Mahindra Racing clinches stunning Tokyo E-Prix Victory as Nyck de Vries triumphs with sixth Formula E win of his career

Mahindra Racing departed Tokyo with renewed momentum after securing an impressive 38-point haul across Rounds 14 and 15 of the 2025/26 FIA Formula E World Championship. At the heart of the team’s successful weekend was Nyck de Vries, whose composed drive through treacherous wet-dry conditions earned him his second victory of the season and the sixth Formula E win of his career. Meanwhile, Edoardo Mortara continued his remarkable qualifying form by claiming a record-equalling fourth pole position of the campaign before an unfortunate late-race incident brought his challenge to an abrupt end.

Rain remained a constant threat throughout the Tokyo E-Prix weekend, making strategy, tyre management and timing decisive factors as rapidly evolving track conditions tested every team on the grid.

Saturday had already hinted at Mahindra Racing’s competitiveness. After topping both practice sessions, Mortara lined up second on the grid for the opening race and spent much of the contest fighting for a podium before eventually finishing fifth. De Vries, however, endured a difficult outing after suffering a first-lap puncture, eventually crossing the finish line in 17th place.

Sunday, however, belonged to Mahindra Racing’s qualifying brilliance.

Mortara once again demonstrated his exceptional one-lap pace by dominating the Duels. The Swiss driver defeated António Félix da Costa by six tenths of a second in the Final to secure his fourth pole position of the season, equalling the record for the most Formula E poles in a single campaign while simultaneously establishing new personal and team milestones. De Vries also impressed, progressing into the Duels to secure fifth on the starting grid.

With wet conditions prevailing, the race began behind the Safety Car, allowing drivers a reconnaissance lap before the action officially commenced.

When racing got underway, Mortara maintained his advantage to lead the field into the opening laps, while de Vries slipped to seventh. Da Costa, running closely behind, opted for an early Attack Mode deployment on Lap 3, quickly moving ahead of Mortara to seize the lead.

Further back, de Vries struggled initially as tyre pressures selected in anticipation of a drying circuit made life particularly difficult in the wet conditions, causing him to fall deeper into the pack.

Mortara responded on Lap 14 by activating his first Attack Mode, allowing him to close to within a second of da Costa. Before he could mount an overtaking challenge, however, a Full Course Yellow neutralised proceedings.

Following the restart, Mortara remained within striking distance but was unable to reclaim the lead. As tyre pressures increasingly influenced race pace, he gradually slipped backwards through the order. De Vries, meanwhile, began to recover, using his initial two-minute Attack Mode deployment to climb back into sixth position.

The complexion of the race shifted dramatically on Lap 26.

Deploying his remaining six minutes of Attack Mode, de Vries carved his way through the leading group with impressive efficiency, surging into the race lead. At the same time, Mortara had dropped to tenth before activating his second Attack Mode in an attempt to recover ground.

Late drama unfolded when Mortara became caught in a multi-car incident, forcing his retirement and triggering a red flag.

That left de Vries facing a tense one-lap sprint to the chequered flag, with Nick Cassidy and Jake Dennis applying relentless pressure behind him. The Dutchman remained calm under immense pressure, expertly managing the changing conditions to seal victory in Tokyo.

The triumph marked de Vries’ second victory of the season and, significantly, represented the first time Mahindra Racing has secured multiple race wins in a single Formula E campaign since the 2017/18 season.

The maximum 25-point score elevated de Vries to ninth in the Drivers’ Championship standings, while Mortara retained fifth place despite his retirement. Mahindra Racing also strengthened its position in the Teams’ Championship, leaving Tokyo on 210 points—just one point behind third-placed Andretti with only the final two rounds remaining.

The 2025/26 FIA Formula E World Championship will conclude with Rounds 16 and 17 in London on 15 and 16 August.

Celebrating his second victory for Mahindra, Nyck de Vries said:

“We were a little bit lucky today. We opted for a drying track and in hindsight that worked out in our favour. We got a poor start, but I think it was very important to save energy at the beginning of the race because once the track dried, you needed it.

“We had some more luck at the end with the red flag because Jake [Dennis] was coming on strong in Attack Mode. I’m very happy and proud of the team who executed a great race to get our second win of the season.”

Reflecting on a weekend that showcased significant pace despite the disappointing outcome, Edoardo Mortara commented:

“It’s a disappointing result on a day when we showed quite a lot of performance. When you start from pole and everything is fully wet, there’s very little to gamble.

“I started with the wet set-up, and this wasn’t the right call. But fortunately, we split the strategy and it worked out very well for Nyck [de Vries], so I’m very happy for the team.”

Commenting on Mahindra Racing’s impressive performance, Team Principal & CEO Frederic Bertrand added:

“First of all, it was a strong result for the team in what was a challenging weekend. Amazing pace from our two drivers over one lap, and in particular Edoardo [Mortara] securing P2 yesterday and pole position today, as well as Nyck getting P5 on the grid today. It shows we are the most competitive right now when it comes to Qualifying.

“This weekend was challenging from a strategic and energy management perspective. Edoardo did an excellent job yesterday to secure fifth position after a tough race with Sebastien Buemi. Today was a bit more of a gamble with the set-up, but Nyck managed an impressive drive to take his second win of the season, which has really had a big impact for us in the Teams’ Championship.”