The 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 Nissan Formula E Team will be back on track later in April, 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 of the Nissan Formula E Team, said: ”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, members of the media and Nissan colleagues in our garage, including our CEO, Makoto Uchida, which was great motivation.
”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!
“The past 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.”
Positive weekend
Nissan driver Oliver Rowland said: “I’m really happy with the performance and the result this weekend. To take our second pole of the season and our third podium in a row is amazing, especially at our home event. It was also amazing to have so much support, so a big thanks to the Japanese fans for cheering us on!”
Fellow driver Sacha Fenestraz said: “It was a positive weekend for the team, but unfortunately my mistake in qualifying really impacted our race, as we had strong pace.
”I pushed slightly too hard and clipped the wall going over the bump at Turn 2, which gave me a bit of damage. Congrats to Oli on another podium and hopefully next time I can join him up there!”