Ticktum overtakes Dennis on final lap to win Tokyo E-Prix Race 1

Dan Ticktum snatched an unexpected victory in Race 1 of the Tokyo E-Prix. The Briton, driving for Cupra Kiro, had been running behind Jake Dennis in the closing laps and informed his team he would not attack his compatriot. Despite that, he pulled off a surprise move on the final lap when least expected, securing his first win of the 2025/26 season. Nick Cassidy completed the podium.

Mitch Evans and Edoardo Mortara rounded out the top five. Jean-Éric Vergne, Oliver Rowland, Pepe Martí, António Félix da Costa, and Taylor Barnard completed the top 10, all scoring points in Saturday’s race.

Formula E returns to the track on Sunday (26) for the second race in Tokyo.

How Tokyo E-Prix Race 1 Unfolded:

Jake Dennis got off to a strong start and maintained the lead into Turn 1. Edoardo Mortara and António Félix da Costa made minor contact, but both escaped without damage. Nico Müller was not as fortunate: after launching an attack on the Portuguese driver, he was squeezed and made contact with the Jaguar car. The Swiss driver headed to the pits suspecting suspension damage, but managed to rejoin the track.

Nyck de Vries was involved in an incident with Sébastien Buemi. The Dutchman was forced to pit, but also stayed in the race. The Swiss driver was subsequently handed a 5-second penalty, while Zane Maloney came in to serve his carry-over stop-and-go penalty.

Up front, Dennis and Mortara capitalized on the early chaos to manage the lead. On Lap 6, Taylor Barnard went on the attack against Da Costa, taking third place. At the back of the field, Felipe Drugovich capitalized on pit visits from Müller, De Vries, and Maloney to climb to 17th.

With Pit Boost serving as a crucial strategic factor alongside the tight layout of the Japanese capital’s street circuit, the field settled into a more stable rhythm following the early incidents. Remaining from those opening scuffles, Norman Nato received a 5-second penalty for rear-ending Pascal Wehrlein.

Speaking of Da Costa, the Portuguese driver fought back against Barnard to reclaim third position. Dan Ticktum attempted to capitalize on the momentum, but couldn’t clear his compatriot and settled into fifth.

Weather conditions then became a concern. After running on a dry track all Saturday, teams began preparing for the threat of rain. Andretti, for instance, warned Dennis over the radio that forecasts indicated a chance of showers before the checkered flag.

With his race compromised, Buemi was the first driver to trigger Attack Mode, doing so even before the Pit Boost activation window opened. Meanwhile, Dennis began pushing his pace, likely in preparation for his mandatory pit stop.

Buemi carved his way through the pack, but found himself stuck behind Dennis and Mortara. In the closing seconds of his 350 kW power boost, the Swiss driver finally cleared the Mahindra to take second place. On Lap 18, the dreaded rain began to fall, with initial drops showing on the broadcast camera.

On Lap 19, the first wave of drivers pitted for their mandatory Pit Boost recharge, with Maximilian Günther, Nato, Joel Eriksson, Ticktum, and Nick Cassidy leading the charge. Meanwhile, Da Costa and Wehrlein tangled at Turn 8. The German attempted a lunging overtake that forced the Portuguese driver into the wall, though both continued.

On the following lap, Mortara, Evans, and Wehrlein pitted for their mandatory recharges. Moments later, Drugovich followed suit. Ticktum was the first to arm his Attack Mode following the Pit Boost stop, quickly carving through the order. Shortly after, Mortara did the same.

On Lap 22, Dennis, Barnard, and Vergne entered the pits. The Andretti driver rejoined ahead of Mortara, successfully covering off the undercut. In the subsequent laps, however, Dennis was unable to hold off the hard-charging Swiss driver on Attack Mode.

On Lap 24, Wehrlein pitted with front-wing damage and retired from the race. Buemi, Da Costa, and Lucas Di Grassi also entered pit lane to complete their mandatory recharges.

Dennis activated his Attack Mode on Lap 26, shortly after Cassidy. The Briton took longer to hit the activation zone, losing position to the Citroën driver. As Rowland and Martí pitted for their Pit Boost stops, Ticktum inherited the lead, followed by Mortara and Cassidy, with Dennis and Barnard completing the top five.

In the final seconds of his Attack Mode boost, Cassidy passed Mortara for second. Dennis, who still had over two minutes of extra power remaining, used his momentum to sweep past both drivers and set his sights on Ticktum for the win.