After a decade of waiting, Formula E arrived in Tokyo in style last year, debuting with a thrilling race along Tokyo Bay. Nissan had high hopes for a home win, with Oliver Rowland clinching the Julius Baer Pole Position for the team, but lost out to Maserati MSG Racing and Max Gunther with eight laps to go.
Drivers and fans alike loved the new track, and it's clear that the Japanese capital is the perfect city in which to showcase Formula E's electric racing.
Happily, we're being treated to twice the action this time around, with a double-header at Tokyo Big Sight. Will Rowland continue his great form, or will we see one of the chasing pack take control?
Read on to get the weekend lowdown, then put your knowledge to the test by playing along on our Predictor app.
Momentum builder
It's been a blistering Season 11 so far for championship leader Rowland. Three wins (and five podiums) in the first seven rounds see the Brit with a commanding lead going into the Tokyo two-parter, and further points hauls in São Paulo and Miami were snuffed out by penalties - those wins double the Yorkshireman's all-time Formula E victory tally.
A successful stint in Monaco continued his early-season momentum: Nissan will be hoping this translates into a triumphant Tokyo, in what must be the constructor's most important weekend of Season 11.
Podium hopefuls
It's not all about Rowland, though. His nearest rivals, TAG Heuer Porsche duo Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein have each stepped onto the podium multiple times this season, and Wehrlein clinched a win in the Miami heat.
Despite this, they'll want to bounce back from a mixed previous race weekend, although both drivers posted fastest laps.
Elsewhere, Envision Racing's Sebastien Buemi and Andretti's Jake Dennis will look to build on strong performances in Monaco. Dennis nabbed a podium spot on Saturday, while Buemi posted his first win of the season on Sunday to leap to tenth in the standings.
It will be interesting to see if the two can continue their uptick in form in Tokyo.
Nissan sit only a few points behind Porsche in the Teams' World Championship, on 126 to Porsche's 133, and the Japanese team's secret weapon could be Norman Nato.
The Frenchman is 19th in the Drivers' table, but became Formula E's Mr. Consistency in Monaco, breaking the record for most consecutive race finishes (33).
His only points haul this season came in Miami, after his first career pole, but with a partisan Tokyo crowd behind him, Nato could score well if he can channel the pressure.
Last time in Tokyo
Tellingly, Nato came in sixth at Tokyo in 2024, but beyond this, last year's standings are pretty reminiscent of Season 11's drivers' table. A Guenther, Rowland and Dennis podium was followed by da Costa and Wehrlein.
“The track is phenomenal,” Guenther said after finishing on the top step. “It’s super technical and super challenging for us and the teams to set everything up properly.
“To get super close to the walls, you have to have good confidence in the car, and there’s even jumps that we have in a lap, so it’s a big mixture of everything. For me, that is what Formula E is all about, to race so tight around these street circuits.”
“It was a mega, a proper Formula E track,” Jaguar TCS Racing's Nick Cassidy added. “Bumps, fast corners, on the limit and you’ve really got to attack in qualifying. I thought the track was fantastic.”
Whoever can get to grips with the front-foot nature of the Tokyo circuit will have the best chance of finishing top come the end of the weekend.
For Nissan, Rowland and the Tokyo faithful, Season 11 business as usual would be the perfect mid-season present.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Tokyo E-Prix Rounds 8 and 9
After making its debut last season, Formula E returns to the streets of Tokyo. Last season was just the one event, now there's double the action across Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 May 2025 - make sure you don't miss a moment.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.
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