Formula E Championship Leader Nissan’s Oliver Rowland will be aiming to extend his lead by securing a win at the double-header in Tokyo.
FE Tokyo E-Prix: Norman Nato Hoping To Score Points in Tokyo
Formula E returns to Tokyo for the second time ever, racing around the streets of Tokyo Bay, at this 18-turn circuit
Norman Nato will need to score points around this 2.575km track to help the team in the championship. He currently sits 19th in the drivers’ table, so he will be eager to score big points in Japan.
The Frenchman has 11 points to his name – all of them being from the Miami E-Prix where he got his first career pole. Nato was on track to win at Homestead-Miami Speedway but was demoted to sixth for not using up all his attack mode.
He will hope for another strong performance this year, after crossing the line in sixth last year in Tokyo.
Furthermore, in the teams’ championship, Nissan lost their lead in Monaco as they have 126 points whilst Porsche has 133 points. Therefore, Nissan will hope to retake the lead in the standings to impress their home fans who will be cheering them on.
The record of both Nissan drivers at this circuit makes it likely that they will perform well at this double-header.
“Tokyo is a challenging street track with tight corners and chicanes, making it one of the most difficult to drive but also a fun circuit which I really enjoy. I’m feeling good with the car we’ve got so I’m confident we can score big points.
“The change to a double-header means there is a lot of preparation and adaptation between the races, as one will be more energy management focused.
“The aim for this weekend on my side of the garage is to get the podium we’ve deserved with car #17 since the first round of the season. And what better place to achieve this than in front of our amazing home crowd and Nissan fans in Tokyo!” – Norman Nato speaking to Nissan Formula E Team.
This shows that Nato is keen to drive through the streets of Tokyo, enjoying the challenge that it brings. Also, this suggests that the French driver is one with the car’s performance, but he just needs to qualify better.
Nato’s goal of getting a podium conveys his confidence in himself and the team that it is only a matter of time before it happens.
Rowland Hoping To Win at Nissan’s Home Race
There’s a lot of pressure on Rowland to win in front of the adoring Japanese crowds as the championship leader.
It is clear that Rowland is the man to beat this season, achieving five podiums so far with three of them being wins.
The Brit has scored at every race except for the opener in Sao Paulo, where he finished in 14th. Rowland had two podium finishes last time out in Monaco – one of them being the victory on Saturday.
Undoubtedly, Rowland will hope to repeat this performance, or even improve upon it by scoring two wins. He leads the standings with 115 points, with a gap of 48 points to the next driver – Antonio Felix da Costa.
This shows that Rowland has had a very consistent season so far, scoring big points to have such a large lead. Therefore, Rowland is the man likely to win at least one race in Japan with his momentum this season
Also, the race takes place less than an hour away from Nissan’s global headquarters. This home advantage will no doubt motivate him to win, as well as to award the team’s effort so far this year.
“We’ve had a strong start to the season which has put us in the Drivers’ Championship lead, but I’m still managing it race by race.
When it comes to taking risks, we can’t get too conservative when we’re not even halfway through the campaign yet!
I really enjoy the challenges and intensity of this track and it’ll be even quicker this year with the layout changes which have been made.
The goal for the weekend is to get into the duels and then aim to be in the top five as we look to score positive points.
The support at our home E-Prix is incredible and it adds some pressure to perform, but I love that!” – Oliver Rowland talking to Nissan Formula E Team.
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Nissan’s History in Tokyo
The inaugural Tokyo E-Prix in 2024 was an excellent showing for Nissan, with Rowland finishing in second.
Rowland also got pole position at this track, but ultimately lost the win to Maximilian Günther driving for Maserati. The Brit was overtaken near the end as the German driver had saved energy better throughout the race.
This allowed the Maserati driver to overtake him, yet he only finished 0.755 seconds behind him.
At this point in 2024, Nissan were third in the manufacturer’s championship with Rowland’s many podiums. They are currently second in the Teams’ championship, showing their massive improvement this year.
Sacha Fenestraz, the other Nissan driver, finished in 11th – sadly for him, he was just outside the points. Therefore, Nissan will hope to continue their excellent results this year and get the win in front of their home fans.
This is still a very new track on the calendar, so both Nissan drivers will need to learn how their car performs in free practice.
As always, Formula E is often unpredictable, but no one seems able to stop the rise of Rowland.
Tokyo E-Prix: Weekend Schedule
Nissan and the other 10 teams will be eager to visit Tokyo and race in this all-electric motorsport for the second time this month.
Racing begins on May 16 with FP1, where all 22 drivers will familiarise themselves with the circuit, some driving here for the first time.
It is a jam-packed two days of racing on May 17 and 18 since it is a doubleheader, as was the case in Monaco as well.
BST TIME
16/05
8:00 AM – 8:55 AM: Free Practice 1
17/05
12:00 AM – 12:55 AM: Free Practice 2
2:20 AM – 3:43 AM: Qualifying for Race 1
7:05 AM – 8:00 AM: Race 1
18/05
12:00 AM – 12:55 AM: Free Practice 3
2:20 AM – 3:43 AM: Qualifying for Race 2
7:05 AM – 8:00 AM: Race 2
READ NEXT: Formula E Ready for the Tokyo E-Prix: The Seasonal Turning Point
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / Andreas Beil
Recording Date: 16.05.2025
AloJapan.com