Oliver Rowland takes another commanding Formula E win in Tokyo, with Pascal Wehrlein second and Dan Ticktum celebrating his first podium in a dramatic dry race.

Rowland wins again in Tokyo as Ticktum claims first Formula E podium

May 18, 2025 Richard Alvin

Oliver Rowland extended his commanding lead in the 2024-25 Formula E World Championship with another masterful victory in Tokyo, as Dan Ticktum celebrated a career-first podium and Pascal Wehrlein salvaged second in a race packed with overtakes, strategy swings, and drama.

The Nissan driver claimed the win in front of his team’s home crowd, but it didn’t come easy. Starting from pole, Rowland briefly dropped to sixth after delaying his ATTACK MODE activations and struggling to gain ground on his first deployment. But a perfectly timed second activation — just before the lead group took their final boosts — allowed him to slingshot back up the order. With 40 seconds of power left as Wehrlein’s boost expired, Rowland slipped through a narrow gap to reclaim the lead.

From there, he had to manage energy as the chasing pack closed in — creating a thrilling midfield battle that included Ticktum, Taylor Barnard, Jake Dennis, and Edoardo Mortara.

Safety car shakes things up

The high-stakes chess match was neutralised when Mortara clipped Barnard, breaking the McLaren driver’s rear suspension and sending him into the wall. A Safety Car cooled the race just as the tension was peaking.

With a one-lap shootout to the chequered flag, Rowland held off a charging Wehrlein to take his third win of the season, continuing what is shaping up to be one of the most dominant championship runs in Formula E history.

Ticktum’s breakthrough

Third-placed Dan Ticktum starred throughout, having qualified second in his Cupra Kiro. He led early on after a strong first ATTACK MODE stint, then traded places mid-race with Wehrlein in a respectful but competitive scrap. His podium marks a major step forward for the reorganised Cupra outfit, now running with Porsche powertrains.

“This podium means the world to me,” said Ticktum. “It’s been a long time coming, and the team has done an incredible job this season. We’re really starting to show what we’re capable of.”

Movers, shakers and heartbreak

Jake Dennis charged from 14th on the grid to fourth, thanks to well-timed ATTACK MODE use. Mortara crossed the line fifth but received a five-second penalty for the Barnard collision, dropping him to 12th and promoting Lucas di Grassi to P5 for Lola Yamaha Abt.

Further back, Jean-Eric Vergne took sixth for DS Penske, while Nick Cassidy salvaged seventh for Jaguar, despite another challenging weekend for the British team. Cassidy’s team-mate Mitch Evans didn’t start after sustaining qualifying damage that couldn’t be repaired in time.

Leading finishers – Tokyo E-Prix Round 9

1. Oliver Rowland (Nissan)
2. Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche)
3. Dan Ticktum (Cupra Kiro)
4. Jake Dennis (Andretti)
5. Lucas di Grassi (Lola Yamaha Abt)
6. Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske)
7. Nick Cassidy (Jaguar)
8. Sam Bird (McLaren)
9. Sebastien Buemi (Envision)
10. Maximilian Guenther (DS Penske)

Rowland now enjoys the widest championship lead at the mid-season point in Formula E history, with Wehrlein and Da Costa left trailing in his wake. All eyes will be on whether anyone can stop the Briton’s momentum — or if the title is already Rowland’s to lose.