ThePitcrewOnline

Kieran McDonnell

  • Formula E Season 12 Driver Lineup Predictions

    Formula E Season 12 Driver Lineup Predictions

    The end of an era is upon us: the Formula E Gen 3 Era! As we enter Season 12, which marks an end to these generational cars, we look ahead to Season 12 as I, Kieran, attempt to predict the grid! These predictions are based on currently public and confirmed information from Formula E and the teams themselves.

    Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans and Stoffel Vandoorne

    Possibly one of the biggest switches in Formula E’s recent history, Nick Cassidy will leave the team in favour of the dropped from Maserati MSG Racing, Stoffel Vandoorne. This could be what Jaguar needs. A world champion capable of winning races in different conditions with fresh new ideas.

    As for Evans, he is to Jaguar what Charles Leclerc is to Ferrari. Been with the team through many eras and highs and lows. With James Barclay leaving the team, Evans will remain and will have to carry a rabbit’s foot to turn his luck around.

    Tag Heuer Porsche: Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa

    Yes, this is a very surprising one, but I have reasons to believe this. As Evans is to Jaguar, Wehrlein is now to Porsche. I do not see a reason for the Season 10 champion to walk away from the German outfit unless their performances MASSIVELY fall off.

    Da Costa has entered this season knowing the team decides on his future with the team having an option to extend his stay on their side. Based on what I’ve seen and heard, Da Costa will more than likely stay for the final year of Gen3 before embarking on a new adventure in Gen4. 

    Nissan: Oliver Rowland and Sergio Sette Camara

    It’s no surprise that the current championship leader will remain with the team which has allowed him to put one hand on the championship trophy. 4 rounds remain, but Rowland is now capable of obtaining the title in either Berlin or London.

    His teammate situation is an odd one. Rowland had Sacha Fenestraz beside him during Season 10, but Nissan opted to replace him with Norman Nato, who departed Andretti at the end of that season. Nato has underperformed in comparison to his teammate, so he could find himself looking for another seat. Nato will miss the 2 rounds in Berlin due to World Endurance Championship clashes, with Sergio Sette Camara stepping in for him. I think Sette Camara will overachieve and get himself that seat for Season 12.

    (Currently) Neom McLaren: Sam Bird and Taylor Barnard

    The reunion of the Season 10 teammates over at the team that is currently called Neom McLaren. I am predicting Bird to remain at the outfit, with Barnard also remaining at the team to help it grow.

    Maserati MSG Racing: Theo Pourchaire and Nick Cassidy

    The only driver lineup with a rookie for Season 12 will happen at Maserati, with Pourchaire partnering with Cassidy. Pourchaire has had an unfortunate career since winning Formula 2 back in 2023. Taking part in IndyCar, Formula E tests, ELMS, and Le Mans. However, I can see Maserati being a home for Pourchaire.

    Cassidy has had a difficult season in Season 10, with his trajectory ever since Portland last year going down. Although he managed podiums in Monaco and China with a win in the latter, I think he’ll want a change and will move to Maserati.

    Cupra Kiro: Dan Ticktum and Jake Hughes

    Cupra Kiro has been on the rise this season, thanks to a certain Brit, Dan Ticktum. Securing his maiden podium and win within 1 season of Formula E has been extremely impressive with a team using the previous season’s Porsche powertrain. I see no reason for Ticktum to move. 

    Hughes will be on the lookout for a seat for Season 12 and beyond, which I believe Kiro can provide for him. While Beckmann was placed in the team instead of Sergio Sette Camara, he hasn’t exactly hit the marks that have been set out, due to some mitigating factors, I’ll admit. Nevertheless, Hughes and Ticktum would be a very strong duo going into the Gen3 Evo finale season. 

    Andretti: Jake Dennis and Nico Mueller

    Yes, I am predicting an unchanged lineup at the outfit which helped Jake Dennis to get his 1st and only world title in London in 2023.

    The second Andretti seat seems to be cursed, similar to the Red Bull seat in F1. However, I think Mueller will manage to hold onto the seat ahead of any other competitors.

