Sacha Fenestraz's Formula E career hangs in the balance following confirmation that he will not be part of Nissan’s line-up for the 2024/25 season.
Fenestraz first joined the all-electric series in 2022/23 with Nissan, but endured a difficult sophomore campaign in which he was comprehensively beaten by team-mate Oliver Rowland.
While Rowland won two races and was an outside title contender, Fenestraz could only manage a best finish of fifth at Misano en route to 17th in the standings.
Fenestraz is understood to have been under contract for next season and initially looked likely to stay on at Nissan, but was informed he wouldn’t be retained in recent days.
“I was told around the beginning of August that I was staying, but everything has now changed apparently,” Fenestraz told Autosport.
“Now I’m trying to find a solution for my career, to stay in Formula E. But being told so late means it will be difficult to stay, as most seats are already taken.
“It was a difficult season, one of the trickiest of my career. But we all have our ups and downs – even Oliver didn’t even finish the season last year [with Mahindra].
"A lot of drivers have had similar years to the one I’ve had and they managed to bounce back.
“Unfortunately they didn’t give me that opportunity, which is a shame, but it’s the reality.”
The only remaining teams with vacancies for 2024/25 appear to be ERT and Abt, which is entering into a new alliance with Lola and Yamaha next season after parting ways with Mahindra.
Should neither of those come off, Fenestraz could consider opportunities in the World Endurance Championship or even a return to the Japanese racing scene, where he raced with success before joining Formula E.
“There are two options, but it is late,” Fenestraz said. “The season ended nearly two months ago now and most contracts are signed before then.
“The chances are slim at the moment because it’s such a late call.
“There might be some chances in WEC, and there’s also a possibility of going back to Japan, but first we’ll see if there’s any chance of staying in Formula E or not.”
Fenestraz admitted that a return to Super Formula and SUPER GT, where he raced for Toyota in 2020-22, would be the most straightforward option for his career.
“I love it in Japan, I love the culture, I love the racing there with noisy, high-downforce cars,” Fenestraz said. “The chances of racing there are higher than other places.”
It’s unclear who will partner Rowland at Nissan for 2024/25 Formula E season, although Norman Nato has been linked with a possible return having previously driven for the Japanese manufacturer alongside Fenestraz in 2022/23.
Reached by Autosport for comment, a Nissan spokesperson said: "Our driver lineup for Season 11 [2024/25] has not been confirmed yet. "The team is currently evaluating different options and an announcement will be released in due course, once a decision is made."
