De Vries Wins Chaotic Tokyo E-Prix To Give Mahindra Its Best Formula E Run Since 2017-18

Mahindra Racing took its second win of the season on Sunday, 26 July, as Nyck de Vries triumphed in a rain-affected, red-flagged Tokyo E-Prix — a result that gives the Indian manufacturer its most successful Formula E campaign since 2017-18.

De Vries started the second race of the weekend fifth on the grid at the Tokyo Street Circuit, one of several drivers to gamble on dry tyre pressures despite a damp, night-time track that had been soaked by a pre-race shower. The bet took time to pay off. Antonio Félix da Costa built an early lead as de Vries slipped back through the field, but the surface gradually dried, drawing the pack together and rewarding the Mahindra strategy.

A late deployment of Attack Mode proved decisive. De Vries surged through the leaders and into first place before a multi-car incident — one that ended team-mate Edoardo Mortara's race — brought out the red flag. The stoppage set up a one-lap dash to the flag, which de Vries controlled to hold off Citroën's Nick Cassidy and Andretti's Jake Dennis.

It was the Dutchman's second win of the season and sixth of his Formula E career. More significantly for the team, it marked the first time Mahindra has recorded multiple victories in a single season in seven years.

"We were a little bit lucky today. We opted for a drying track and, in hindsight, that worked out in our favour," de Vries said, crediting the team with executing "a great race".

The weekend underlined Mahindra's one-lap pace. Mortara equalled the record for the most poles in a single Formula E season with his fourth of the campaign, having also qualified second for Saturday's opener, where he finished fifth. De Vries recovered from a first-lap puncture that weekend to a distant 17th.

The results carry weight for a programme that serves as a technology showcase for Mahindra & Mahindra's electrification push at home, where the company is expanding its born-electric SUV range and sharpening its EV credentials in an increasingly crowded market. On track, qualifying strength has been the team's clearest asset this year.

De Vries's 25 points lifted him to ninth in the drivers' standings, with Mortara fifth. Mahindra leaves Tokyo on 210 points, one adrift of third-placed Andretti in the teams' table.

The championship now heads to a decider. Rounds 16 and 17 take place in London on 15 and 16 August, with the title fight tightening after Dennis moved to the top of the drivers' standings following a difficult weekend for several rivals.