    Envision Racing: Sebastian Buemi and Robin Frijns

    Yes, another customer team that is keeping the same lineup (odd, right?). With Buemi’s win in Monaco and Frijns managing to pull some insane strategies like going from P22 to P9 in Jakarta, Envision will want to and will achieve their goal of keeping both drivers for one more season!

    Lola Yamaha Abt: Lucas Di Grassi and Zane Maloney

    Lola Yamaha Abt is such a unique team in the fact that they are the only team running their powertrain, so having youth and experience is key for their long-term ambitions. A bit conflicting from my end, I will be keeping Maloney and Di Grassi, but that is what I am going to choose. 

    Di Grassi holds that experience that Lola Yamaha Abt craves to know which direction to go into. Maloney has shown more potential than Beckmann in some regards, which is why he remains in the sport, despite scoring 0 points. 

    Mahindra: Nyck De Vries and Edoardo Mortara

    Mahindra has had an anonymous season so far in the 11th edition of Formula E. However, they have managed to score good points and podiums for both De Vries and Mortara. While I expect them to remain for 1 more season, it will be tight. 

    DS Penske: Max Guenther and Jean-Éric Vergne

    A similar trend for this category is where I see and do not expect a change for the main Stellantis-powered team, with young German driver Maximilian Guenther remaining in his seat with 2-time champion Jean-Eric Vergne taking up the second seat beside him. 

  • BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull sack Christian Horner as CEO, Laurent Mekies replaces him

    BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull sack Christian Horner as CEO, Laurent Mekies replaces him

    Red Bull Racing has announced that Christian Horner has been let go of his duties at Red Bull Racing with immediate effect. Racing Bulls team principal Laurent Mekies will replace the long-standing team principal of the Milton Keynes team.

    Horner was the first and only team principal of the team from the inaugeral season since 2005, seeing 8 world drivers championships come under his wing from Sebastian Vettel from 2010 to 2013 inclusive and Max Verstappen from 2021 to 2024 inclusive. 

    In a statement to F1, Oliver Mintzlaff, CEO of Corporate Projects and Investments, said:

    “We would like to thank Christian Horner for his exceptional work over the last 20 years,” added Mintzlaff. With his tireless commitment, experience, expertise, and innovative thinking, he has been instrumental in establishing Red Bull Racing as one of the most successful and attractive teams in Formula 1. Thank you for everything, Christian, and you will forever remain an important part of our team history.”

    Laurent Mekies went on to say, “The last year and a half has been an absolute privilege to lead the team with Peter [Bayer, Racing Bulls CEO]. It has been an amazing adventure to contribute to the birth of Racing Bulls together with all our talented people. The spirit of the whole team is incredible, and I strongly believe that this is just the beginning.”

    Laurent Mekies joins after taking over the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls team in 2024, taking over from Franz Tost, who retires at the end of 2023. Mekies worked previously at Ferrari and saw many drivers under his wing once taking command of Red Bull’s sister team, including Liam Lawson, Daniel Ricciardo, and Yuki Tsunoda, the latter of whom he will be reunited with at Red Bull Racing. 

    Alan Permane has been given the top role at Racing Bulls as Mekies has moved up to the main seat at Red Bull Racing. 

    Formula One returns on 25th July 2025 at Spa Francorchamps, Belgium.

  • Formula E Round 13 and 14 Berlin EPrix Preview and Predictions

    Formula E Round 13 and 14 Berlin EPrix Preview and Predictions

    December 2024 marked the start of Season 11 with the Sao Paulo E-Prix, with Mitch Evans taking the highlight and only points of his season by going from last to first; a chance where Evans and Jaguar thought it was their season, their time to shine. Ultimately, it was not to be. Now, however, we are entering the penultimate weekend with a double header at the iconic Tempelhof circuit in Berlin, the scene where he stalled back in 2021 and Nyck De Vries picked up his world championship.

    Anyway, onto this season. This weekend is make or break for many drivers out of contract or looking to switch teams. Certain drivers, such as Nick Cassidy, are rumoured to be signed to other teams already, but it’s to be confirmed officially.

