Preview by Katy Fairman
Formula E returns to the awesome streets of Tokyo this weekend for Rounds 8 and 9 of Season 11 of the all-electric championship. After making its debut in 2024, the city is back for two races as it becomes an action-packed double-header.
With Oliver Rowland top of the Drivers’ World Championship standings for home team Nissan, there’s a lot of pressure for him to deliver the goods in front of the adoring Japanese crowds. After achieving the Julius Baer Pole Position in Tokyo last season, and his very impressive run of form so far this season, Rowland looks the man to beat.
Here are the main storylines as we get ready to race back in the heart of Japan’s capital.
Rowland continues his dominance this season
After another two podium finishes last time out in Monaco – one of them being the victory on Saturday – Oliver Rowland now leads the standings with 115 points. His next nearest competition is Antonio Felix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche) on 67 with his Porsche teammate Pascal Wehrlein just a point behind on 66.
Out of the past seven rounds, Rowland has placed his Nissan in the top two on five occasions. He was also on track for huge points hauls in São Paulo and Miami, before penalties were applied for power overuse and failure to use all the ATTACK MODE across both respective races.
Since the introduction of GEN3 Evo, Rowland has continued to tally up the points across a variety of circuit styles. From the tight and twisty streets of Monaco to permanent facilities like the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in Mexico City, the Yorkshireman has looked comfortable and at home behind the wheel of his Nissan and he shows no signs of slowing down.
One better for Nissan at home?
This will be the second running of the Tokyo E-Prix weekend, after making its debut in Season 10. Fans from far and wide showed their support for home team Nissan, with huge red banners and flags with the team’s logo spotted for miles around the unique street circuit.
Last year Rowland gave the attendees something to celebrate when he qualified on pole position and led the majority of the race, but had to settle for second place at the chequered flag.
After having troubles with his energy levels at the front of the pack, Rowland ceded the win to Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther with only eight laps to go.
With Rowland’s track record in the first seven races, his history here last year, and the fact there’s now two chances to secure the win, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the championship leader to see if he can take the victory in Tokyo.
It will also be a big weekend for Rowland’s teammate Norman Nato, who currently sits 19th in the drivers’ table. The Frenchman, who returned to the team after a year at Andretti, has 11 points to his name which he achieved over the Miami race day.
Nato picked up his first career pole and was on-track to win at the Homestead venue, but was demoted to sixth at the chequered flag for not using up all his ATTACK MODE. The sanction was something that also impacted Rowland, as well as several other drivers up and down the grid.
Perhaps the pressure of a home race will help Nato deliver some all-important points to help Nissan in the fight for the Teams’ Championship, as they sit on 126 points to Porsche’s 133.
Drivers loved this circuit
After the inaugural Tokyo E-Prix, there was a lot of love for this street circuit in the beating heart of Japan’s city centre. It also attracted some big motorsport names, including Red Bull Racing’s Yuki Tsunoda who paid the paddock a visit, as well as two-time Indy500 winner Takuma Sato.
“The track is phenomenal,” Maximilian Guenther said after finishing on the top step here last season. “It’s super technical and super challenging for us and the teams to set everything up properly.
“To get super close to the walls, you have to have good confidence in the car, and there’s even jumps that we have in a lap, so it’s a big mixture of everything! For me that is what Formula E is all about, to race so tight around these street circuits.”
“It was a mega, a proper Formula E track,” Nick Cassidy added. “Bumps, fast corners, on the limit and you’ve really got to attack in qualifying. I thought the track was fantastic.”
Tokyo also kickstarts a trio of Asian races, with a double-header in Shanghai after this on 31 May and 01 June and bringing back electric racing to Jakarta on June 21.
PIT BOOST is back in Tokyo
After debuting in Jeddah and being used last time out in Monaco, PIT BOOST will be part of the race strategy again this weekend in Japan. The technology, new for this season, transforms in-race strategies giving teams a revolutionary recharging technology at their fingertips during the race.
