It was nearly a dream home race for Nissan and Oliver Rowland, who took second in the first Tokyo E-Prix on Saturday as Formula E made its long-awaited debut in Japan.
Rowland put the Yokohama-based automaker on pole earlier in the day and led for the majority of the 35-lap race in front of legions of lively Nissan supporters, but ultimately had to settle for second as Maserati’s Maximilian Guenther took the checkered flag.
“It’s a great track, very challenging, very technical and to win the first ever Tokyo E-Prix, it’s a huge feeling,” Guenther told a post-race news conference.
Rowland led nearly every lap until Guenther passed him at two-thirds of the race distance as the world’s top electric racing series held its first race in the country.
The British driver later told reporters that he wasn’t able to fight the overtake attempt while conserving energy.
“I was low on energy and I needed a slipstream. Basically when you’re in the front, you’re pushing the air and you’re consuming energy so I kind of needed him to pass me at some point,” he said. “Then he got in front and I was able to save some energy and almost get him back.”
Drivers each start with a maximum of 52 kilowatt hours for the race and a big part of the strategy is how they deploy that energy from the start to the checkered flag.
In the final lap of the race, Rowland made multiple attempts to retake the lead and deliver a win for the only Japanese team in Formula E, but couldn’t squeeze past the German at turn 15 of the tight circuit around Tokyo Big Sight.
“It’s very difficult to drive around the outside of someone there,” Rowland said. “I was almost trying to make him consume more energy so I could get him back up the next straight, but he held off.”
Meanwhile, Andretti’s Jake Dennis completed the podium in third.
Nissan’s other driver, Frenchmen Sacha Fenestraz, finished 10th after a disappointing qualifying session.
“We finished P10 and starting from P20 it’s not too bad in a track that’s very difficult to overtake, so the race side of things is positive and now I need to focus on my qualifying performance,” Fenestraz said.
The near-victory for Rowland came just two days after Nissan, which is racing to roll out a series of new electric road car models, announced it would extend its commitment to the electric racing series through 2030.
“To be here in Japan with the fans and everything it’s great,” Rowland said. “It’s a great event for Nissan.”
“You have a lot of pressure on these weekends. You’re kind of expected to perform. If it goes terribly and you score no points everyone goes home sad. But I think when all the big (Nissan) bosses are here and they all go home with a bit of a buzz it’s quite nice.”
The 22 drivers faced a formidable challenge around the Tokyo Street Circuit, which marked the first time an auto race took place on public roads in Japan. Cars bounced up and down at various parts of the circuit and overtaking proved difficult on the narrow track.
While the drivers appeared to be in agreement that the track was well-planned and made for an exciting lap, the section between Turn 2 and Turn 3, which would see cars catch some air, could make for some sore bodies tomorrow for the grid.
“I think the track was really good. It’s really obvious the things they need to change,” Fenestraz said.
“Everyone complained about the big jump from Turn 2 to Turn 3 for the car and for the drivers’ health it’s not the best.”
The second-place finish moves Rowland up to third in the overall standings, nine points behind Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein. In the team standings, Nissan is even with Andretti on 62 points, behind championship leaders Jaguar and Porsche.
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