Oliver Rowland seized his second Formula E pole position of the weekend after a tense and incident-filled 2025 Tokyo E-Prix Qualifying.
The Nissan driver’s performance on home soil not only delighted the local fans but also extended his formidable lead in the championship, underscoring his status as the season’s dominant force.
Tokyo E-Prix Qualifying began with the field split into two groups. Group A featured both Nissan drivers, both Jaguars, both Lolas, Taylor Barnard and Race 1 winner Stoffel Vandoorne all vying for a coveted spot in the knockout duels.
The session’s opening minutes were characterized by cautious build laps as drivers sought to bring their tyres up to optimal temperature and reacquaint themselves with the circuit after the morning’s practice.
DS Penske’s Jean-Éric Vergne set the initial benchmark with a 1:19.569 but it was clear that times would tumble as the session wore on. Mitch Evans soon responded for Jaguar clocking a 1:14.304 only to be eclipsed by Lucas di Grassi who posted a 1:14.161 for Lola Yamaha ABT.
Norman Nato and Oliver Rowland slotted into P2 and P3 respectively with Nato narrowly missing the top spot by a mere 0.007 seconds.
However, the group’s rhythm was abruptly shattered when Evans suffered a heavy crash at Turn 16 destroying his right rear wheel and bringing out a red flag.
The impact was severe enough to end Evans’ session and ultimately his participation in the race itself, as his fastest time was deleted for causing the stoppage. This misfortune promoted Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries into the provisional top four, just ahead of Taylor Barnard.
After the session resumed, the final flurry of laps saw di Grassi maintain his grip on the top spot followed by Nato, Rowland and Vergne all advancing to the duels.
Cassidy despite a strong showing narrowly missed out while Barnard’s efforts were stymied by the late red flag. The drama of Group A set the tone for what would be a relentless qualifying session.
Group B unfolded with its own share of chaos and intrigue. Reigning world champion Pascal Wehrlein stamped his authority early with a blistering 1:13.671 setting the pace for the group.
The closing minutes of Tokyo E-Prix Qualifying were marred by Nico Müller’s crash which triggered double yellow flags and threatened to disrupt the final runs.
Amid the confusion, Dan Ticktum of Cupra Kiro delivered a sensational lap to vault himself into P3 ensuring his progression to the duels alongside Wehrlein, Edoardo Mortara and António Félix da Costa.
Notably, David Beckmann of Cupra Kiro was handed a three-place grid penalty for impeding during the first qualifying group, a setback that would impact his starting position.
With the top eight drivers determined, the session moved into the high-stakes knockout duels. In the quarter-finals Oliver Rowland faced off against his Nissan teammate Norman Nato.
Nato who had shown impressive pace throughout the session made a critical error by hitting the wall damaging his car and allowing Rowland to advance. Meanwhile, Jean-Éric Vergne dispatched Lucas di Grassi in their duel, while Pascal Wehrlein bested his Porsche teammate António Félix da Costa.
Dan Ticktum also delivered a commanding performance against Edoardo Mortara, securing his place in the semi-finals.
The semi-finals saw Rowland pitted against Vergne. Rowland immediately established a significant advantage in sector one, extending his lead through the lap and crossing the line with a 1:12.007, comfortably securing his spot in the final.
The second semi-final featured Ticktum against Wehrlein. Ticktum started strong, building a tenth’s advantage by the midway point but Wehrlein clawed back some time in the latter sectors.
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Ultimately, Ticktum’s 1:12.028 was enough to see him through by 0.161 seconds, setting up an all-British final duel for pole position.
The final duel between Rowland and Ticktum was a microcosm of the session’s drama. Ticktum started the lap with a razor-thin advantage, just 0.009 seconds ahead through the first corners. He extended his lead in sector two, piecing together what appeared to be a pole-worthy lap.
However, disaster struck as Ticktum brushed the wall at Turn 15 causing significant damage and forcing him to slow dramatically.
Rowland who had been trailing, capitalized on Ticktum’s misfortune, overtaking him on the start-finish straight to claim pole position. This result not only secured Rowland three valuable championship points but also reinforced his commanding lead in the drivers’ standings, now 63 points clear of his nearest rival.
Rowland led the field, followed by Ticktum, Wehrlein and Vergne. Mortara and di Grassi rounded out the top six with da Costa and Nato completing the top eight.
McLaren duo Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird secured ninth and tenth respectively. Nyck de Vries and Maximilian Günther finished just outside the top ten while Nick Cassidy, Jake Dennis and Zane Maloney occupied positions 13 to 15.
Further down the order, Sébastien Buemi, Jake Hughes, Stoffel Vandoorne, David Beckmann (hampered by his penalty), Nico Müller and Robin Frijns completed the grid.
