Nissan Formula E Team heads to the Tokyo Street Circuit this weekend for Rounds 14 and 15 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the series’ first-ever night event. It marks the team’s final home race of the GEN3 era, celebrated with a one-off NISMO livery, as reigning champion Oliver Rowland fights to stay in the title race.

Nissan Formula E Team returns to Japan this weekend for the penultimate round of Season 12, with the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship staging its first-ever night event on the streets of Tokyo. Rounds 14 and 15 take place on the 2.582-kilometre, 18-turn Tokyo Street Circuit, which wraps around the Tokyo International Exhibition Centre, better known as Tokyo Big Sight.

The anti-clockwise layout mixes long straights with tight technical corners and fast, flowing sequences, and the team describes it as one of the most demanding tests on the calendar. Racing under the lights adds a further variable: cooler track temperatures could keep the tyres in their working window for longer.

A strong record in the Japanese capital

Nissan arrives in Tokyo looking to recover from a difficult double-header in Shanghai, but also with an impressive home record to build on. Oliver Rowland has taken one win and two podiums from the three races held in the city so far, and has started every Tokyo E-Prix from pole position.

The reigning Drivers’ World Champion sits third in the standings, with six podiums and one victory this season. With only this weekend and the finale remaining, every point matters in his bid to defend the crown he secured in Season 11.

Two races, two strategies

The weekend hands teams distinct strategic challenges. Saturday’s Round 14 features Formula E’s mandatory Pit Boost stop, while Sunday’s Round 15 follows the traditional format without it. Both races start at 20:05 local time (UTC+9), with Free Practice 1 opening proceedings at 19:00 on Friday.

A special NISMO livery for the GEN3 farewell

The event is Nissan’s final home race of the GEN3 era, and the team is marking it with a one-off NISMO livery. Echoing the colour palette of Nissan’s NISMO performance road cars, the design pairs grey and black with the brand’s red accents, while keeping the team’s cherry blossom motif. Rowland and teammate Norman Nato will wear matching bespoke race suits.

Voted Formula E’s number-one fan-favourite team in the championship’s annual survey, Nissan again expects strong support, including a sold-out dedicated grandstand overlooking the pit straight. Away from the track, the team is hosting The NISMO Pit, a fan activation created with designer Kenichi Minami and inspired by Japan’s 1990s underground car culture, showing modified Nissan road cars alongside the GEN3 Evo racer.

“Tokyo is always a special event for us, and even more so this year as we’ll be racing here at night for the first time,” said Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal. “It’s also a crucial stage of the championship, so we’ll be giving everything we have to deliver a strong performance and score the points we need.”

Nato added that overtaking is always difficult in Tokyo, making a clean qualifying and early confidence in the car essential. Reserve driver Sam Bird noted that the narrow, twisty and bumpy layout means a front-row start is vital for a podium chance.

What it means

Nissan became the first and only Japanese manufacturer to enter Formula E, debuting in Season 5, and has already committed to the GEN4 era through 2030. A strong showing at its home night race would keep Rowland in the title fight heading into the season finale.

Facts: Nissan Formula E Team, Tokyo E-Prix

  • Circuit: Tokyo Street Circuit, 2.582 km, 18 turns, anti-clockwise
  • Rounds: 14 and 15 of Season 12 (penultimate weekend)
  • Saturday format: mandatory Pit Boost stop; Sunday: traditional format
  • Race start: 20:05 local (UTC+9), both days — first night event
  • Drivers: Oliver Rowland (3rd in standings), Norman Nato

Lights go out for Round 14 at 20:05 local time on Saturday, with Round 15 following at the same time on Sunday.

Source: global.nissannews.com