Surprise victory for Dan Ticktum in Tokyo: "I took the chance!"

The first of two races at this weekend’s Tokyo E-Prix was packed with action. What initially looked like a clear victory for Jake Dennis turned into a surprise second Formula E win of Dan Ticktum’s career in the penultimate corner.

As has been the case in previous Pit Boost races, the field was thoroughly shaken up by the varying strategies. Only one driver managed to stay consistently at the front for long stretches. Pole-setter Jake Dennis initially put in a near-perfect race. At the start, he defended his lead and established himself at the front. Much to the chagrin of his rivals, he stayed out of the scrambles and collisions behind him. Until shortly before the end of the race, everything looked set for a commanding victory for the Briton. But then Dan Ticktum thwarted Dennis’s plans.

For the young Briton, this success was hugely significant. Ticktum has not yet signed a contract for the Gen4 era and is likely to have made a strong case for his future with his victory in Tokyo. "Yes, this victory comes to a really important time in my career. It’s been the worst season I can remember in terms of luck."

Ticktum: "I was happy with second place"

According to Ticktum, his pit-boost pit stop enabled him to make crucial ground: "We made up a lot of time during the pit stop window, then I was in a good position behind Jake, happy with second place."

He even used the team radio to tell his rival that the two of them shouldn’t be battling each other. "We were similar on energy and I didn’t want to trip over each other and bring any on else into place. Don't think Jake actually got the message."

The three podium contenders treated the crowd to a spectacular final lap. Dennis, however, had slightly less energy than his two rivals. Ticktum made the most of this in Turn 16 and overtook the Andretti driver. Nevertheless, there was no bad blood between the two afterwards: "Dan had to overtake me, otherwise Nick (Cassidy) would have won the race," said Dennis at the post-race press conference.

The victory saw Ticktum increase his points tally to 54. He now sits 14th in the drivers’ standings ahead of the second Tokyo race.