Formula E’s return to Tokyo served up a chaotic, rain-soaked Round 8 that left drivers battling not just the tight, twisty 2.575km street circuit, but each other—and the elements.
While Stoffel Vandoorne emerged victorious with a commanding drive from 14th on the grid, the race was a rollercoaster of fortunes for New Zealanders Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy.
The weekend got off to a turbulent start. High winds and torrential rain forced the cancellation of qualifying, with Free Practice 2 times setting the grid. That meant bad news for the Kiwi duo: Cassidy would start 13th, and Evans all the way back in 19th.
When the rain finally eased, Race 1 started behind the safety car for four laps due to lingering standing water and poor visibility. Even so, the drama kicked off immediately after the standing start.
While Oliver Rowland held onto his pole position lead, Cassidy dropped to 15th in the early scramble, and Evans surged forward three places to 16th.
Evans wasted no time launching an attack-mode-fueled charge, briefly rising as high as 12th as the field began to shuffle through differing energy and attack mode strategies.
Cassidy, meanwhile, struggled to find grip and pace, his frustration boiling over on team radio.
“The rear tyres are just horrendous. Vibrating like hell, zero combined potential. A totally different tyre set to practice. How much slower am I than the front guys?” he said
Just as the race began to settle into a rhythm, Maximilian Günther ground to a halt on Lap 13. A brake urgent alarm forced him to stop on track, triggering a red flag.
That reset the field, bunching everyone back together—and handing a strategic coup to Vandoorne, the only driver to have completed his mandatory pit boost before the stoppage.
At the restart, the Kiwis’ fortunes diverged. After his pit boost stop, Evans rejoined at the back and was soon in trouble.
Cold tyres and a Turn 1 collision with Nyck de Vries damaged his gearbox, and despite soldiering on, he was forced to retire on Lap 23.
Cassidy, however, was just warming up. With more energy than anyone else and both attack modes remaining, he began a quiet but impressive climb. He briefly found himself leading the race on Lap 26, though he still needed to make his pit boost stop. After pitting on Lap 28, Cassidy rejoined in 12th and made one final push.
The final stages were frantic, as three laps were added to the original race distance due to the earlier red flag.
Up front, Rowland, Barnard, Buemi, and Mortara were locked in a tactical chess match of attack modes, all trying to hunt down Vandoorne. But the Belgian had built a huge 12-second lead by the final lap, sealing a remarkable win—his first since Monaco 2022.
Rowland finished second, extending his championship lead, while rookie Taylor Barnard rounded out the podium in third after holding off fierce late-race pressure.
As for the Kiwis, Cassidy fought valiantly to the end, using his final attack mode to snatch 11th, just one place shy of scoring points. After showing early promise, Evans was left ruing what might have been.
It was a gritty, unpredictable race that tested the mettle of the entire grid. And with another round to come in Tokyo, Cassidy and Evans will be hungry for redemption on the streets of Japan.
Header Image: Joe Portlock/LAT Images
