"A huge step in the right direction": Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland impressed after first Gen4 test

With manufacturers having been conducting their first test drives in the Gen4 cars for several months now, Oliver Rowland has also completed his first laps in the car for the coming seasons. Having previously seen Benoit Treluyer and Sam Bird take on the testing duties for Nissan, the reigning Formula E world champion has now sat behind the wheel of the Gen4 car for the first time.

"The power the car has is quite eye-opening," said Rowland after his first Gen4 test. "A lot of that extra power comes from the front, which is pretty unique and something we need to get used to as drivers. The performance of the car is a big step up.”

“It's really impressive," the Briton continued. "The high downforce offers lots of grip compared to what we're used to and there's so many new technical options, with the differential, four-wheel drive and more power on the front axle."

"The acceleration is incredible"

"We've got almost double the power, so the acceleration is incredible," he added. "The chassis has also been upgraded, which is a huge positive for us as drivers, because the Gen3 car is quite uncomfortable. I got more and more familiar with the car throughout the test and got up to speed quickly.”

Nevertheless, after four years in Gen3, Rowland has some teething problems with the new car, as he admits: "Power steering is the biggest thing to get used to; I've not used it too often in my career. I had to learn how to feel the limit of the car through the steering, trying to optimize it in terms of performance, power and driving style."

Braking behaviour is more like Gen2 again: "This is good for me"

"The Gen3 car never suited me in terms of the braking, personally," he also admits. “So the Gen4 feels like a positive step. I think that from a qualifying perspective it may allow me to drive the car in a similar way to how I used to drive in Gen2, which is good for me."

"The power and the downforce are other key differences," adds the Season 11 world champion. "The top speed is higher, as are corner speeds. A lot will depend on how we set the car up from a technical perspective, but I definitely had to drive in a slightly different way. Though it felt quite natural to try and extract the maximum from it."

"It really depends on the finer parts of the regulations."

However, Rowland is unsure how racing with the new cars will develop. "The type of racing relies a lot on energy management," he explains. "If Formula E can keep the traditional energy saving and Attack Mode races then it will still be interesting and unpredictable, which is a huge part of why people love the series. It really depends on the finer parts of the regulations."

"There are a lot of unknowns," he continues. "There are several factors that may need to be tweaked during the early Gen4 races to find the right formula and continue to produce the great racing we've seen in recent years.”

"I think it will give Formula E even more credibility and drivers from other categories will have even more respect for it. When we compare lap times, I'm sure we'll see a big jump forward," Rowland concluded.

Before the Gen4 era is officially ushered in during the pre-season test sessions in Madrid in November, the final seven races with the Gen3 cars are still to come. The next round takes place on 20 June in Sanya (China). At the same time, however, the manufacturers are continuing to develop and test their Gen4 cars.