Nissan would be third, not fifth in the teams’ standings.

Fensteraz knows he needs to get himself out of this situation quickly, but he is running out of opportunities. The Race understands that Nissan has been inquiring about the status of other drivers’ contracts recently, and is assessing who could replace Fensteraz from this summer onwards.

“It’s definitely the worst season of my career so far,” Fenestraz added. “I’m always self-critical and this is my own view of my season. I think it’s the worst of my career.”

“Reality is trying to find the shovel to get out of the hole I’m in at this moment.”

Nissan’s Human Dilemma

You never want to be the one people remember for shooting Bambi, do you?

But that’s the situation facing team principal Tommaso Volpe now. Nissan clearly loves Fenestraz – a friendly, fun and respectful driver. In many ways, it’s a great marriage with a team that is investing resources to win titles in Formula E after making a long-term commitment to the all-electric world championship earlier this year.

Fenestraz is also one of the drivers who needs the least maintenance. He is fast and clearly talented, he is also a hard worker in simulation and excellent in PR and media affairs. In this sense he is the perfect driver for a major manufacturer, and few would have expected his performance to drop off significantly this season.

Nissan now has to support him or fire him. There is no middle ground.

“It’s not that we didn’t put pressure on before too because it’s about math; if he had done that, and I quote you [The Race] “Here, 25 more points, we would have been more comfortable now,” Volpe told The Race on the eve of the Portland E-Prix.

“Nobody has a crystal ball, but if Sascha had scored 25 more points in Germany, he would have been in the top 10, we would have had a solid third place, and it was just bad luck.” [he was wiped out by former team-mate Norman Nato] So you see why I don’t just look at the numbers.

“We haven’t made a decision yet, but the plan from the beginning was to make him grow with us. At the moment we have no reason not to think about it, but in the meantime, let’s see how he performs in these last races.”

That last statement is crucial. Volpe and his team have certainly analyzed Fenestraz’s performance in Portland right now, and it won’t be pretty. Obviously, we have to assume that it was 50:50 in favor of replacing him, but now it’s 80:20 in favor.

But all may not be lost. In London, everything will be at stake in terms of qualification, and if Fenestraz can pull something off, the sentence may be postponed.

Last season, he finished the first race with a carbon-fibre frame after a heavy collision while competing with Dan Ticktum. This year, the damage could be even more psychological for a driver who just 12 months ago was one of Formula E’s brightest young stars.

Who can replace finasterase?

Fenestraz’s seat at Nissan is highly coveted. The team is also likely to want some experience to fill it as it develops its Gen3 Evo package for the second certification cycle of the current ruleset.

The company has invested heavily in a new base in Paris and some key appointments over the past year or so, and that, coupled with a huge improvement in results, particularly through Rowland this season, means there is renewed ambition.

“It’s different than when we had this conversation two years ago at the end of Gen2,” says Volpe. “We’re in a privileged position where I think the team is very attractive now from a driver’s point of view.

“It’s true that there are a lot of moves, but I feel very comfortable. We will make the decision at the right time, and it will be the right decision for the team.”

Nissan has a stable, long-term deal with Rowland, which is believed to run until at least the 2025-26 season. This means they could potentially lure a second big name with experience to the team. However, it would need someone who is not involved in a dual programme, which could prove difficult.

Stoffel Vandoorne may be interesting but strangely his name is more closely associated with Envision at the moment, and Robin Frijns who is supposed to be leaving is suffering from a brand conflict with his World Endurance Championship deal with BMW and the WRT team that runs that project.

Nissan was chasing Antonio Felix da Costa, but his name is no longer on the market. So who else is out there?

Jake Hughes would seem a natural fit given his knowledge of how Nissan works from his two seasons with McLaren, and is known to be talking to suitors.

But could an old player come back, as Rowland did a year ago? Norman Nato could be looking for another new deal if Andretti drops him after another deal that could last only one season in Formula E.

Nato was very popular and well-respected at Nissan and would have been an easy choice. And that could happen if the current Andretti driver is forced to look elsewhere again.

But could Nissan invest in youth after Colette’s strong showing in difficult conditions? It’s a risk, and one that’s unlikely to happen, although Fenestraz himself had one fewer race start than the Brazilian when he embarked on his journey with Nissan in 2023.

The last few options appear to be Plans B and C, with Option A being the established and proven winner. There aren’t many of those options, which could give Fenestraz a chance to rehabilitate – and re-establish himself as the exciting prospect he started the season with.