Formula E world champion Oliver Rowland on his path to the title: "My mind told me not to bottle it"

Last season, Nissan driver Oliver Rowland was able to fulfil his dream of winning the drivers' world championship. However, the road there was not always easy for him. In an interview, he spoke about his journey to the title. Among other things, he talked about his reasons for leaving Mahindra in the middle of season 9 and also spoke about how his mentality changed when he suddenly went from being the hunter of the title favourites to the hunted.

Oliver Rowland quickly proved his talent. During the 2018/19 season, Nissan e.dams chose him to replace Alexander Albon, who had already signed his contract at the time but was able to switch to Formula 1 at the last minute. One season earlier, he had made his Formula E debut for Mahindra in Punta del Este as a replacement driver for the injured regular driver Nick Heidfeld. The Briton showed strong pace in his first season as a regular driver and achieved pole position in Sanya, Paris and Monaco. However, it was not yet enough for a victory. Rowland won his first Formula E race in 2020 at the Berlin E-Prix.

"I wasn't enjoying it"

For the 2021/22 season, Rowland decided to switch back to Mahindra Racing. However, success failed to materialise. As a result, Rowland left the team in the middle of the season after a year and a half: "I got to a point where I wasn't enjoying it,", said Rowland in an interview on FIAFormulaE.com. "I'd lost a bit of motivation and I was in a place where I knew I was unlikely to get the results I was looking for. I took a big risk when I made that decision."

Before the 2023-24 season, Nissan decided to bring Rowland back. "By taking that punt, it made me realize long-term that I needed to do everything correctly and make the most of the opportunity with Nissan, which was really my last big chance in Formula E," the world champion reflects further.

"It was all about putting together the best possible campaign"

He once again showed his class and took podiums in Diriyah, Sao Paulo and Tokyo. In Misano, he took his second victory and even got involved in the title race. However, he was slowed down by an illness that forced him to sit out the weekend in Portland. He finished the season with a win in London, giving us a taste of what was to come in season 11: "Last year we didn't put too much pressure on ourselves. We didn't have the best car in terms of race efficiency, so we were able to take a learning mentality and use it as a building year. Then it was all about putting together the best possible campaign, understanding what’s required to win in Formula E and learning from past mistakes," said Rowland about season 10.

Rowland shone in season 11 with his outstanding consistency. After a botched start to the season in Sao Paulo due to a drive-through penalty, he embarked on a remarkable run: he finished seven of the eight subsequent races in either first or second place. This gave him a huge lead in the championship and led to him winning the title.

"Feedback is always seen as a positive in our team"

"The strongest part of the team is that everyone constantly wants to be better," he describes. "Feedback is never taken personally, it's always seen as a positive and a chance to build. There's a hunger and a desire to improve, we know we can't win every weekend, but we have a good perspective on what is possible and managing our goals."

He added: "There are so many 1% factors that we needed to get right, so a huge credit goes to the team for putting everything together and giving me the opportunity to complete the job."

However, things also changed for Rowland himself: "I arrived in Formula E with great speed, but never really challenged for the title. I often doubt my ability, arriving to an event thinking that I'm going to have to work really hard to make the most of it. But I knew we had a good team, a good car and the first races of the season allowed me to think that we could fight."

"My position was the total opposite"

"My position was the total opposite to previous seasons, instead of chasing the championship leaders, I knew I had a huge advantage and my mind was just telling me not to bottle it. That's what was in my head, everyone was saying it was a case of when I'd win the title and not if, but it wasn't like that for me. One good weekend for Pascal (Wehrlein) and a bad one for me could really cut the gap down, and nothing is ever guaranteed in Formula E. Starting third on Saturday in Berlin comforted me, but a bad race and a silly mistake from my side while Pascal took a strong finish was disappointing," he reports.

"On Sunday before the race I felt weird, I had a lot of nervous energy and things going through my head. I felt like I could’ve cried, there was a huge mix of emotions inside me. I needed to perform, in my mind just to limit the damage to my championship lead with Pascal starting on pole. But in true Formula E style, it swung the opposite way!" After that race, he was crowned world champion early.

Rowland returned to the time when he left Mahindra: "I remember struggling to sleep when I didn't have a contract and I put myself in a difficult position, both for my career and mentally for myself. To recover and be in this position, I feel very fortunate, but those are the challenges and emotions of Formula E."

"I see my career finishing in Formula E"

The 33-year-old concludes with a glimpse into his future: "The way I see my career finishing is in Formula E, hopefully not too soon, but I want to grow with the championship and see it in a better place when I leave. Our goal is for the series to keep growing, with even faster cars and the most advanced technology."

It remains to be seen whether his consistency can bring him the title again next season. If he does, he would be only the second driver in Formula E history after Jean-Eric Vergne to successfully defend his title.