The 2025 FE Tokyo E-Prix was dealt a dramatic twist on Saturday morning as persistent heavy rain forced the cancellation of the Round 8 Qualifying session. Despite multiple delays and exploratory laps by the Safety Car, Race Control ultimately deemed the circuit too unsafe for competitive running due to standing water and treacherous conditions.
As a result, the starting grid for Race 1 was determined by the final classification of the second free practice session, handing Oliver Rowland pole position at Nissan’s home race. The decision marked a rare enforcement of the series’ wet weather protocols and added an unexpected layer of strategy ahead of a race already marked by unpredictability.
Rowland tops final Round 8 practice session
Oliver Rowland topped the final practice session at the Tokyo E-Prix, followed by Edoardo Mortara and Norman Nato. The weekend began with strong performances from Nissan, as Nato led a dry and competitive FP1. He posted the fastest time of 1:12.152, narrowly ahead of Maximilian Günther and Rowland, while Pascal Wehrlein settled for fourth.
FP1 saw early pace from Rowland and Wehrlein before a heavy crash from Taylor Barnard at Turn 17 caused a red flag. The session resumed after an eight-minute extension, culminating in a flurry of fast laps.
In contrast, FP2 ran in wet and gloomy conditions, with light rain affecting grip. Rowland startled many by sliding out of the garage, while Nato initially led with a 1:39.72. Barnard, returning after his FP1 crash, briefly held second place. As conditions improved, Maserati drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes topped the times around the halfway point.
Subsequently, full power laps commenced in case Qualifying could not proceed. Rowland surged to the top with a 1:32.525, well ahead of Barnard and Mortara. Nato, strong in FP1, ended up third behind his teammate and Mortara.
The session was disrupted again when David Beckmann stopped at Turn 15, triggering a red flag. Additionally, a collision between Zane Maloney and Nyck de Vries resulted in damage to both cars. When the session resumed with under four minutes left, worsening conditions and cold tyres prevented further improvements.
Ultimately, Rowland remained fastest, solidifying Nissan’s strong home showing, with Mortara and Nato completing the top three. The session ended under double yellow flags after Maloney stopped on track once more.
Wet weather causes a delayed start
Just over 15 minutes before the scheduled start of Qualifying for Round 8 of the 2025 Tokyo E-Prix, Race Control announced a delay due to heavy rain at the circuit. A revised start time of 10:50 local time (03:50 CET) was proposed, with pre-Qualifying parc fermé procedures set to begin at 10:45. However, following a series of exploratory laps, the Safety Car assessed the track as excessively wet and unsafe for competitive running. Consequently, Race Control reiterated that the next update would arrive at 10:35 local time.
As the rain continued to fall, the possibility of a cancelled session grew stronger. Under current regulations, if Qualifying does not take place at all—or only one of the Group sessions occurs—the starting grid is determined by the final results of the most recent free practice session. This scenario would place Oliver Rowland on pole position, given his fastest time in FP2.
Qualifying session cancelled
At 10:30 local time, the Safety Car conducted another round of exploratory laps. Although the intensity of the rainfall had decreased, standing water remained a significant concern, posing a continued risk to driver safety and casting further doubt over the session’s viability. Race Control announced that the next announcement would come at 10:50 local time. This was delayed to 11:00 local time.
Ultimately, however, Race Control cancelled the session, noting that the wet conditions did not allow a safe race. The line-up for Race 1 of the Tokyo E-Prix, was therefore based on the final results of the second free practice session.
- Oliver Rowland
- Edoardo Mortara
- Norman Nato
- Taylor Barnard
- Nyck de Vries
- Sebastien Buemi
- Dan Ticktum
- Jean Eric Vergne
- Maximilian Günther
- Robin Frijns
- Antonio Felix da Costa
- Sam Bird
- Nick Cassidy
- Stoffel Vandoorne
- Jake Hughes
- Zane Maloney
- Pascal Wehrlein
- Lucas di Grassi
- Mitch Evans
- David Beckmann
- Nico Müller
- Jake Dennis