    Preview:

    The Circuit map for the Berlin E-Prix. Image Credit: Formula E Documents

    This 2.347 km long circuit is an icon on the Formula E calendar for drivers, teams and fans! The array of corners, run down towards turn 1 and turns 10, 11 and 12, offer great overtaking opportunities. With new drivers Sergio Sette Camara and Felipe Drugovich making their season debut here due to Norman Nato and Nyck De Vries prioritising the World Endurance Championship in Brazil, this will be a weekend to watch!



    Predictions:

    Round 13:

    Pole Position: Pascal Wehrlein
    The reigning world champion will want to delay Oliver Rowland securing the championship, especially as this is his home race. I can see both Porsche and Pascal putting all of their eggs into this basket in order to maximise the result for the first competitive session of the weekend.

    Race Winner: Maximilian Guenther
    Is this a bold choice? Kind of is my answer to that. Guenther has really fitted into his new team after his DS Penske promotion. With his home race, his chance for a home victory is real.

    Podium: Jaguar and Nissan powered cars
    I am keeping my options wide open for this one, however, I think both of these powertrains will be strong around the German circuit. I think the driver most desperate to be on the podium will be Mitch Evans who has not scored since race 1 and Sergio Sette Camara who is joining this round in place of Norman Nato.


    Round 14:


    Pole Position: Sergio Sette Camara
    Probably the most bold prediction considering the Brazilian’s lack of experience in the Nissan-powered car. He’ll want to get everything out of the car and show that he deserves the seat next to Rowland.

    Race Winner: Oliver Rowland
    The championship leader will have us waiting until the 3rd last race of the season to claim the title! I’m sure he would want to claim the title at home in London, but there are no guarantees in this sport

    Podium: Porsche-powered 2nd and 3rd
    Quite different from the other predictions, but this could be a Tag Heuer Porsche, Andretti or Cupra Kiro. Nico Hülkenberg got his first podium in F1; so many Beckmann can get theirs!

  • Formula One Round 11 Austrian Grand Prix: Lando Norris Holds Onto The Win as Red Bull Score 0 Points In Their Home Race

    Formula One Round 11 Austrian Grand Prix: Lando Norris Holds Onto The Win as Red Bull Score 0 Points In Their Home Race

     

    Formula One returned to Austria this week for the Grand Prix of the former world constructor champions Red Bull, and it certainly delivered. From qualifying, the McLaren driver Lando Norris led the field away from P2 after obtaining the largest winning margin of the season so far by over half a second, albeit due to the Alpine of Pierre Gasly spinning and disrupting many laps, including the championship leader Oscar Piastri and the reigning world champion Max Verstappen.

    Chaos before beginning

    Prior to the start of the race, Carlos Sainz said his car was stuck in first gear and wasn’t able to start the formation lap. Once he got going, he went to the pit lane, and his brakes then caught fire. As a result, he was out prior to the 5 red lights going out, bringing the grid down to just 19 drivers. The race was also reduced by 1 lap as a result of this aborted start.

    Lap 1 Drama

    After the extra formation lap, we saw everyone get off the line, and Piastri managed to get up to P2 ahead of Charles Leclerc. Going into turn 3, Kimi Antonelli locked up MASSIVELY and collided with Max Verstappen, ending the race for both of them. 

    McLaren Battle

    After waiting 11 rounds, we finally got the battle we waited for: Lando Norris vs Oscar Piastri! They were cutting back and forth all race before Norris pitted before Piastri to emerge P4. Piastri extended his stint. 

    Pressure for drivers

    Tsunoda and Colapinto, both drivers whose futures are under pressure at their current teams, collided at turn 4 a few laps prior to the midpoint of the race. Tsunoda got a 10-second time penalty for this, adding the cherry to the cake for Red Bull and Tsunoda’s disastrous weekend. Colapinto is reported to be on a race-by-race basis, so any mistake or collision is not in his or his team’s best interest.

    To add insult to injury, Colapinto received a 5 second time penalty for forcing another driver off of the track. That driver? Oscar Piastri! Tsunoda and Colapinto were fighting, Piastri emerged from the pits, attempted to pass traffic, and Colapinto didn’t see Piastri and pushed him onto the grass. 

