Oliver Rowland delivered one of the standout performances of the Formula E Berlin E-Prix weekend, climbing from 18thon the grid to finish second in Race 2 for Nissan.
Speaking in the post-Race 2 press conference attended by Pit Debrief, Rowland reflected on the strategic call behind his charge through the field, the execution of a tightly managed race and the physical challenge of competing while unwell.
A strategy call driven from within
The Nissan driver adopted an alternative strategy, starting further back on the grid in order to prioritise energy management and track position. The approach, as Rowland revealed after the race, was not initially part of the team’s plan.
“I spent a long time trying to convince the team to do it”, he said. “Usually, they’re quite conservative, I would say, with that sort of stuff.”
Initially, Rowland was turned down when he asked to choose the alternative strategy, but raised the idea again on race day, with the team eventually agreeing to commit to the alternative strategy. The responsibility, however, came with added pressure.
“When they came back and said, we’ll let you do it. So, I felt actually quite a lot of pressure to make it work.”
Building momentum in an inconsistent season
Having committed to the strategy, Rowland executed a controlled race, managing energy while progressing through the field. The result came at an important moment of Rowland’s championship campaign. Despite regular podium finishes, he has also had setbacks with non-scoring races that have impacted his overall position.
“I mean, you know, coming here, we’ve not had the best start of the season. You know, we’ve been consistently scoring podiums, but also like three zeros didn’t help our championship.”
In Berlin, the focus was on rebuilding confidence and improving one-lap performance.
“So, yeah, coming here, it was just important for me to try and gain some confidence a little over one lap and get some laps in the car. And honestly, I think similar to what Mitch [Evans] said, I’ve been struggling a little bit over on lap in performance. But, I think we made a small step in the right direction this weekend.”
The progress was particularly significant given the physical challenges he faced. Rowland revealed he had been unwell throughout the weekend. However, he noted that once he got into the car, it wasn’t much of a problem.
“Honestly, when you put the helmet on, it’s not too bad.”
The second-place finish in Race 2 of the Berlin E-Prix, represents an essential points finish for Rowland and Nissan. With an improved race execution, the focus now shifts to improving qualifying and building consistency across the reminder of the season.
“And if we can keep working in that direction and hopefully improve qualifying, it’ll mean that if you get a race like that or a race on pace, then we should be there to score points all the way to the end.”
With Monaco next on the Formula E calendar, the result in Berlin offers clear momentum. While victory went to Mitch Evans, Rowland’s performance in Berlin shows clear progression and reinforces his position as a contender in the races ahead.
