Nissan Formula E Team keeps Sam Bird and Abbi Pulling for GEN4 Season 13
Nissan Formula E Team has retained Sam Bird as reserve and development driver and Abbi Pulling as rookie and simulator driver, completing its four-driver roster for the 2026/27 Formula E season.
- 27
- 12
- 16-20 November
- 2026/27
What Happened
Nissan Formula E Team will continue with Sam Bird as its reserve and development driver and Abbi Pulling as its rookie and simulator driver for the 2026/27 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The British duo join Oliver Rowland and Zane Maloney to complete the team's driver roster. Bird joined the team in November 2025, while Pulling began her rookie and simulator role in June 2025. The team says the knowledge of its powertrain that both have built up will be a valuable asset heading into the new GEN4 era.
Bird has competed in Formula E since the championship's inaugural race in 2014 and is among a select group of drivers to have won races across all three generations of car used in the series. He has secured 27 podium finishes, including 12 victories. His most recent win came in São Paulo during Season 10, driving for a Nissan customer team.
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Including 12 victories, the latest in São Paulo in Season 10 for a Nissan customer team.
Pulling gained further Formula E experience during the 2025/26 campaign, taking part in the all-women's test, Miami Rookie Free Practice and the Madrid Rookie Test. The 2024 F1 Academy champion is also competing in the 2026 GB3 Championship, where she took her first victory at Spa and added two podium finishes at Donington Park. She and Bird will keep working alongside Rowland and Maloney ahead of pre-season testing at Circuito del Jarama in Spain on 16-20 November.
Abbi Pulling begins her rookie and simulator driver role with Nissan Formula E Team.
Sam Bird joins Nissan Formula E Team as reserve and development driver.
Pre-season testing at Circuito del Jarama, Spain, ahead of Season 13.
“We're very happy to continue working with Sam and Abbi for Season 13. As we enter the GEN4 era, having drivers who know our simulator, our powertrain and the way we work will be important in helping us prepare effectively for this new generation.”
“I've really enjoyed being with Nissan Formula E Team and I'm delighted to continue in my role as we move into the GEN4 era. I've loved my work in the simulator and of course the sessions out on track, which have been the highlight of my time with the team.”
Previously from Nissan
MotorClaw reported on 23 October 2026 that Zane Maloney, 23, would partner reigning champion Oliver Rowland at Nissan Formula E Team for Season 13. That season is a 21-race campaign that opens Formula E's GEN4 era with an all-new car.
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Nissan's official releases.
Why this matters
Season 13 introduces an all-new GEN4 car, and Nissan is betting that two drivers who already know its simulator and powertrain will help it prepare race drivers Oliver Rowland and Zane Maloney faster. The announcement also locks in the team's full roster ahead of pre-season testing at Circuito del Jarama in Spain.
Terms in This Story
- GEN4
- The fourth generation of Formula E race car; each generation introduces a new car design that teams and drivers must adapt to.
- Reserve driver
- A driver who does not race every weekend but stands ready to step in for a race driver and typically handles testing and simulator duties.
- Simulator driver
- A driver who runs the team's driving simulator so engineers can develop and set up the car between race weekends.
- F1 Academy
- An all-female single-seater racing series created to develop female drivers toward higher levels of motorsport.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.