    Mercedes struggling

    With the temperatures being on the EXTREME side, Mercedes knew they would struggle here. Antonelli’s collision with Verstappen on lap 1 was not the struggle they wanted or needed. Antonelli will more than likely get a grid penalty for the British Grand Prix. 

    Russell managed to hold onto P5 to get some good points for the team but off the pace from both Ferrari and McLaren

    Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber Masterclass

    After a disastrous 2024 season with no points scored until the penultimate round with Zhou Guanyu, Sauber has scored a double points finish! Bortoleto finished P8 and Hulkenberg P9 . This is Bortoleto’s first point in Formula One and is an insane turnaround for the team about to become Audi in 2026.

    Red Bull Struggles At Home

    This weekend for the Red Bull team was one of the worst-case scenarios for the Austrian team. After Max Verstappen got tied up with Kimi Antonelli at turn 3, the pressure was on Yuki Tsunoda, who has been struggling ever since he joined the Red Bull team. The Japanese driver was keeping his nose clean until he collided with the Alpine driver Franco Colapinto and earned himself a 10-second time penalty for the collision. 

    Results

    Lando Norris managed to win the Austrian Grand Prix after a battle with his teammate Oscar Piastri, who finished P2. Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished P3 and P4, respectively. George Russell finished P5 to salvage what he could from Mercedes’ weekend, Liam Lawson finished P6 as the only Red Bull-powered driver to finish P6, and Fernando Alonso held off Gabriel Bortoleto to finish P7 and P8, respectively. Nico Hulkenberg finished P9, and Esteban Ocon finished P10! 

    Feature Image Credit: F1-Pirelli Press Area

     

  • Formula E Season 11 Round 12: Ticktum marks his 60th start in style with a maiden victory!

    Formula E Season 11 Round 12: Ticktum marks his 60th start in style with a maiden victory!

    In the twilight stage of Season 11 of Formula E, Dan Ticktum decided to throw a spanner in the works and take victory at the Indonesian city of Jakarta. How did it happen? Let’s find out!

    The Andretti World Champion Jake Dennis led the field from pole position ahead of the McLaren rookie Taylor Barnard. It was a clean start for all drivers until some battles started several laps later. Jean-Eric Vergne ended up in the pits with a front wing issue as he misjudged his braking and went into the back of Mitch Evans, for which he got a 5-second time penalty. His teammate Maximilian Guenther also had an issue, as Rowland collided with him, and he had to retire from the race.

    There were some unusual power cuts from drivers this race, which are believed to be linked to Sam Bird and Oliver Rowland. During this period of the same, many attack modes were taken, including Bird, but he missed the attack mode while the boy from Barbados, Zane Maloney, defended against the reigning world champion, Pascal Wehrlein.

    While Buemi received a 5-second time penalty for causing a collision, Barnard hit the wall while doing his attack mode. Mortara took the lead on lap 20, as he had not taken attack mode at this point compared to Dennis and De Vries. Dennis retook the lead on lap 22, but disaster would spill from the 2 world champions as they collided on the start/finish straight, and Dennis lost his front wing. Debris was all over the straight, which brought out the safety car a few seconds after Nick Cassidy went into attack mode.

    We went back to racing on lap 26 of 38, with Rowland and Wehrlein colliding while De Vries received a 10-second time penalty for his collision with Dennis.
    Maloney received a drive-through penalty for overpower on release, which is likely due to the safety car restart.

    JAKARTA, INDONESIA – JUNE 21: Jake Dennis of Great Britain driving the (27) Andretti Formula E Porsche 99X Electric Gen3 leads the field away at the race start during the Jakarta E-Prix, Round 12 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Jakarta International e-Prix Circuit on June 21, 2025 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Joe Portlock/LAT Images)
    Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank



    A full course yellow was brought out for the Maserati MSG driver, Jake Hughes, who stopped on track at turn 1 with a mechanical fault. Once that was cleaned up, we went racing again, but Hughes’ teammate Vandoorne ended up in the barriers after a hefty shunt related to another mechanical issue. On top of that, Dennis and De Vries suffered issues at the restart, so they fell down the pack.

