Oliver Rowland finally achieved his Formula E dream at the Berlin E-Prix, securing his maiden championship title despite finishing fourth in a thrilling race won by Nick Cassidy. The victory marks the culmination of a seven-season journey that has seen the Briton transform from a struggling driver contemplating retirement to Formula E champion.
A Championship decided in Berlin
Standing on the brink of his first Formula E title, Rowland faced a stern test from reigning world champion Pascal Wehrlein, who started from pole position whilst the championship leader began back in eighth place. The rain that had plagued Friday and Saturday’s running had cleared, setting up a fascinating duel for the title at Berlin Tempelhof circuit.
From the start, Rowland adopted a cautious approach, moving up just one place on the opening lap whilst others around him made more aggressive moves. The race developed into a typical Formula E thriller, with multiple lead changes and strategic battles throughout.
“The problem was like I was trying to be cautious and stay out of trouble, but the problem is when you’re like that, it’s easy to get shuffled back, and you can quickly go from sixth to 15th in that type of race you know. I was trying to stay out of trouble but then at some point I was like right I’m gonna just go for it and lead the race,” Rowland explained.
A pivotal moment
The turning point came when Rowland made a crucial decision to abandon his conservative approach. “I was also having quite a lot of balance issues following other cars, so I thought that my balance would be much better in front. I decided to just go for it and kind of consolidate points knowing that the guys with more energy and took the attack mode later would probably come,” he said.
That decisive move saw Rowland dive down the inside on Mitch Evans and António Félix Da Costa to take the lead on lap 30, whilst title rival Wehrlein found himself struggling in 13th position and effectively out of championship contention.
Two safety car periods disrupted strategies throughout the race, but Rowland managed the chaos expertly. Despite dropping back to fourth place in the closing stages, his position was sufficient to secure the championship as Wehrlein remained firmly out of the points.
Emotional victory
The moment of triumph was made even more special by a surprise message from his daughter over the team radio. “I was already an emotional mess and when that came on like ‘yeah yeah.’ I mean even just thinking about it now it’s its amazing. We’re a team you know my wife, my daughter. We’ve got another one on the way so we’re a team, and we go through the emotions together,” Rowland said, his voice breaking with emotion.
“She takes no shit. She’s like you win or you don’t come home basically, and I love the way she just said ‘bye’ at the end like ‘well done bye.’ I mean I was already super emotional, but that was amazing.”
Seven-season journey
For Rowland, this championship represents the pinnacle of a lengthy Formula E career that has had its share of ups and downs. “Obviously I feel good. I feel pretty relieved,” he admitted.
“Obviously, we’ve seen in previous years that it doesn’t matter. Everybody’s been saying for three rounds oh you’ve got this wrapped up, but the reality was I had 45 points at some point with eight races to go,” he reflected.
“It’s something that I’ve strived towards. I think it’s my seventh season in Formula E now, it was kind of due. I’m super proud you know I’m up against some incredible drivers. I think the level here is amazing and to be able to do this is a really proud moment for me.”
From contemplating retirement to Championship win
Perhaps most remarkably, Rowland’s championship comes just two years after he was seriously considering leaving the sport altogether. “There was a point where I was not very interested in continuing in the position that I was in. I wasn’t enjoying myself, I wasn’t, I wasn’t, I found myself not wanting to get on flights to come to races and that was a problem,” he admitted.
“I took a big risk to pull out, let’s say halfway through the season from a good contract that I had, and I had nothing really on the table, ready for me to sign, so I took a big risk, but I knew I needed something different.”
That bold decision to change his circumstances has now paid dividends in the most spectacular fashion possible.
Celebration plans
True to his character, Rowland’s celebration plans are focused on his team. “I can share a bit more, but I was looking to take my engineers away straight after London. I’m probably gonna go to Ibiza for three days whoever wants to come from the engineering team can come. Should be fun. Anyone else can come no problem they got paid themselves though.”
“I’ve just bought a house, so I kind of need the prize money to pay for that, but I wouldn’t say to treat myself. You do this for so many years. I’ve really started to notice the older I get, the more it takes its toll on me. I’m just gonna go somewhere nice and peaceful for a few weeks and switch my phone off.”
Looking towards the Teams’ Championship
With the championship secured, Rowland can now focus on helping his team in the remaining rounds in London, with the teams’ championship still up for grabs. “I can go there with no pressure. We didn’t have the target to win the team’s or manufacturers this year. As a team, the drive and focus was really on the driver’s championship and that was quite clear from the moment we started. I can go there completely relaxed and just send it and try and get the best results.”
“Of course I think this is the best achievement that I’ve had in my career up until now,” Rowland concluded, finally able to savour a moment that has been seven seasons in the making.
