Tokyo E-Prix sees controversy and contact between ...

By Bilal Ahmed — 25 July 2026 — 5 min read

Strategy and Collisions in Tokyo

The inaugural Tokyo E-Prix race was marked by significant strategic decisions and on-track incidents, particularly involving title contenders Antonio Felix da Costa and Pascal Wehrlein. The race saw a disagreement arise concerning the strategy employed by the Envision team.

Envision adjusted its race strategy after Sebastien Buemi incurred a five-second penalty for contact with Nyck de Vries early in the race. Buemi, after an early six-minute attack mode activation, climbed from 13th to second position. However, when the regular pit window opened, Buemi’s pace decreased, allowing other drivers, including Edoardo Mortara, Da Costa, and Wehrlein, to close the gap rapidly.

This reduction in pace by Buemi led to a chaotic situation. Da Costa expressed his disappointment, stating that his team had a strategy to win and that Buemi’s actions, which he described as pulling the handbrake, caused a four-second loss over three corners. Da Costa believed this was unsporting, especially from a Jaguar customer team, and suggested he had hoped for better communication or a warning.

The chaos culminated in multiple contacts between Wehrlein and Da Costa. The incident resulted in Wehrlein’s Porsche sustaining damage to its wing and suspension, while Da Costa’s Jaguar ended up in the TecPro barrier. Da Costa explicitly accused Wehrlein of intentionally crashing him out, suggesting Wehrlein decided that if he was out, Da Costa should be out too, given Wehrlein already had damage from a previous corner.

Wehrlein received a 10-second penalty for his incident with Da Costa. He stated that he was not given sufficient space during the sequence of corners, being pushed into the inside wall, which he claimed destroyed his race. This incident also impacted the championship standings, as Wehrlein lost his nine-point advantage to Mitch Evans, who moved into a three-point lead after finishing fourth from 16th.

Team Strategies Under Scrutiny

Buemi explained his reduced pace as an instruction from his team, aimed at assisting his teammate, Joel Eriksson, in moving through the field. He acknowledged that slowing down the group would be beneficial for his team’s strategy. When questioned about the fairness of this method, Buemi indicated it was a matter for discussion, but confirmed he was following team orders and that such actions are not forbidden.

Buemi also mentioned he was unaware of the full extent of the chaos that unfolded behind him until after the race. He noted that compromising the races of other drivers is not ideal, especially when working closely with Jaguar.

Wehrlein voiced his unhappiness with Buemi’s actions, questioning the strategy behind holding up the entire group. He expected the pace to increase when the pit window opened, as is typical for drivers to gain or maintain positions. Wehrlein suggested that Buemi’s actions, which were the opposite of the usual approach, indicated a clear strategy. He hinted at potential collusion between Jaguar and Envision, stating that using a customer team to back off the group, which ultimately did not work, goes too far.

Wehrlein further elaborated that while there is often a degree of team support towards the end of a season, such as not driving aggressively against a leading driver or swapping positions, actively changing the race in this manner was unprecedented. He expressed surprise at the situation and its underlying reasons. Discussions regarding the race’s unfolding reportedly occurred between Envision and Porsche after the event.

Adding to Porsche’s challenges, Nico Mueller also sustained damage to his car following contact with Da Costa’s Jaguar on the first lap. This occurred after Mueller’s car had been rebuilt around a new survival cell due to an accident in qualifying.

Andretti’s Performance and Challenges

The Andretti Formula E team also faced a challenging but ultimately rewarding race day. Felipe Drugovich and Jake Dennis participated, with Dennis securing a podium finish despite a late setback. Drugovich encountered an incident during Free Practice 2, making contact with the wall, which led to his car being unable to participate in Qualifying.

Despite this, the Andretti mechanics undertook a significant effort to rebuild Drugovich’s car from a bare monocoque, preparing it for the opening race. Drugovich, starting from the rear, adopted an energy-saving strategy and managed to climb to 13th place, a notable achievement given the circumstances and the limited track time.

Jake Dennis, the Season 9 World Champion, demonstrated strong pace throughout the event. He topped his qualifying group and advanced to the Final Duel, securing Andretti’s 17th Pole Position. During the race, Dennis led for a significant portion, opting for a late PIT BOOST strategy. He reclaimed the lead on Lap 29 but experienced an energy cut on the final lap into Turn 16, allowing Dan Ticktum to overtake him. Dennis finished in second place, securing his fourth podium of the season and 27th career podium.

Dennis’s second-place finish in Tokyo contributed 21 championship points to Andretti, helping to close the gap to the leaders in the standings. Heading into the next race, Dennis climbed to third in the Drivers’ Championship standings with 130 points, while the Andretti team remained third in the Teams’ Championship standings, reducing their deficit to Porsche.