    Dan Ticktum managed to hold off Edoardo Mortara to take his first victory in Formula E and Cupra Kiro’s first win since Season 2! Mortara finished in P2 with Mahindra Racing, and Nico Mueller scored his debut podium with Andretti in P3! Amid his uncertain future with the team, Antonio Felix Da Costa finished in P4, Nick Cassidy in P5, and the two Neom McLarens in P5 and P6, with Barnard finishing ahead of Sam Bird. The two Envision Racing drivers finished P8 and P9, with Buemi beating Frijns, who went from P22 to P9, and the championship leader Oliver Rowland finished in P10.

    Formula E’s penultimate weekend for season 11 returns in a few weeks in Berlin!

  • Formula E Season 11 Round12: Jakarta E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    Formula E Season 11 Round12: Jakarta E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    We are in the twilight stage now of the ABB FIA Formula E Season 11 with Shanghai delivering 2 surprising winners in Max Guenther and Nick Cassidy. Now we head to the final location of the single race weekend of the calendar: Jakarta.
    Circuit preview:

    Jakarta Circuit Map from Season 9.
    Image Credit: Formula E Documenation


    Note: FIA hasn’t updated the circuit map for season 11 yet, so this is from season 9. 


    Having skipped the Indonesian city in Season 10, we return for the final time in Gen3/Gen3 Evo. The start/finish straight makes it ideal for overtaking, as do turns 3 to 7. The tight and twisty sections of turns 8 to 12 will test our drivers before a straight from turns 12 to 13 finishes the lap with 2 back-to-back left turns with a final right to complete the lap.

    Predictions:

    Pole Position: Max Guenther

    The current DS Penske driver won the last Jakarta E-Prix when he was a Maserati MSG Racing driver. I can see this momentum holding up to take pole. 


    Race winner: Oliver Rowland

    No big surprise, as Rowland has been the man of the moment, although Shanghai was a massive disappointment given he didn’t win either race.  If he wants to maintain his lead in the drivers’ championship and round it out in Berlin, a win will be required here.


    Podium: Nick Cassidy and Max Günther

    Off the back of his sensational win in Shanghai, Nick Cassidy seems to be pushing hard in what looks to be his final year as a Jaguar TCS Racing driver. He will want to end the season on a high before departing for a new team. 


    As for Max Guenther, as a pole sitter, he will try to maximize this to a win; however, this seems unlikely given the pace of Rowland and Cassidy. 

  • Formula E Shanghai E-prix: DS Penske Obtain their Maiden 1-2 as Cassidy ends the draught with a wet race at Shanghai

    Formula E Shanghai E-prix: DS Penske Obtain their Maiden 1-2 as Cassidy ends the draught with a wet race at Shanghai

     

    Formula E returned to the Shanghai International Circuit this past weekend for its sophomore year, and these past 2 rounds did not disappoint in terms of action.

    Round 10:
    DS Penske driver Maximilian Guenther led the field away from pole position ahead of Taylor Barnard, who started in P2. Pascal Wehrlein managed to jump him at the start with the peloton style of racing returning to Formula E. There was disaster for the Jaguar TCS Racing driver Nick Cassidy as he was spun at the chicane after getting tapped by the Mahindra Racing driver Edoardo Mortara. Contact occurred later on between Rowland and Vandoorne while the peloton style occurred, and by lap 11, De Vries was leading ahead of the Andretti driver Nico Mueller and Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns.

    Pit boost was active in this race, and many drivers immediately took the opportunity to pit, starting at the end of lap 12 and the start of lap 13. Drivers such as Guenther, Buemi, Bird and Maloney all took attack mode immediately after their pit boost.

    The race started to heat up from here, as it was a flat-out race with Barnard having a 2.5-second lead before that shrank with Guenther and Rowland then battling for the win towards the end of the race. Barnard and Nato were battling before a massive battle on the last lap for 2nd, with Barnard and Ticktum looking likely to take the positions before Jean-Eric Vergne made a move into the final chicane to take P2 and secure DS Penske’s first 1-2, with Guenther managing to hold onto the win with Barnard in P3. Dan Ticktum finished P4 from P21; championship leader Oliver Rowland finished P5, Norman Nato P6, Sam Bird P7, and Nyck De Vries P8, with the Envision duo of Sebastian Buemi and Robin Frijns rounding out the points-paying positions.