What is PIT BOOST?
PIT BOOST is an innovative and mandatory mid-race feature that sees cars given a 10% energy increase (3.85kWh) through a 30-second, 600kW boost in the pit lane. It will be used during one of the two races across a double-header.
All drivers must stop during the race for this extra energy, however each team is only provided one PIT BOOST rig which prevents them from doing any double-stacking. This will also create plenty of drama and excitement, as each competitor navigates an additional element of race strategy and could potentially alter race outcomes and tactics.
In Tokyo, drivers must take the PIT BOOST when their State of Charge (SoC) is below 60% and above 40% at the moment of the boost. The timing of this could vary from garage to garage depending on the strategy of consumption each driver has during the first phase of the race.
Drivers must serve a minimum pit stop time of 34 seconds, with 30 seconds of that being allocated for the charging itself. This new sporting feature is a huge technological step forward in EV charging, deploying significantly more power than current consumer superchargers.
PIT BOOST EXPLAINED: All you need to know about Formula E’s battery charging pit stops
It is another opportunity for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship to push the boundaries of electric mobility and demonstrates the championship’s unique position as a ‘race-to-road’ technology platform.
Competition is closing up
As we approach the halfway point in the season, it is evident that competition is getting even closer as more teams bring updates and gain a better understanding of these epic GEN3 Evo machines. Not just at the top either, but across the whole field.
The two races across Monaco brought four new drivers to the podium this season, with a return to the top step for Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi in Round 7. Reinstating his title as the driver with the most wins in Formula E, now at 14, Buemi’s victory was a reminder that we should expect the unexpected when it comes to this championship.
Coming into race day, Envision were bottom of the teams’ standings and Buemi was 20th. However, a strong qualifying and being able to navigate the wet weather conditions with a perfect strategy resulted in a memorable Monte Carlo victory for the Season 2 champion – his third in the principality.
Elsewhere, Mahindra Racing had a brilliant Monaco weekend with their first podium finish since the start of Season 9 in 2023. Nyck de Vries returned to the podium to collect his first piece of silverware since making his Formula E comeback, with a notable mention needed for Edoardo Mortara who finished in fourth in the same race.
Nick Cassidy was also back in the top three after a commanding comeback drive to go from 14th to third across Round 7; his first podium of this new era and a promising boost for the Jaguar TCS Racing team after a shaky start to the season.
For the first time in over a year, Andretti’s Jake Dennis also found himself on the podium with the Porsche powertrain. CUPRA KIRO’s Dan Ticktum also showed a lot of potential, topping sessions across the weekend’s running.
These results, as well as Lola Yamaha ABT’s Lucas di Grassi managing second place in Miami, are an evident example of how the field are all improving and making this competitive championship even harder to call!
GEN3 Evo meets Tokyo
Season 11 introduced us to the GEN3 Evo Formula E car – the quickest accelerating FIA single-seater in the world. Capable of 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds (0-100kph in 1.86s), 30% faster than a current F1 car, this new generation of race car has seen huge leaps in performance across all the circuits we’ve raced at so far.
Tokyo should be no exception, with our grid of 22 drivers all having access to all-wheel drive during qualifying duels, race starts, and ATTACK MODE. This feature maximises acceleration and control, elevating the thrill of critical race moments and enhancing both performance and strategy, providing more exciting racing for drivers and fans alike!
It’s set to make racing around this wicked street circuit even more magical, and we can’t wait to see cars hit the track for Free Practice 1 on Friday 16 May at 16:00 local time.
Formula E returns to the awesome streets of Tokyo this weekend for Rounds 8 and 9 of Season 11 of the all-electric championship. After making its debut in 2024, the city is back for two races as it becomes an action-packed double-header.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Tokyo E-Prix Rounds 8 and 9
After making its debut last season, Formula E returns to the streets of Tokyo. Last season was just the one event, now there’s double the action across Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 2025 – make sure you don’t miss a moment.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.
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