Nissan Formula E Team takes historic pole and podium in maiden Tokyo E-Prix

Nissan Formula E Team continued its strong form as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship visited the squad’s home country for the first time, with Oliver Rowland taking pole position and second place in the first ever Tokyo E-Prix.

 Coming into the race off the back of consecutive podium finishes in Diriyah and São Paulo, both Rowland and the team were feeling confident ahead of the series’ Japanese debut.

The British driver backed up his recent performances by going quickest in Qualifying Group A, before setting the fastest time in all three stages of the Duels to clinch his second Julius Baer Pole Position of the season. Having held the lead for the majority of the race, Rowland dropped to second in an effort to save energy, attacking for the win in the final laps. Despite getting alongside the leader, he was unable to re-claim the position, having to settle for second.

Meanwhile, after a frustrating qualifying, Sacha Fenestraz put in a strong recovery drive to go from 20th on the grid to just outside the points, finishing 11th. The Franco-Argentine racer made some excellent overtakes, and avoided any incidents to move through the field.

The result sees Rowland jump up to third in the Drivers’ Championship, with the squad now fourth in the Teams’ standings.

Aside from the on-track action, the Tokyo E-Prix was significant for Nissan in other ways, as it became the first manufacturer to announce its long-term commitment to Formula E, pledging to remain in the sport until at least 2030. The announcement marks a significant milestone and reinforces the company’s Ambition 2030 electrification targets.

Nissan Formula E Team will be back on track in two weeks’ time, as the championship heads to Misano, Italy for the first time for Rounds 6 and 7 of Season 10.

Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “It was an amazing weekend and I’m really proud of the team. We had a lot going on with it being our first ever home race. There were many fans, media and Nissan colleagues in our garage, including our CEO Makoto Uchida, which was great motivation for the team. Everyone stayed focused and delivered a really strong car and a smart startegy, while we could really hear, see and feel the support from the fans in the Nissan grandstands – it was incredible, so a huge thanks to them!

“We were quick from FP1 and Oli performed superbly in qualifying to clinch pole. He controlled the race well, but had to drop to second to save energy in the slipstream. He tried hard to get the position back and it’s a shame that he couldn’t make the move, but P2 is still a fantastic result. The team was disappointed after the race, but this is a good sign as it shows how our mentality is now to win. On Sacha’s side, a small mistake in qualifying meant he started down the order. It’s so easy to clip the wall on a track like this, but he recovered really well. To make up nine positions on such a tight circuit is a great effort. It was probably his best drive of the season and we need to build on it for the rest of the year.

“We’re also delighted with our off-track activities throughout this week we’ve spent in Japan. To announce our commitment to GEN4 at our home race was a very important step for us, and we can’t wait to continue our journey in Formula E while also making steps towards our Ambition 2030 electrification goals.

“This week has confirmed not only how serious we are about our involvement in the sport, but also our potential to be a championship contender. We will keep pushing and I am confident we can maintain this positive trajectory in the upcoming events.”

Oliver Rowland, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m really happy with the performance and the result this weekend, to take our second pole of the season and third podium in a row is amazing, especially to do it at our home event. Naturally, having led most of the race, I’m a bit frustrated not to have gotten the win. I had to give up the lead to save energy after the Safety Car, and did everything I could in the last few laps to get the position back, but in the end it was just too risky and I couldn’t make the move. The car was great, we knew we had the pace, especially in qualifying. The track was awesome, a big challenge for the drivers and I really enjoyed being out there. It was also amazing to have so much support here, so a big thanks to the Japanese fans for cheering us on!”

Sacha Fenestraz, driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “It was a positive weekend for the team, but unfortunately my mistake in qualifying really impacted our race, as we had strong pace. I just pushed slightly too hard and clipped the wall going over the bump at Turn 2, which gave me a bit of damage. Despite this, finishing P11 from P20 on the grid is a good showing, especially on a track where it is difficult to overtake. I need to keep building my experience in the championship to eliminate these mistakes and take advantage of the performance we have. Overall it was a great event, the track was very cool and to have the CEO of Nissan here as well as all our Nissan colleagues and fans showing us their support was truly fantastic. Congrats to Oli on another podium and hopefully next time I can join him up there!”