    SHANGHAI, CHINA – MAY 31: Stoffel Vandoorne of Belgium driving the (2) Maserati MSG Racing Maserati Tipo Folgore leads Oliver Rowland of Great Britain driving the (23) Nissan Formula E Team Nissan e-4ORCE 05 on track during the Shanghai E-Prix, Round 10 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Shanghai International Circuit on May 31, 2025 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)
    Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank

    Round 11:
    After a delayed start due to the rain, we had a rolling start on lap 8, which saw Nick Cassidy lead the field away from the Porsche duo, and all 3 of them instantly took attack mode, including the top 11 apart from Di Grassi. Wehrlein went for a longer attack mode, so he and Da Costa swapped positions. Many drivers struggled throughout the race, including Nyck De Vries, who went through the gravel, and Wehrlein went sideways.

    Towards the middle section of the race, both Lola Yamaha Abt cars were battling with Maserati and Mahindra of Stoffel Vandoorne and Nyck De Vries. The most recent race winner, Maximilian Guenther, got a red car, but this did NOT cause a red flag. He had to pull off to the side of the track to retire. There were 3 added laps due to the safety car, with Cassidy having a MAJOR lead over Pascal Wehrlein. Cassidy held onto the lead to win his first E-Prix of 2025! Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix Da Costa closed out the top 3. Jake Hughes finished P4, Jean-Eric Vergne P5, Nico Mueller P6, Stoffel Vandoorne P7, Robin Frijns P8, Lucas Di Grassi P9, and Taylor Barnard P10!

  • ABB FIA Formula E Season 11 Rounds 10 and 11: Shanghai E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    ABB FIA Formula E Season 11 Rounds 10 and 11: Shanghai E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    As the iconic month of May draws to a close, so does this section of Formula E, as we have rounds 11 and 12 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 11. We enter the scene of the Chinese Grand Prix at a modified version of the Shanghai International Circuit.

    Track Preview:
    After debuting last year as a doubleheader, the Shanghai E-Prix was a goldmine for Jaguar drivers, with Mitch Evans and Antonio Felix Da Costa picking up a win each around this circuit in Season 10.

    Formula E Season 10 Shanghai Circuit. Image Credit: Formula E Media Centre


    The 3.051-mile circuit allows 12 corners to challenge drivers, with round 1 being a pit boost round. The main overtaking opportunities are into turn 1, turn 6, and through to turn 9, with turns 10 and 12 also being the best opportunities to overtake rivals.

    Round 10 Predictions:
    Pole Position: Pascal Wehrlein
    As Rowland starts to put one hand on the championship trophy, the reigning world champion will want to put as much performance in as possible in order to maintain his reigning world champion status. Getting pole at Shanghai would be the best way to start.

    Winner: António Félix Da Costa
    The Season 6 champion is currently P2 in the standings with over 50 points separating him and the Briton Rowland. Da Costa will want to minimise the gap as much as possible, and the pit boost opportunities will allow him to get a jump on Rowland.

    Podium: Cassidy and Evans
    The Jaguar duo was strong here last year, with a victory and podiums from both. I think they will obtain more podiums; Evans’ first points since his win in Sao Paulo back in 2024.

    Antonio Felix da Costa, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, 1st position, stands on his car in Parc Ferme
    Image Credit: Formula E Media Bank



    Round 11 Predictions:
    Pole Position: Oliver Rowland
    Rowland will NEED to maximise as many points as possible this weekend, and not finishing on the podium on Saturday will hurt him.

    Winner: Oliver Rowland
    In order to maximise, Rowland will go from pole to win on the latter part of the weekend as he manages to claw back the deficit from Saturday.

    Podium: Andretti
    Yes, that is correct. I am predicting a double Andretti podium on Sunday to end the most recent run of Formula E races before entering the final 3 weekends of Season 11.

