Formula E, the day with the Nissan team – Quattroruote

Technology (almost) standard. What? how much of a race car is in a family car? They wondered this inside Nissan before entering Formula E. On the other hand, among the less than 20 engineers who allow drivers to compete for important positions race after race, a couple have the sole responsibility of transmitting the most important data to those in Japan who are responsible for design. cars as usual (and vice versa). A real technological transfer, which brings a bit of motorsport even to a city car headed for the mall. Attention also made possible by the exclusivity of the series where the frame, gears and battery are the same for everyone. Only the technicians have to devote themselves carefully to the engine and the control unit in charge, the only levers in the hands of the individual team to be better than others (instead of the control of the drivers). A laboratory that also works for sale: the Japanese company has already confirmed participation until 2030.

The old paddock. What is surprising when watching life in the pits is the calmness that prevails within the team and between the teams. Many parts are interchangeable between all cars: if someone needs a chassis they can ask a competitor, who often provides it. The fact of being a series of young people and sometimes viewed with distrust creates cooperation, which can be seen in the effects of what happens to former colleagues. Like when a fight on the track involves Sébastien Buemi, the team’s former driver: engineers and mechanics with their hands in their hair, as if it were one of the Nismo-branded cars. For others, it’s just motorsport. Just one color note: in Formula E you don’t bother with electricity. Those who work in the garage are taught about the dangers of high voltage and about the use of electric shock devices.

A bit of glam. Drivers fight on the sidelines and in the pits, the unwavering approach and the unpredictability of the race coexist. In the paddock, however, little wheat is produced. One for everyone, from car tracks to simulators to AI-powered Nissan attractions. And that’s for the VIPs, who watch the races from the less enviable hospitality venues to those of F1. However, everyone stops when the traffic light turns green and the cars, buzzing like busy bees, start fighting. The noise is muted, unreal and not drowned out by the roar of the engine. But the feeling of the spectators passing by the snake is the same – excitement – as when the combustion vehicles pass by.