"Never expected to win" - Rowland clinches Formula E home win & gives Nissan 4th place in the championship

Nobody would have expected this: While the three world championship contenders were battling it out at the front, Oliver Rowland slipped through to victory almost unnoticed in his home Formula E race in London. The surprise success was also a cause for celebration for his team Nissan - because it was worth a lot of money.

Rowland had narrowly failed to qualify for the duel stage and started Sunday's race from 9th on the grid. Over the course of the race, he steadily worked his way forward and eventually drove patiently behind the leading trio - namely Mitch Evans, Pascal Wehrlein and Nick Cassidy - for a while.

"I had my moments in the early stages of the race and when I was fourth, I just didn't want to get involved in the title fight. I waited," explained Rowland. "I just hoped that something would happen, which it did. That allowed me to win the race."

WHAT A WAY TO END THE SEASON ?@oliverrowland1 WINS THE LONDON E-PRIX ?@nissan @nissanuk #NissanFormulaE #FeelElectric #LondonEPrix pic.twitter.com/eeJwDH6d0z

- Nissan NISMO (@NISMO) July 21, 2024

Several fortunate circumstances came together for Rowland. First, Cassidy was hit by Antonio Felix da Costa and had to come into the pits with a puncture. He then benefited from the safety car, because just as Evans and Wehrlein were driving towards the attack zone, the activation ban kicked in. They therefore took the longer route for nothing.

"It was a crazy race"

Rowland initially passed both of them, but later had to give back at least the place to Evans because safety car conditions prevailed during the overtake. But the Jaguar driver, like Wehrlein, had to drive through the attack zone again because it hadn't worked the first time. Rowland once again took the lead without a fight - and brought it home.

"It's amazing," says Rowland. "When you start from 9th place in a race like today, you never expected to win. But it was a crazy race." It definitely was.

With his second win of the season, Rowland climbed to fourth place in the drivers' championship - also thanks to his total of seven podium results in 2024. However, the success was even more important for Nissan: the Japanese team overtook the Porsche customer team Andretti in the final metres and finished a strong season in fourth place. Rowland's recall at the start of the year literally more than paid off.

THIS MEANS EVERYTHING ???? pic.twitter.com/pGbsfHOVtt

- Nissan NISMO (@NISMO) July 21, 2024