Maserati’s “second time” in Formula E in Tokyo

Maserati is growing in Asia. Ten months ago he achieved his first historic success in Formula E in Indonesia and on Saturday afternoon (Italian morning) he achieved the second in Japan, where the electric world championship landed for the first time. As in Jakarta, the victory in Tokyo has the signature of Maximilian Günther, who started from the front row, but behind the poleman, Oliver Rowland of England, on his third consecutive podium with Nissan, so far the only Japanese manufacturer in Formula E.

The German is the fifth different winner of this first part of the tenth season, which will arrive in Italy on 13 and 14 April, in Misano Adriatico, where ePrix numbers 6 and 7 will take place on the circuit named after Marco Simoncelli of Maserati, the fourth manufacturer (out of six) won the race this year, confirming the balance that reigns in Formula E. The competition was less than in other races, but the festival was not lacking either thanks to the “nerve” city layout created near the bay of the capital. In addition to Günther and Rowland, reigning world champion Jake Dennis also arrived on the podium with the single-seat Electric Porsche 99X used by the Andretti team.

On the night of the Italian weekend, that standard was not changed, even if Nick Cassidy of New Zealand (Jaguar Tcs), who started 19th and finished 7th, saved the lead in the individual category, which he now has to share with Pascal Wehrlein. (Tag Heuer Porsche), fifth at the finish line. Nissan’s home race was accompanied by high expectations, especially after Rowland’s position (the Japanese manufacturer’s number one, Makoto Uchida, was also in the pits), and with important announcements. Tommaso Volpe, the Calabrian manager who leads operations in Formula E, formalized Nissan’s commitment to the electric world championship until 2030: he is the first manufacturer to extend the agreement also to Gen4, which will enter service in 2027. From out of competition. comments, with 21 points for the Briton (18 for second place and 3 for pole), despite the disappointment of the missed victory, Nissan also celebrated the first point of another driver, Sacha Fenestraz, who finished ten after. starting at twenty.

The eve of the Tokyo ePrix was also enlivened by the official entry of Lola Cars’ Formula E, as it returned to competition, together with Yamaha: the two companies have already started testing the current single-seater, Gen3. On Gen3.5 the front engine can be used not only for regeneration, but also for traction, which at least in some cases will be useful. The Italian Alessandra Ciliberti is responsible for its development and on behalf of the FIA.

At the Romagna weekend event, the supply of a racing car to the German team Abt Cupra, which canceled the contract with Mahindra ahead of time, is also expected. The agreement is no longer a secret, also because in the pits of the team in Tokyo together with the top management of Abt there were Lola (motorsport director, former Techeetah Mark Preston, and the new owner, Till Bechtolheimer) and several managers from. Yamaha, which had already developed a 350 kWh electric motor for the Subaru hypercar model.

However, the adoption of the fastest charging system (up to 4 kWh in 30 seconds) which was supposed to be used officially for the first time in Misano Adriatico has been postponed until the “ePrix to be assigned”. The tests carried out so far have not provided sufficient guarantees and therefore the organization has decided to wait. A very fast charge had to update the race in a mandatory way to the considered pits to change strategies during the race.