Nyck de Vries conquered treacherous conditions and late-race bedlam to claim a sensational victory for Mahindra in the second race of the Tokyo E-Prix.
Starting on a damp track that continually evolved, the race devolved into a strategy-fueled thriller marked by rapid lead changes, mid-pack charges, and mounting championship frustration.
A massive multi-car pileup triggered a late Red Flag and set up a dramatic single-lap shootout
What race day 2 at the Tokyo E-Prix delivered so far
Edoardo Mortara claimed his fourth pole position of the season for Mahindra Racing on the second day of the Tokyo E-Prix.
The Swiss driver mastered the drying track conditions and comfortably defeated Antonio Felix da Costa in the Duels Final.
This crucial result ties the Formula E record for most poles in a single campaign and snaps Porsche’s seven-race qualifying streak.
Earlier rain cancelled final practice and completely shook up the competitive order throughout the group stages.
Consequently, title contenders Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein both stumbled early, setting the stage for a wide-open championship battle in Round 15.
Racing starts at the Tokyo E-Prix
The second Tokyo E-Prix got underway behind the Safety Car due to damp conditions before launching into a standing start.
Polesitter Edoardo Mortara maintained his advantage through the opening corners, pulling an early gap as Nyck de Vries suffered a poor launch and immediately lost ground.
Drivers seized on the wet surface to trigger early Attack Mode activations, allowing Antonio Felix da Costa to power past Mortara for the lead and establish a four-second cushion over the pack.
As the racing line dried, tyre management came into play and Dan Ticktum began to struggle for grip, creating a bottleneck that allowed Taylor Barnard to pull off a bold late-braking move into Turn 1 for third.
Mid-race tension escalated when Race Control issued warnings to Da Costa, Mortara, and Mitch Evans for start-procedure offences, shortly before Pepe Marti crashed into the Sector 3 barriers after contact with Sebastien Buemi.
The resulting Full Course Yellow neutralised the action just after Evans had squeezed past Ticktum for fourth place.
When green-flag racing resumed, Barnard immediately went on the attack with his remaining boost, storming past both Mortara and Da Costa in quick succession to claim the race lead.
Evans attempted to mount his own fightback by activating Attack Mode shortly after, but a fierce defense from Oliver Rowland pinned the Jaguar driver in traffic, badly compromising his charge into the closing stages.
Final 10 laps
As the track continued to dry, Rowland staged a rapid charge from the mid-pack, passing Ticktum, Mortara, and Da Costa in swift succession.
Taylor Barnard activated his final Attack Mode to defend, but Rowland’s superior pace proved unmatchable as the Nissan driver stormed into the lead, with Vergne climbing into third behind them.
Meanwhile, strategic frustration boiled over at Jaguar as Mitch Evans vented over team radio about the timing of his Attack Mode, leaving him trapped in traffic alongside title rival Wehrlein near the back of the field.
Further up, De Vries capitalised on his late extra power, sweeping past both Vergne and Barnard before snatching the race lead from Rowland.
In the closing laps, Cassidy and Saturday winner Jake Dennis unleashed blistering pace on tuned tire setups, slicing through the field toward the podium positions.
Dennis stripped Vergne of fourth and began closing on the leaders on his remaining Attack Mode, but the dramatic climax was abruptly halted when an eight-car pileup in the chicane brought out a late Red Flag.
The red flag was triggered when Joel Eriksson attempted an overtake on Edoardo Mortara, resulting in contact that sent both drivers into the barrier and blocked the track for the oncoming field.
Final lap shootout
When the field was led back out for a final, single-lap sprint following a rolling restart, Nyck de Vries held his nerve at Turn 1 to defend his advantage.
The Mahindra driver crossed the line to secure his sixth career Formula E victory, with Nick Cassidy taking second place and Jake Dennis completing the podium in third.
READ MORE – Formula E 2026 Tokyo E-Prix – Race 2 Results
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