Nyck de Vries mastered changing conditions to win Round 15 of the 2026 Tokyo E-Prix, while Jake Dennis moved to the top of the Formula E championship standings after a dramatic race in Japan.
Nyck de Vries delivered a perfectly judged performance to win the 2026 TDK Tokyo E-Prix Round 15, turning a difficult afternoon of rain and changing track conditions into a second victory of the 2025/26 Formula E season.
The Mahindra Racing driver started fifth and took the chequered flag ahead of Citroën Racing’s Nick Cassidy and Andretti’s Jake Dennis.
More importantly, the result transformed the championship picture with just the London finale remaining.
De Vries Gets the Strategy Right
Heavy rain before the race left the Tokyo street circuit wet, with the field completing a Safety Car lap before the standing start.
Mahindra had chosen a setup aimed at a circuit that would gradually dry. It was a calculated gamble after the earlier downpour, but it ultimately gave de Vries exactly the car he needed as grip improved.
The opening stages were dominated by changing conditions and aggressive use of ATTACK MODE.
Antonio Felix da Costa initially moved into the lead, while Edo Mortara, Taylor Barnard and other drivers battled for position behind him. As the circuit began to dry, the balance of power changed again.
De Vries remained patient.
His decisive moment came on Lap 28, when he activated ATTACK MODE and immediately began gaining positions.
He reached reigning champion Oliver Rowland, who had been charging through the field as his Nissan became increasingly effective on the drying track.
Rowland elected to delay his second mandatory ATTACK MODE activation.
De Vries did not.
The Mahindra driver used the additional power to move past Rowland through the middle sector and take control of the race.
Rain Changes Everything
The changing weather made Round 15 very different from Saturday’s opening Tokyo race.
Drivers and teams had to balance energy management, ATTACK MODE timing and the rapidly changing grip levels around the circuit.
Some cars that had been strong in the wet struggled as the track dried, while others suddenly came alive.
Jean-Éric Vergne was another driver to benefit from the changing conditions, moving strongly through the field as his Citroën setup became more effective.
Cassidy also made the right call.
Starting 13th, the New Zealander climbed all the way to second, giving Citroën Racing another podium after Cassidy had finished third in Round 14.
Dennis Completes a Remarkable Recovery
One of the biggest drives of the race came from Jake Dennis.
The Andretti driver started 17th but recovered all the way to the podium.
Dennis waited patiently during the early stages, conserving energy and allowing the race to come to him. His late ATTACK MODE strategy then became increasingly effective as the circuit dried.
He eventually moved into third before the race was interrupted by a dramatic incident involving Edo Mortara and Joel Eriksson.
The cars blocked the circuit with only two laps remaining, bringing out a Red Flag and neutralising Dennis’ late charge.
The field then formed for a final rolling-start lap, with de Vries leading Cassidy and Dennis to the finish.
For Dennis, third place was far more valuable than it initially appeared.
Championship Battle Flips in Tokyo
The biggest consequence of Round 15 was in the Drivers’ Championship.
Pascal Wehrlein failed to score for the second consecutive race in Tokyo, while Mitch Evans also failed to finish.
Dennis’ podium therefore moved him into the championship lead heading toward London.
Only five points separated the top three after the Tokyo double-header, with Dennis leading Evans by two points and Wehrlein still within striking distance.
The result also secured the 2025/26 Manufacturers’ World Championship for Porsche.
Porsche collected enough points across the Tokyo double-header to build an insurmountable advantage over Jaguar, with customer-team results from CUPRA KIRO and Andretti contributing to the title-winning margin.
The Drivers’ and Teams’ championships, however, remained unresolved.
De Vries Takes Mahindra Back to the Top
For Mahindra Racing, the victory was another major step forward in a season that has produced some significant results.
De Vries’ Tokyo victory was his second of the 2025/26 season and Mahindra’s second win of the campaign.
It was also the team’s second victory in a season since 2017/18, underlining the significance of the result for the Indian manufacturer.
De Vries had already won in Monaco earlier in the season, but the Tokyo victory demonstrated a different strength: the ability to read a changing circuit and make the right strategic decisions at precisely the right moment.
London Now Decides the Championship
Formula E now heads to London for the final two races of the season.
The 2026 Hankook London E-Prix will take place on August 15 and 16, bringing the GEN3 era to its conclusion.
After the dramatic Tokyo double-header, Jake Dennis enters the finale as the championship leader, with Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein close behind.
Tokyo’s second race therefore delivered much more than another Formula E victory.
It changed the championship.
And with only two races remaining, the 2025/26 Formula E World Championship is heading for a finale with almost no margin for error.
Official Tokyo E-Prix Round 15 page:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2025-26/r15-tokyo
Official Round 15 results:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/1080080/results-the-2026-tdk-tokyo-e-prix-round-15
Official Round 15 news:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2025-26/r15-tokyo/news
Official Round 15 video and highlights:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2025-26/r15-tokyo/video
Official Formula E standings:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/standings
Official Formula E website:
https://www.fiaformulae.com/