  • Formula E Tokyo E-Prix: Rowland and Vandoorne secure victories as Ticktum stands on the podium

    Formula E Tokyo E-Prix: Rowland and Vandoorne secure victories as Ticktum stands on the podium


    Rounds 8 and 9 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship occurred over the past weekend, and it was a chaotic 48 hours for all teams and drivers.


    Round 8
    Before the race even began, there was chaos as the qualifying session was cancelled due to the weather conditions. FP2 was able to take part, however, and the results from that session would be qualifying. This resulted in Oliver Rowland starting from pole ahead of Edoardo Mortara and Norman Nato.
    The race began with a standing start after a few laps behind the safety car and a 10-minute delay. Barnard immediately went from P4 to P3, with multiple drivers taking attack mode at the start, such as Buemi, Da Costa and Evans. Nato fell down from P3 to P6. With Buemi’s attack mode, he managed to make it up to P2 by lap 6. However, Buemi went wide further on, which resulted in Edoardo Mortara retaking P2. Vandoorne was the first driver to take attack mode and immediately took advantage of it.


    Suddenly, Guenther had a RED car, and a red flag was called to stop the race. Jake Dennis and Andretti had a similar issue in Sao Paulo. The car then switched to green, but Guenther was still out. Vandoorne ended up being the biggest gainer from this red flag, as he was a full pit-boost pit stop ahead of everyone else.


    Once cars went back onto the track, De Vries, Evans and Dennis all had their pit boost windows open, with Jake Dennis opting to take his pit stop prior to the race start. This would result, however, in the Andretti driver receiving the black flag and being disqualified from the race as the pit lane was closed.


    More drivers took attack mode after the restart, including Rowland, while others opted to take their pit boost after the restart, including Barnard, De Vries, Nato and Evans. It emerged from here that Evans was retiring his car due to a collision with De Vries. Drivers emerging from their pit boost were all calm until Buemi was jumped by the Mahindra car of Mortara.


    The race leader, Stoffel Vandoorne, then ended up spinning and hitting the wall before taking his final attack mode. Rowland took his second attack mode near the end of the race and retook P2 from Taylor Barnard. Rowland was unable to take P1 away from Stoffel Vandoorne as he took his first win since 2022 and his first win with Maserati MSG Racing! Oliver Rowland finished P2 and Taylor Barnard P3!


    Sebastian Buemi managed to finish P4, Dan Ticktum P5, Edoardo Mortara P6, Antonio Felix Da Costa P7, and Nyck De Vries P8, but he would receive a 5-second time penalty for the collision with Evans and would drop outside the points. Thus, Jean-Eric Vergne, Robin Frijns and Nick Cassidy, who finished P9, P10 and P11, respectively, would all move up a place.

    TOKYO, JAPAN – MAY 17: Oliver Rowland of Great Britain driving the (23) Nissan Formula E Team Nissan e-4ORCE 05 leads the field during the Tokyo E-Prix, Round 8 of the 2025 FIA Formula E World Championship at Tokyo Street Circuit on May 17, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Simon Galloway/LAT Images for Formula E)

    Round 9
    For round 9 we had a traditional qualifying session which saw Oliver Rowland take pole ahead of Dan Ticktum in P2. Mitch Evans did not take part in the race due to a collision with the wall during qualifying, which saw the Jaguar TCS Racing team unable to fix his car prior to the race.


    It was a dry race this time, which saw Rowland hold the lead while Ticktum and Wehrlein had a big battle, but the Cupra Kiro driver held off the reigning world champion. De Vries and Bird had a collision which resulted in the Mahindra driver receiving a black and white flag. Hughes started the attack mode train while Wehrlein looked to try and overtake Ticktum. Rowland and Barnard had a small tap which put Rowland down to P4.


