Chaos, Contact & Last-Lap Drama | The Best of the Tokyo E-Prix

All ready for the five red lights. Who is going to be big in Japan? It's lights out and we're racing here in Tokyo. Good start from Oliver Rowan. Looking at M.Ortara challenging down towards the first corner. He's going for the lead. Side by side with Rowan. Down towards T1. He slots himself to second. It's Rowan in front as they go all the way through the first corner. Let's have a look at the replay of Jake Hughes. This is what happened to him. Oh, it was contact with the apps then that sent him into the wall at 15. Yeah, I believe that was Lucas di Grassi on the inside there that, you know, made contact with Jake. So a bit of an unfortunate one. Wasn't really a driver error. That was just a bit of hard racing. Maybe I overstepped the mark. Look at that turn one now. One of the DS Penske cars having a little bit of a moment there and clipping the barrier. Oh, look at Gunther as well. Trying to challenge Oliver Rowan. Ah, close to turn one. That's so dangerous. Almost crashed into him. Gunther there not happy with Oliver Rowan. Mitch Evans into the wall at turn nine again. Oh, disaster for Jaguar. So did it all happen of his own making? Oh, he had contact there with Sete Camera. Bang on the inside with Frijns. Oh, that's my fault guys. I'm sorry. Does it have damage? I'm out. Yeah, I'm out. Norman Natto then going into attack mode. Where's he going to emerge? Close with Robin Frijns on the exit and actually just ahead of the Dutchman. Frijns gets into contact there with Norman Natto. Loses his front wing as well. It all concerted up as it has done throughout the entirety of the race. And unfortunately, Robin Frijns comes off second best there. Man, why the **** does he turn left? Give me no space. Is Roland looking a little bit on the back foot here at this particular point? Because I was pretty sure he was on for the victory earlier on in this one. And now he's defending really much from Da Costa who's going for the outside. Into turn 15. Can he do it side by side? They go for second. Here comes Dennis coming through as well. He's going to take over third place. So from attacking to defending to losing places there for Antonio Felix Da Costa. And now it's advantage Jake Dennis. Let's have another look at what happened here. So you can see right on the back then of him going into the left hander. Man, this is not legal. This is not legal what he did. That is hard racing, Andre, isn't it? He gave him a little bit of a hip and shoulder in that overtake. But he had the inside line. We're side by side for the race lead. Down to the start, finish straight and in towards turn one. Mortara, sorry, Mortara, Roland trying to attack there on Max Günther. And looking for the inside into turn three. No way through for the Nissan driver. Wants to take victory on home soil on the final lap. Into turn 15 with some moves being made. Look at Oliver Roland on the outside there with Max Günther. We're side by side for third place as well. Just Dennis holding firm as we come in towards the final sector of the lap. It's advantage Max Günther. Roland sitting there in second place. But they're down to 0.1% energy. It is going to be absolutely critical to the chequered flag. Günther's just got enough in his pocket as he comes through the final couple of corners. Maximilian Günther on the streets of Tokyo takes Maserati's first win since Jakarta last year. What a drive from the German. Oliver Roland takes second place. And Jake Dennis on the podium. And Formula E is go in Tokyo. Oliver Roland gets a nice start. Not bad also from Norman Natto. Look at Mortara chopping over on the Nissan driver. Nearly three abreast down into the first corner. Who's got the lead? It's Oliver Roland. Natto is on the outside. Barnard's on the inside of Mortara. And side by side action there as Max Günther was really sideways through the first couple of corners. Barnard getting ruffled out there and trying to be challenged by the Nissan of Norman Natto. One of the envisions of Sébastien Buemi goes really wide as they're struggling for grip. Side by side still between Natto and Mortara through into the right-hander. Mortara's going to lose out here and possibly be under threat from Dan Tickton as they come through. One of the envisions, I think that was Buemi. Yeah, he's gone in for attack mode early here, isn't he? He wants to get into the lead of this race as soon as possible. On board we ride with Sébastien Buemi through that fast and fierce turn. Nine! Big snap of oversteer just about keeps it out the wall. That was close though. Here's Barnard on De Vries on the outside. We go. That's brave into Turn 16. Barnard close to the wall on the inside into the penultimate corner. Can he get the move done? He can! Let's have a look at Mitch Evans. So this is the rejoin. Oh, there was contact with Nick De Vries which sent Evans into the wall. Let's have a look here at Stoffel Van Doorn. So we know that he has got a nice comfortable cushion over the rest of the field. But has he made a mistake down into the first corner? A few drivers have gone deep and he went deep there as well. Not too much of a time. Oh no, he spun it! He spun it at Turn 2, Stoffel Van Doorn. And he hit the wall! Let's look here though at Jean-Éric Vergne, who's all over the back of Robin Frijns like a cheap suit as we come down into Turn 15. Can he make anything into there? Not quite close enough at the moment. Into Turn 16 could be an opportunity even before that. Side by side we go. On the outside, look, Jean-Éric Vergne is a brave driver who tries to put one over on the Dutchman through there. A slip of oversteer for Frijns going through there. Runs it a bit deep and that's going to compromise his run onto the start-finish straight. And of course we know that Vergne has got attack mode and four-wheel drive. Pulls