Strategic Victory for Vandoorne: Stoffel Vandoorne of Maserati MSG Racing secured a dramatic victory in the rain-affected Round 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the streets of Tokyo. The Belgian driver, claiming his first win since Monaco in 2022, crossed the finish line with a significant lead over Nissan’s Oliver Rowland, a result of a bold pit strategy executed by the Maserati team during the mandatory PIT BOOST pit stops.
Maserati’s Daring Strategy Pays Off: Maserati MSG Racing implemented a risky yet ultimately successful strategy. Vandoorne aggressively used his usable energy early in the race to make his mandatory PIT BOOST stop as soon as the pit window opened. The team’s gamble was predicated on the high likelihood of a race stoppage due to the treacherous, soaking conditions at the Big Sight circuit. Their foresight proved correct when a Red Flag was deployed to recover the stricken car of last year’s Tokyo winner, Maximilian Guenther, who suffered a technical issue. This neutralization effectively gave Vandoorne a “free” PIT BOOST stop, as the rest of the field was yet to pit, and the race was reset with a standing restart.
Rowland’s Pace Undone by Strategy: Polesitter Oliver Rowland in his Nissan demonstrated impressive outright pace in the early stages of the race, seemingly controlling the pack. However, Maserati MSG Racing’s strategic maneuver ultimately thwarted the Brit’s hopes of securing victory in Nissan’s home race. Despite his strong performance, Rowland had to settle for second place, unable to counter Vandoorne’s strategic advantage gained under the Red Flag.
Barnard’s Impressive Podium: Twenty-year-old Taylor Barnard of NEOM McLaren Formula E Team delivered a remarkable drive, executing a stunning overtake around the outside of Turn 16 – the same corner where he experienced a significant crash in Free Practice 1. The rookie driver secured the final step on the podium, marking his fourth podium finish in his debut full season of Formula E, showcasing his growing talent and composure in challenging conditions.
Buemi and Ticktum Secure Strong Results: Monaco winner Sébastien Buemi of Envision Racing finished in fourth place, securing a solid points haul. Dan Ticktum of CUPRA KIRO achieved his season-best result, crossing the line in fifth. Edo Mortara added more valuable points to Mahindra Racing’s tally, finishing in sixth position.
Rowland Extends Championship Lead: Despite missing out on the win, Oliver Rowland extended his lead in the FIA World Championship Drivers’ standings to a significant 60 points over António Félix da Costa of TAG Heuer Porsche at the season’s halfway mark. This margin represents the largest lead seen at this point in Formula E history.
Nissan Leads Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships: The strong performances of their drivers have propelled the Nissan Formula E team to the top of both the FIA Teams’ World Championship standings with 144 points, ahead of Porsche’s 139 points, and the Manufacturers’ World Championship standings with 225 points, leading Porsche with 179 points. This marks a significant achievement for Nissan at their home E-Prix.
Vandoorne’s Reaction: An elated Stoffel Vandoorne commented, “Super happy that our plan actually worked! It was a very bold and aggressive strategy decision to burn a lot of energy at the beginning so we could open our pit window early. Then obviously we were the first ones to pit and we got a bit lucky with the red flag, and the field got bunched up again. After the restart, it was very difficult to bring the car home – a lot of management to do, giving comms to the team and making sure I had enough energy to make it to the flag. I knew exactly what was going on, I knew that I would inherit the lead at some point and I just had to bring it home. I was probably a little bit too safe at some points, and made a couple of mistakes that shouldn’t have happened. In the end we brought it home and I’m just super happy our plan paid off.”
Rowland’s Perspective: Oliver Rowland reflected on the race, saying, “We did everything we could, this is part of the game – it happens sometimes; we knew there was a risk that people would try to pit early – a bit like Nico [Mueller] in Monaco – but you obviously can’t do it from the front. There’s maybe some tweaking to do on the way we manage the pit stop stuff, but honestly from my side I felt like I got the most out of the car. I was super quick in the first half of the race, I struggled a little bit more in the last 10 laps, but I can’t complain to be honest. The fact that it was only one that got away, I’m pretty happy. Tomorrow will be different without Pit Boost, I think qualifying will be quite important and then it’ll just be about positioning yourself for the Attack Mode for the race. I haven’t even thought about tomorrow yet!”
Barnard’s Excitement: Taylor Barnard expressed his delight, “To be honest, FP2 this morning was great – it was not expected and I’ve not really driven that much in the rain. Of course that was my first session in the wet, so to be honest the turnaround from yesterday was incredible. We didn’t really expect any racing this afternoon – the weather was really bad – so for it to dry off enough that we could race was really surprising, and to get another podium was incredible. I can’t thank the team enough – it’s nice to be back on the podium for sure.”
Looking Ahead to Round 9: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues tomorrow with Round 9 of the 2025 Tokyo E-Prix double-header, starting at 9:05 AST. The absence of Pit Boost in the second race is expected to create a different strategic landscape.
Summary:
- Stoffel Vandoorne (Maserati MSG Racing) won Round 8 of the Tokyo E-Prix.
- Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team) finished second.
- Taylor Barnard (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) completed the podium in third.
- Rowland extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship.
- Nissan Formula E Team now leads both the Teams’ and Manufacturers’ Championships.
- The race was significantly affected by rain and a Red Flag.
- Round 9 of the Tokyo E-Prix will take place tomorrow.
Disclaimer: Formula E results are provisional and subject to FIA confirmation. Race strategies and outcomes can be influenced by weather conditions, safety car periods, and technical regulations.
Source: Formula E
AI Assistance: Gemini
