Nissan Formula E Team entertained its home fans in the first-ever Tokyo double-header, taking two pole positions, a podium and a race win with championship leader Oliver Rowland.
Returning to Tokyo for the second time for Rounds 8 and 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the outfit’s impressive pace in Free Practice 2 on Saturday was rewarded, as the results of the session formed the grid after the cancellation of qualifying due to rain. This meant Rowland would start on pole, ahead of teammate Norman Nato in third.
The British driver held the lead following a Safety Car start in wet conditions, and built a healthy gap before a red flag halted his progress. Rowland took his mandatory Pit Boost just after the resumption of the race, but found himself in second place at the end of the pit window, behind a driver who had taken his stop before the red flag. Rowland pushed hard, but was unable to make a move for the win and secured second, his sixth podium of the season.
Meanwhile, Nato was in points contention during the opening stages, although an issue with his tires meant that he struggled to find grip on the Tokyo track, crossing the line 15th.
Sunday was dry, and both drivers impressed in the Group Stage of qualifying, progressing to the Duels, where they would meet in an all-Nissan Formula E Team quarter-final. Rowland moved on all the way to the final, taking his third consecutive pole position of the season and also his third in Japan, remaining the only driver to start first in the Tokyo E-Prix in its three editions.
Holding the lead off the line again, Rowland’s pace and the team’s excellent strategy paid off. Sitting as low as sixth before taking his final six minutes of Attack Mode, the driver of car #23 made some superb overtakes to move into the lead with a few laps to go, fighting off a stern challenge from behind to clinch his fourth win of the season.
Nato was fighting hard in the points after starting eighth, showing promising pace until contact set him back, eventually finishing in 17th.
The results see Rowland extend his lead in the Drivers’ Championship to an impressive 77 points, currently sitting on 161 having taken four wins and three second-places in the nine races so far. Nissan Formula E Team returns to the top of the Teams’ Standings on 172 points, while Nissan firmly retains its Manufacturers’ lead with 225.
Formula E remains in Asia for the next event, heading across the East China Sea to Shanghai, China, for Rounds 10 and 11 of Season 11 on 31 May – 1 June.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “What a special weekend! It’s such an amazing feeling to perform so well in front of our home fans. Yesterday was a tricky day with the rain, but we battled hard and were proud to take the podium with Oliver. In the end, we were unlucky not to win thanks to the timing of the red flag in relation to our Pit Boost window. Norman struggled to find grip, which was a shame because he had brilliant speed in Free Practice. He worked hard during the race but was unable to clinch the points his efforts deserved.
“And today was even better. We’ve had several Nissan colleagues and top management in attendance supporting us this weekend, so to win the race was fantastic. Oli did a great job to take pole, and then used his second Attack Mode perfectly to fight his way to the front and hold on despite pressure from behind. Norman did well to qualify for the Duels and was looking good within the points, before some contact while battling for position set him back. It’s frustrating for him and we’ll work hard to understand what happened and how we can improve.
“Overall the weekend has been positive – regaining the lead of all three championships at home is a great satisfaction. To hear the Japanese national anthem while standing on the podium in Tokyo is an incredible moment for everyone in the team, and we hope we made everyone at Nissan proud.”
Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m thrilled to have had such a strong weekend in front of our home fans here in Japan. The car felt great throughout and the team did a brilliant job. Yesterday we were unlucky not to win the race, a driver from further down the order took a risk on Pit Boost which paid off really well, but second is still a good haul of points. Winning today with all this local support was an amazing feeling. We were stuck a bit further down the field ahead of our second Attack Mode so I knew we had to take a risk. It was intense, but I managed to get ahead and hold on until the end. To have this lead in the Drivers’ Standings is a dream, massive credit goes to the team for the way they’ve re-built the squad over the last few years. Our target is to keep this level of performance heading into Shanghai before we enter the latter stages of the season.”
Norman Nato, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “We started the weekend strongly in Free Practice and lined up P3 yesterday. In the race I found it difficult to find grip in the wet conditions, so that’s something we need to look into ahead of Shanghai. Today began well with FP3 and it seemed like we had turned a corner as I was battling in the points. Unfortunately I was hit by another car, which cost me several positions and I wasn’t able to battle back. Huge congrats to Oliver and the team for the results this weekend and we’ll look to pick up some much-deserved points next time out.”
