Citroën were, without any doubt, the true heroes of Formula E’s Tokyo E-Prix double-header, following a truly remarkable display just a week after the tragic passing of team principal Cyril Blais.
It was announced by Formula E and Citroën ahead of race week in Tokyo that Blais had sadly passed away at the age of 43, sending shockwaves through the paddock.
The passing of a team member, let alone a team principal, is something no outfit in any sport should have to deal with. However, the way Citroën responded will go down as one of the greatest stories in Formula E history.
Nobody would have complained had the French marque decided not to race, and who could have blamed them? But that did not happen. Citroën travelled to Tokyo having been unable to prepare as it usually would, with the goal of simply giving everything it had.
A minute’s silence took place on Friday in Tokyo and on the grid ahead of the opening race, while teams displayed messages on their cars in remembrance of Blais. Citroën and Formula E personnel also wore black armbands.
Every time Blais was spoken about across the event, one word was repeated over and over again: racer. He was the ultimate racer, and what Nick Cassidy and Jean-Eric Vergne achieved epitomised that.
Cassidy secured incredible podiums in both races, while Vergne came close to a rostrum himself but still collected strong points. The result was a huge 51-point haul across Tokyo, the biggest of any team in 2026 across a double-header.
The French outfit has now claimed a podium in each of the last three races and moved ahead of Nissan in the teams’ championship, putting it in genuine contention for a top-five finish.
Discussing how proud he felt of the team, Cassidy told RacingNews365: "Yeah, very proud. It's not been easy for them.
"Also, the prep, you know, we've not really been able to prepare for in the normal way. But the team, fair play to them, just pushed on in a way that they can be very proud of. So yeah, yeah, pretty cool."
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