Oliver Rowland finished second in Race 1 and first in Race 2 for Nissan around the streets of Tokyo at the Formula E E-Prix. Norman Nato failed to convert his qualifying results, finishing 15th and 17th, respectively.
A Mixed Weekend for Nissan at the Tokyo E-Prix
Nissan’s Oliver Rowland had another excellent race weekend, scoring 46 points in total in Tokyo.
Both Nissan Drivers Have a Strong Qualifying in Tokyo
Qualifying for Race 1 was cancelled due to heavy rain. Results were set from FP2, with Rowland starting on pole. He would not get the three points awarded for this. Nato would start in third, showing how important setting a fast lap in practice is.
Both Nissan drivers reached the duels in qualifying for Race 2 in Tokyo, with Rowland scoring pole position. Nissan has had a driver in every semi-final so far this season.
In the quarter final, the teammates raced against each other with Nato flicking the wall at the chicane, losing him time. A tiny error can have a big impact, with Nato qualifying in 8th, an impressive result nonetheless.
In the final duel, Dan Ticktum was ahead of Rowland but clipped the wall, meaning the championship leader took his third pole.
Due to Rowland’s several points, Nissan is ahead of Porsche in the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ world championships.
READ MORE: Formula E: Nissan Celebrates Home Win in Tokyo and Rowland Increases His Lead
Rowland Succeeds in Race 1 and 2
On a rainy Saturday in Japan, he started on pole and led for the majority of the race. However, his pit boost strategy would be his downfall, a rather unusual mistake for the Japanese team.
Maserati’s Stoffel Vandoorne managed to pit at the right time and had a commanding lead, finishing 8 seconds ahead of Rowland. In these challenging conditions, the Briton managed to have a clean race and score big points in Tokyo.
However, Rowland would secure the win in Race 2, despite falling down the grid to sixth in the middle of the race.
His strategy initially seemed wrong, as he took his attack mode at a different time than the drivers around him. Luckily, he managed to save his second attack mode towards the end, taking the lead.
A crash for Taylor Barnard near the end of the Tokyo E-Prix closed the pack right up, with Pascal Wehrlein behind him. When the safety car ended, Rowland remained in the lead, defending against three other drivers at one point.
Rowland celebrated his win at the home race for Nissan in Tokyo, making the fans and team very proud.
“I’m thrilled to secure victory in front of our home fans here in Japan during what was a crazy race. I didn’t do a good job on the first Attack Mode and regretted being stuck further down the field, so I knew I had to take a risk when using the final six minutes. I felt like I’d been undercut so went early and it paid off as we got back into the lead and ended up securing the win! It was a very intense event and it felt so special to stand on the top step in Tokyo listening to the Japanese anthem after coming so close before.
It’s a massive credit to the team as we’ve rebuilt over the last couple of years and can now consistently fight at the front. The plan is to keep this performance going at Shanghai and then after that weekend we will then start thinking about the lead we’ve got across the championships.” – Oliver Rowland talking to Nissan Formula E Team.
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Norman Nato Fails to Score Points
Norman Nato failed to optimise his great qualifying results in Tokyo, finishing 15th in Race 1 and 17th in Race 2. The Frenchman fell down the grid in both races, not having enough pace to stay in the top 10.
He remained in a points position in the first part of Race 1 and 2, defending his place well. However, he began to struggle in the middle part of both races despite having the car to maximise its potential. His strategy in both races was also poor, with his pit boost and attack mode being deployed at the wrong time.
Nato would have a worse Race 2 in Tokyo as he had damage to his car after contact. He is not letting these poor performances define him, and is keen to continue his great qualifying and convert that into points in the races.
“The day started well with a good FP3 and then making it through to the duels in qualifying. I felt like we’d bounced back from a tough event yesterday and showed some strong pace. When battling during the race, I suffered contact which cost me several positions and then I didn’t manage to get back into the top 10.
A huge congratulations to Oliver and the team for this weekend! We’ll look to get some much-deserved points for the #17 crew next time out in Shanghai.” – Norman Nato speaking to Nissan Formula E Team.
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Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / NurPhoto
Recording Date: 18.05.2025
AloJapan.com