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Tokyo’s first night-race weekend delivered two different winners, a dramatic championship swing and a landmark manufacturers’ title. With the London finale now approaching, these are the five defining stories from the Japanese double-header.
Jake Dennis appeared to have Round 14 under control after leading much of Saturday’s race from the Julius Baer Pole Position. Driving Andretti’s special chrome Liberty Walk-liveried car, Dennis had kept Dan Ticktum behind and the CUPRA KIRO driver had promised not to attempt a move.
That agreement lasted until three corners from the chequered flag. Ticktum launched a high-stakes overtake to claim his second Formula E victory, exploiting a small powercut suffered by Dennis after the Andretti driver had overconsumed his energy. The timing is significant for Ticktum, who has said he is ‘open’ to opportunities next year while his CUPRA KIRO seat remains in doubt.
Sunday’s wet race was shaped by difficult conditions and a late multi-car pileup that brought out the red flag. The result was a one-lap sprint restart, in which Nyck de Vries held off Nick Cassidy and Dennis to take his second win of the season and sixth of his career.
Dennis had been charging through the field and saving his final ATTACK MODE for the closing stages, but the stoppage removed that momentum. De Vries, meanwhile, secured Mahindra’s second victory of the campaign, matching the team’s best result in a Formula E season after his earlier success in Monaco.
Following the tragic loss of Citroën Team Principal Cyril Blais earlier in the week, Nick Cassidy produced two outstanding drives from deep on the grid. He finished third on Saturday before going one place better on Sunday, giving Citroën back-to-back podiums.
“I don’t really know how to feel,” Cassidy said after Round 14. “I want to celebrate and in another way I was breaking down.”
Pascal Wehrlein’s weekend unravelled after an incident with former teammate Antonio Felix da Costa damaged his suspension and ultimately left him without points across both races. He fell to third, five points behind new leader Dennis, with two rounds remaining. Mitch Evans briefly led on Saturday, but Sunday’s damage to his Jaguar ended that possibility.
The latest Tokyo E-Prix developments had already underlined how narrow the championship margins were before the weekend’s decisive results.
Jaguar’s no-score on Sunday, combined with CUPRA KIRO’s victory and Dennis’ podium results, allowed Porsche to secure its first World Championship title of the weekend. The German manufacturer retained the championship with support from customer teams KIRO and Andretti.
The drivers’ title will now be decided at the London Excel finale on 15 and 16 August, with Dennis leading Wehrlein by five points and the championship still open.
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.
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