Nissan’s Oliver Rowland braved wet conditions during Formula E’s Tokyo E-Prix FP2 to claim the fastest lap ahead of Edoardo Mortara.
The second practice unfolded under dramatic and challenging circumstances as heavy rainfall swept across the Tokyo street circuit and set the stage for an unpredictable session that would ultimately shape the grid for the weekend’s opening race.
Tokyo E-Prix FP2 began with cautious exploratory laps as Formula E drivers searched for grip and confidence on the waterlogged surface.
It quickly became apparent that outright pace would be secondary to car control and risk management, with the narrow margins for error amplifying the pressure on every competitor.
Oliver Rowland piloting the Nissan in front of the manufacturer’s home fans set the early benchmark at 1m32.525s. The 2024–25 Formula E World Championship leader’s mastery of the conditions was evident as he navigated the challenging corners and unpredictable puddles with a blend of aggression and finesse.
Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara took second, 0.687s adrift the benchmark while Rowland’s teammate Norman Nato rounded out the top three, a further 0.276s back, maintaining Nissan’s strong start to their home event.
NEOM McLaren’s Taylor Barnard rebounded from his FP1 crash to take fourth, ensuring that three of the four Nissan-powered cars were in the top four. Nyck de Vries finished fifth in the sister Mahindra despite contact with Lola Yamaha Abt’s Zane Maloney just before the first red flag.
Tokyo E-Prix FP2 saw two red flags which came in the final 10 minutes. The first came after David Beckmann slid off at Turn 15 while the second came after Maloney hit the wall at Turn 16 with three minutes to go, bringing the session to a premature close.
Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi finished sixth ahead of Dan Ticktum and Jean-Eric Vergne who also brushed the Turn 16 wall. His DS Penske teammate Maximilian Guenther was ninth after a late push moved him up the order with Robin Frijns rounding out the top 10 in the second Envision.
Antonio Felix da Costa marked the highest-ranking Porsche in 11th ahead of Sam Bird, Nick Cassidy and Stoffel Vandoorne. Jake Hughes finished 15th ahead of Maloney, Pascal Wehrlein in the sister TAG Heuer Porsche, Lucas di Grassi, Mitch Evans and Beckmann.
The Andretti duo of Nico Mueller and Jake Dennis completed the field in 21st and 22nd respectively.
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