Oliver Rowland wants to celebrate Formula E title with engineers in Ibiza & pay off house with prize money

World champion! Oliver Rowland secured his first Formula E title in Berlin on Sunday. After the race, the Brit was very emotional and looked back on the long road to his greatest success to date. The congratulations from his daughter were particularly emotional for him.

Shortly after crossing the finish line in fourth place, tears were running down his face. All the pressure was taken off Rowland when his team told him: "You're world champion!" He then even got his little daughter on his ear to congratulate him on the title.

"Even when I think about it now... I was already super emotional anyway," Rowland recalls. "My wife, my daughter - and there's another one on the way - we're a team. To hear her react to it was amazing. I loved when she just said 'bye' at the end - 'well done, bye.'" If Rowland makes it on the podium again in London in a fortnight, it will be with his daughter. "I have no choice - she asks me all the time."

It was not an easy race for Rowland. The Briton found himself involved in close duels for long stretches and had to try to avoid any contact. He put in a good race, but also benefited from the fact that his title rival Pascal Wehrlein suddenly disappeared from the radar after a strong start.

"Didn't want to ask" how title chances were

"It almost looked like he had a puncture - he fell back very quickly," recalls Rowland. "But I didn't want to ask (about the championship). My engineer just said P4 is good. I had a bit of fun with him on the last lap: I asked him if I should attack JEV (Jean-Eric Vergne in third place). He just said 'No'. That was funny."

But the pressure was only finally lifted after the chequered flag. "I am just relieved. Everyone has been saying for the last three rounds: "You will wrap this up." I could not stop thinking about how I could still mess this up. My nerves were really shaking this morning. Pascal was in outstanding form. It was hard for me to deal with that."

He is simply happy that the title is now sealed with two races to go - the earliest title in Formula E history. "I've always fought for this in my seven years in Formula E. It was kind of due. I am super proud to have made it against so many outstanding drivers. Of course, this is the biggest success of my career."

10 years since last title win

Ten years have passed since Rowland won his last title in 2015 - back then in Formula Renault 3.5. A lot has happened since then. "I think I'm much more on time now. And I drink a bit less (laughs). Well - it was ten years ago. You think you know everything, but you don't."

"I've grown up, I'm a father now. That has changed me," he continues. "Ten years ago, my life was all about racing. Now there are two sides to my life and I like that balance. I am much more mature, but hopefully still as fast as I was back then."

Successfully crossing the deepest valley

In the meantime, it didn't look as if Rowland would one day be fighting for the Formula E crown. "There was a point when I no longer had much desire to continue. I was no longer having fun, I didn't even want to fly to races anymore. That was a problem," he thinks back to his time at Mahindra three years ago.

"I took a big risk, walking away from a good contract I had in the middle of the season - with nothing else on the table. But I knew I needed something new and that it would be difficult (to come back). I took on the challenge with a positive mindset." So Rowland returned to Nissan after six months away, and the rest is history as of this Sunday.

How Rowland plans to celebrate his title? "I will take my engineers to Ibiza for three days straight after London. Anyone from the engineering team who wants to can come along, it will be fun." He also wants to use the prize money to pay off the house he recently bought. But above all, the new champion is longing for a bit of rest: "I just want to get away for a few weeks - somewhere quiet and peaceful. Turn off my mobile phone and recharge my batteries." He deserves it - all his fellow drivers agree on that too.