    By lap 11, Rowland had not taken either attack mode before a full course yellow was brought out for debris. However, Da Costa misjudged the full course yellow and ended up breaking his suspension when it was deployed. Once we went green, Nato received a 5-second time penalty for speeding under the full course yellow. Wehrlein led the race while Rowland decided to take his first attack mode on lap 17. It was a 2 minute deployment with Jake Dennis took attack mode and made moves, including going up to P7 after overtaking Di Grassi by lap 20. Rowland then went down to P6 after Dennis overtook him. MANY drivers took attack mode on lap 24, including Wehrlein, Rowland, Ticktum, Barnard and Vergne, while Rowland stayed out and took P2.
    There were fantastic battles with Rowland and Wehrlein not leaving anything between the two. Mortara and Barnard collided, which sent Barnard into the wall and brought out the safety car but not any added laps. The safety car went into the pits at the end of lap 31, which meant we got a 1-lap shootout.

    Oliver Rowland won Nissan’s home race of Tokyo and further extended his championship lead. Pascal Wehrlein finishes P2 with Dan Ticktum getting his and Cupra Kiro’s first podium. Jake Dennis finished P4 ahead of the Lola Yamaha Abt of Lucas Di Grassi in P5. Jean-Eric Vergne finishes P6 ahead of Nick Cassidy in P7, with Sam Bird managing P8 and Sebastian Buemi and Maximilian Guenther finishing P10.

    Formula E returns at the end of May for the Shanghai E-Prix doubleheader!

  • Formula E Season 11 Rounds 8 and 9: Tokyo E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    Formula E Season 11 Rounds 8 and 9: Tokyo E-Prix Preview and Predictions

    It hasn’t been that long since Formula E finished the doubleheader in Monaco, which saw Oliver Rowland and Sebastian Buemi take victory around the principality, and already we are back! This time for a relatively new circuit for Formula E standards: the Tokyo E-Prix! This round is once again a doubleheader, and after the singular race we had last year, this year is bound to be a top-class event again!

    Circuit Preview:

    Formula E Tokyo E-Prix track map. Image Credit: Formula E Website

    This 2.575km long circuit goes around the iconic city of Tokyo to bring with it the 18 turns, long straights and fast corners to make overtaking here up to the drivers. After Oliver Rowland was leading going into the final lap last year, the Maserati driver Maximilian Guenther made a pass for the lead and took the victory ahead of the Briton at his team’s home race.

    Round 8 Predictions:
    Pole Position: Oliver Rowland
    The championship leader goes into this doubleheader with the biggest points gap ever seen in Formula E during the Gen3 era. As this is his team’s home race, he will be wanting to make Nissan proud with a home pole position and extend his lead even more!


    Race Winner: Oliver Rowland
    Pole-to-race wins seem to be rare in the electric pinnacle of motorsport, especially when it is so tight between all drivers and teams. After losing victory to Sebastian Buemi last time in Monaco and accomplishing P2 in the latter race of the doubleheader, Rowland will be extra motivated to get as many points as possible in order to secure the championship as soon as possible.


    Podium: 2 Porsche Power Trains
    The Porsche powertrain was very strong last year, with the powertrain quadrat locking out P3 to P6 inclusive. It would not surprise me to see 2 of those powertrains obtain 2 podium positions.

    Round 9 Predictions:
    Pole Position: Nico Mueller
    I am going with my gut on this one. Mueller did very well last year, getting P7 on the road in the Abt Cupra team. I think he will be able to do even better after getting settled in with the track and managing to take pole position for round 9!

    Race winner: Mitch Evans
    Going with my gut for these predictions, which can either go one way or another, but Jaguar could surprise everyone with their race pace. It will be a big shock if they do manage to achieve it, but something tells me the New Zealander Mitch Evans will take victory around Tokyo.

    Podium: Nissan Power Trains
    Currently 4 cars have the Nissan powertrain, and I can see at least 2 of them appearing on the podium in this non-pit boost race. The energy conservation of the Nissans will benefit them, and I can see possibly both McLarens or both Nissans on the podium for Sunday’s race!

    Biggest Surprise: Neom McLaren
    After a disaster in Monaco for the majority of Nissan-powered cars, almost exclusively the Neom McLarens, I think they will bounce back to deliver a positive result as the Papaya-based team bids farewell to Formula E at the end of this season.

    Biggest Disappointment: Pascal Wehrlein
    My gut feeling says that Wehrlein will not have a great weekend, which would be very unfortunate for the reigning world champion as he struggles to maintain his title defence bid.

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