After scoring its first podium in China, the Nissan e.dams team will kick off the first of five Formula E races in Europe this weekend.
 
The Rome E-Prix on April 13 will be followed by events in Paris, Monte Carlo, Berlin and Bern. The championship will conclude in New York in July.
Oliver Rowland scored Nissan’s second Formula E pole and first podium with a second place in the last race, held in Sanya, China. He and team-mate Sebastien Buemi will begin the European leg of the all-electric street racing championship this Saturday at the 2.84 km, 21-turn Circuito Cittadino dell’EUR – one of the longest circuits on the Formula E calendar.
Nissan e.dams is the only team to have scored two pole positions so far in the highly competitive season five of Formula E. The season has so far featured six different pole sitters, and six different race winners, in six races.
The race day action in Rome begins at 7:30 a.m. local time on April 13. The 45-minute (plus one lap) race is scheduled for 4:03 p.m.
 
Sebastien Buemi: “Getting our first podium at the last round was a very important step, but now we want to go one better. I’ve been through a really unlucky run in recent races, but you have to keep working hard, focusing on the positives and preparing as best you can. Having two drivers showing strong speed is great for the team and helps drive us forward. We both share what we’re learning on the track, but we both want to beat each other, too. Oliver’s a rookie, so I’ve given him all the help I can and it seems like I must be doing a good job as a teacher.”
Oliver Rowland: “I’ve got my first podium under my belt, but my preparation for Rome and the other European races will be the same. We’ve made a lot of progress with our simulator. The more miles we do, the more accurate it becomes. It’s a very valuable tool in preparing me for these races, because I’m a rookie, and I haven’t raced at these tracks before. I have to thank Seb and the team for all their help, because I entered the season with really only one day of testing under my belt. I’ve now had a great qualifying run of fourth, second and first in the past three races. I’d like to continue that level of performance as we begin the run of European races.”
Jean-Paul Driot, Team Principal: “Rome was a great addition to the championship last season, and everyone at Nissan e.dams is looking forward to returning there this week. Recording our first podium with Nissan in China was an important milestone, but we want this to be the first of many.”
Michael Carcamo, Nissan Global Motorsport Director: “The Nissan LEAF and our Formula E car share the same DNA, right down to some of the software for controls. Europe is a huge market for the LEAF, so this leg of the championship will be important for us to highlight Nissan Intelligent Mobility from a performance perspective. The championship has been a very steep learning curve for Nissan. But after getting both cars into the top-six Super Pole session in China, getting our second pole position and taking our first podium, we now want to aim for the top spot.”