alongside the Envision and he's going to side through and into ninth position down to the first corner. Can he get it stopped though? No, he runs it deep. Frijns defends but burns to the outside into the chicane and makes it stick. That's brave and brilliant from Jean-Éric Vergne up through to ninth position. He's not had a victory since Monaco in 2022, but he does so now. Stoffel Van Doorn wins on the streets of Tokyo here for Maserati MSG. Two wins in a row for that outfit here in Japan. You just did it, mate! You won it! We want this one! Oh, Tictum in the wall on his flying lap. He did the best Sector 1, the best Sector 2 we've seen of anybody all weekend. Oh, what a shame for Dan Tictum. It will be a career-best front-row start, but Oliver Rowland is going to be gifted pole position. It is all eyes on the lights as Formula E takes over in Tokyo. Lights out and we're underway. Away from the start and a good launch there for Oliver Rowland. He chops over on Dan Tictum. Look now at the Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein coming through on the outside. Three abreast down in towards T1. Tictum trying to firm it around the outside through Turn 2. Can he get the better of Wehrlein or is Wehrlein going to come through? Very close quarters between the two. This is working nicely here for Tictum. He goes to the inside for the race lead and for the first corner. Dan Tictum leads for Cupra Kiro. And fantastic overtake there down into Turn 1. I think it's a matter of when and not if we're going to see the Briton going for the move. Looking to the outside into Turn 15. Can he get this one done? There's a bit of contact into there as Rowland again takes the defensive inside line. Compromises his exit. Here comes Barnard through and up into second. Is there anything this rookie will not do in a Formula E car? What an amazing move. He's braked way too late. Way too late. Luckily, it's big impact and very low damage. He got lucky with that. Mortar has been pretty robust with his defensive moves down into the first corner. But Dennis isn't going to take this one lying down. Side by side they go. Dennis has a face full of wall, but manages to firm it around the outside and gets through for fourth. What a spectacular move. Fourteenth all the way up to fourth at the moment. It's going to be the exit of this corner. Exit of Turn 15 is Oliver's only chance. Is he going to be able to line it up? He's looking good. Wehrlein defends, but now is the opportunity with the extra traction and power. Wehrlein tries to push. Rohde to the outside, but Rohde goes through and into the race lead for Nissan here in Tokyo. To the delight of the crowd in Japan, Oliver Rohde is the lead. He comes to the end of attack mode. Now he's got track position. Can he hold the lead over the remaining five laps of this race? Yeah, Mortar sniffs an opportunity here for a podium. He's got 40 seconds of attack mode remaining and an opportunity to find on Taylor Barnard. Looks for the outside into Turn 9. Can he find his way through? Barnard's going to try and defend it. Pass the car in the middle of the road. On the outside goes Mortar into the chicane. That's a brave move through there. Barnard's got track position and holds firm for now. He's also going to have a chance on the exit of this Turn 15. Will we see a repeat of the similar moves on what we just saw Oliver Rohde pull off? Down into Turn 15 we go. Mortar looking for the outside line. 15 seconds of attack mode remaining. Bit of hip and shoulder faces the wall. And now he's going to have to try and find his way through into Turn 16. That's a brave move through there. Barnard with, again, a robust defensive move. And into Turn 16. The attack mode's going to come to an end here for Mortar. It's now or never time. And he's not managed to do it. Brilliant defending from the rookie. Well, let's see how Tickton can play this one. He'll know that he's got more energy. They'll be able to see that. But Barnard's ready to try and spoil the British driver's party. He's going to have the inside line on the switchback. And Barnard goes through on Dan Tickton for third place. Unbelievable move. Where did that come from? Around the outside, look. Brilliant. That was fantastic. But look at Verma challenging Oliver Rohde. Down into the chicane. Side by side. Contact between the two. They managed to somehow exit the corner in the same positions that they entered. But Wehrlein trying to get aggressive on Oliver Rohde for the race lead. This is going to be an absolute corker of an end to this one. This is where we've seen some of the moves. Now you're coming up to the really difficult 16. Barnard again. Barnard looking for the inside. Trying to challenge for the outside. Here comes Tickton looking for the inside line against Taylor Barnard. Into the final chicane. It's going to follow that car. Nearly three abreast. Tickton going for the outside on Pascal Wehrlein. Doesn't manage to make it. Sneekman does get ahead of Taylor Barnard for third place. Down the start-finish straight we go. Tickton through for second. Down into turn one. Mortara on Barnard as well. This is getting frantic, fast and frenetic somehow. And now Dennis, look at this as well on Mortara. Challenging for positions. What a race this is turning out to be. It's Rowland in front of Wehrlein. Tickton now through to third. Dennis on the inside of Mortara. Carbon fiber crashed and damaged there by Barnard. Small touch but with huge consequences. And yeah, Oliver Rowland is actually creating quite a bit of a mess for everyone behind him. I feel sorry for you guys as well. This race was so good. Such a good race until it got taken out. An imperious performance once again from Oliver Rowland who's going to win this one in Nissan's backyard. Oliver Rowland takes victory in Tokyo ahead of Pascal Wehrlein and Dan Tickton. A phenomenal race.