Image: Dom Romney courtesy of Formula E
It’s race week once again, and for the very first time, the FIA Formula E Championship is making its way to Japan. Formula E’s inaugural visit to Japan marks the fifth round of the season, with the previous four races seeing four different winners. After a crash in the last round in Sao Paulo, Nick Cassidy, the current leader of the Jaguar TCS Racing team, will be aiming to bounce back in a country he is familiar with. The Kiwi driver has previously won three different championships in Japan, including the Japanese Formula 3 title. Sam Bird, representing NEOM McLaren, will be seeking to maintain the momentum after securing their first-ever victory in Brazil. Pascal Wehrlein from Tag Heuer Porsche and Mitch Evans, Cassidy’s teammate at Jaguar, will also be looking to narrow the gap at the top of the Drivers’ Championship.
THE TRACK
The circuit, which spans 2.585 km and features 20 corners, follows an anti-clockwise direction. It offers a combination of fast turns and slow chicanes, with the most challenging section located in the first sector. Between turns eight and ten, the track showcases its high-speed segment, featuring a flat-out, sweeping right-hand curve situated between a short straight with an uphill crest and a long back straight. Attack Mode can be activated upon exiting turn four.
WHEN TO WATCH
Make sure to set your alarms bright and early! All times below are in GMT:
Friday, March 29:
Free Practice 1 – 07:25am
Free Practice 2 – 22:55pm
Saturday, March 30:
Qualifying – 01:20am
Race – 06:03am
The FIRST EVER look at the #TokyoEPrix track map 🇯🇵Who’s ready? ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/FfekMZb4XP
WEATHER CONDITIONS
Rain is expected to fall in the hours leading up to Free Practice 1, with sunshine predicted to appear approximately an hour before the session begins. Saturday’s weather will be sunny and warm, with temperatures reaching a peak of around 21 degrees.
NOTABLE NEWS
DODDS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT MORE RACES IN ASIA
Ahead of this weekend’s race, Jeff Dodds, the CEO of Formula E, expressed his excitement about the opportunity to host an E-Prix in Tokyo. Dodds mentioned that shutting down the center of Tokyo for an event other than the Tokyo Marathon is unprecedented. He also revealed that tickets for the race were sold out within a day. Dodds hinted at Formula E’s intention to further tap into the Asian market, which he believes is currently underserved. He stated that Asian markets are the fastest adopters of electric vehicles (EVs) in the world, with China alone accounting for 38% of new car sales being EVs. Additionally, the Prime Minister of Thailand informed Dodds that 40% of new cars sold in the Thai market are EVs. Dodds sees this as a perfect market for Formula E to explore.