Nissan has yesterday announced the purchase of its Formula E partner, the Le Mans based e.dams, taking full ownership of the outfit and its ABB FIA Formula E World Championship entry. The Japanese manufacturer has entered the all electric series in partnership with e.dams back in 2018, and has been competing as the Nissan e.dams Formula E team since after DAMS opted to part ways with Renault off the back of the 2017-2018 season. The team was a important chamionship contender early in the series’ history, taking three Teams Championships between 2014 and 2017. Today’s purchase therefore marks the end of an era of involvement in the sport for DAMS.
Sustainability for the future
Nissan’s purchase of the e.dams team emphasises its long-term commitment to sustainability and electrification throughout its structure. The company as commited to a ‘Ambition’ plan which will see electric engines the priority with a £13 billion of investment over five years and 23 new electric car models by 2030, using highly efficient all-solid-state-batteries (ASSB) which can reduce charging times by 66%. Tommaso Volpe, current General Manager of Nissan Formula E, who will succeed the two sons of team founder Jean-Paul Driot as Managing Director at e.dams, commented:
“This is an important step in our Formula E project. As the pinnacle of all-electric racing, Formula E gives us an engaging global platform from which we can show customers that EVs are not only fun and thrilling, but also that Nissan continues to be at the cutting edge of EV technology. We were happy to enter the sport in 2018 in partnership with e.dams. We have had a strong and successful collaboration, and we have learnt a great deal from their long-term experience in the series.”
Upturn in form for Nissan?
It is possible that future investment from a fully commited Nissan may produce an upturn in form for the team, which has languished in the mid-pack in the last two seasons and with a championship drought which extends back to its days with Renault. Nissan e.dams has only taken two wins throughout the total duriation of its partnership, and the team has only taken three points finishes, with drivers Maximillian Guenther and Sebastian Buemi, out of a possible ten so far this season. The team currently sits 8th of 11 with 8 points. Ashwani Gupta, Nissan COO, is quoted as stating:
“These are exciting times for all of us at Nissan, our fans and customers everywhere. We have been on the grid for over 85 years, and our desire to win continuously accelerates us forward. We learn as we race, and the relentless pace of technological progression that drives the Formula E championship will provide us with many opportunities to inform and develop even better cars for customers. The acquisition of the e.dams team not only reconfirms our long-term commitment to Formula E, but also to the exciting, high-performance world of motorsports competition as a whole.”
Certainly Nissan is opting to invest full time in its newly expanded Formula E project, and the focus towards carbon neutral engieneering should ensure more investment in the team going forward.
A profound legacy
The DAMS team was founded as Driot Associes Motor Sport by Jean-Paul Driot and Rene Arnoux in 1988 and making its debut in Formula 3000 a year later. In 2014, in association with Renault and Alain Prost, Driot entered DAMS into the inaugural Formula E season. Since its inception, Driot had acted as Team Principal until his tragic death at the age of 68 in August 2019. Afterwards, the team was maintained as a legacy for Jean-Paul, who was unapologetically enthusiastic about his all-electric project. His sons, who managed to team in his memory, said of the takeover:
“Since the passing of our father, it’s been an honour for us to partner with a global brand such as Nissan in Formula E and we are proud of what we have achieved together. We would like to thank all the e.dams staff for their hard work and commitment over the years and we wish Nissan all the very best for the remainder of Season 8 and beyond.”
Undoubtedly, DAMS has left an important mark on the sport of Formula E – and the memory of all Jean-Paul Driot put into the sport overall will not be forgotten. DAMS will continue on competing in Formula 2, with Roy Nissany and Ayumu Iwasa at the helm of their entry.