As Britons locked out the podium for the first time in Formula E history last weekend, Oliver Rowland headed the charge and proved himself to be the all-electric championship’s in-form driver.
The Nissan driver’s victory in Mexico City a month ago was somewhat fortuitous after being aided by a late safety car, while remaining Attack Mode compared with his Porsche rivals ahead meant he was able to capitalise.
But there was no such luck involved during the Jeddah E-Prix double-header last weekend, as across the combined 62 laps from both races Rowland led 35 in total and, but for a stunning final corner, last-lap overtake from Maximilian Guenther, the 32-year-old would have left Saudi Arabia with a double triumph.
Even with just a single victory and a runner-up finish to his name, Rowland’s impressive performances have moved him to the top of the drivers’ standings with a healthy 17-point buffer over his nearest rival, Taylor Barnard.
There had been much anticipation in the build-up to the opening race at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, not least because it was a new venue using a shorter configuration of the full grand prix layout, which was supplemented with no fewer than four chicanes to aid the energy recovery of Formula E’s Gen3 Evo machines.
But an even bigger focus was on the use of the Pit Boost technology for the first time, which having been extensively tested over the last two seasons was finally put into service. With each driver required to make a mandatory pitstop during the first 31-lap affair to receive a 10% battery recharge, there were hopes it would add a new tactical element to races.
Having got the jump on front-row starter Pascal Wehrlein from third, Rowland shadowed polesitter Guenther during the opening laps, which consisted of a two-lap safety car intervention to retrieve debris that had been scattered around the circuit due to numerous incidents behind the leaders.
Rowland moved into the lead for the first time on lap 10, Guenther deciding to cede the position in a bid to save energy in the slipstream of his rival during a race which proved to be fast paced from the outset by Formula E standards.
Guenther pitted from second on lap 16 but thoughts of taking victory began to slip away as first the German lost a position to Nyck de Vries, the Mahindra driver having pitted immediately behind but rejoining fractionally quicker.
Both, however, were usurped by Jake Hughes and Barnard, as the young Britons were the first drivers along with Antonio Felix da Costa to take Pit Boost on lap 14, with the clean air and Attack Mode making the difference to initially gain positions.
“He [Rowland] did everything right, made himself very wide but I knew if he had to lift early [for the last corner] then I’ve got a chance and I took it” Maximilian Guenther
A lap later Rowland made his stop, admitting after the race that the plan had always been to stop later than most to avoid any potential problems the use of the new technology might have caused.
Rejoining in a net-lead, Rowland soon cycled back to the front and proceeded to pull a gap of more than 3.5 seconds by lap 25 over de Vries, who through the use of his second Attack Mode had moved up to second from Guenther. The DS Penske driver had dropped as low as eighth at one point following the pitstop cycle, but armed with both his Attack Modes, he soon began to make progress.
A move into the Turn 8 bus stop chicane elevated Guenther back into second on lap 26, and he began to quickly close the margin to Rowland ahead with the pair back together on the penultimate lap.
With Rowland placing his car in defensive positions, notably on the inside into the long left of Turn 14, it seemed that he had victory assured with just two tight chicanes remaining. But incredibly as the leader moved to block the inside into the final chicane, Guenther swept around the outside to take snatch victory.
“He [Rowland] did everything right, made himself very wide but I knew if he had to lift early [for the last corner] then I’ve got a chance and I took it,” said Guenther, after his inaugural win for DS Penske and his first since Tokyo last season.
Rowland would have his revenge in the sequel, though, but again fell just short of taking pole position. That honour went to Barnard, his first in Formula E which also made him the youngest driver to take the accolade.
It continued a remarkable run of form from the previous night, having taken his second podium of the season after surging past de Vries with a late move and just seconds of his final Attack Mode remaining.
Finishing on the coat tails of the two leaders, the 20-year-old was confident ahead of the second contest but with the race distance the same as the night before, minus an additional 10% of energy afforded from Pit Boost, the sequel featured a greater degree of peloton racing.
“I knew to keep the lead for the whole race was going to be almost impossible,” said the McLaren driver, who gave the position up as early as lap seven to Rowland. Thereafter, the man from Barnsley held a slim but crucial energy advantage and constant updates between himself and the team ensured there were no miscalculations that had cost him victory in the past.
“I always have flashbacks of Misano [last season], then flashbacks of Sao Paulo and a little bit of yesterday, so there’s always a moment where I’m doubting what’s going on, but it was clear the energy advantage was quite early on,” admitted Rowland after his second win of the season.
As Rowland romped to a nearly 6s victory, his cause was helped by the fierce battling behind between Barnard and Hughes. The Maserati MSG driver went for a move around the outside into Turn 1 on the penultimate lap, but robust defending that Hughes believed was just on the right side of acceptable meant he took to the run-off area and slotted back in behind.
All this allowed Jean-Eric Vergne and Jake Dennis to close up, setting up a grandstand finish through the final chicanes as Barnard held on from Hughes and Dennis, with Vergne slipping down to seventh in the final reckoning.
For Vergne’s team-mate Guenther it was a weekend of two halves as Saturday’s race turned into a disaster. After only managing sixth on the grid, his race came to an end on the first lap as he locked up into the left of Turn 4 and clattered into the side of da Costa ahead.
"They [Guenther and Muller] both came to apologise but it’s hard to swallow, it’s just not acceptable at this level, we’re professionals getting paid to do this job and people are behaving like they’re rookies" Antonio Felix da Costa
Da Costa was also forced to retire, and it compounded a miserable weekend for the Porsche man, who had been the championship leader entering the event. The Portuguese driver was forced to limp home just ninth in the opener, which was something of a miracle as his car suffered huge rear end damage after Nico Muller clattered over the back of the Porsche into the braking zone of the bus stop chicane on the first lap.
“What hurts is if we score close to no points because we’re slow that’s on us, but I got hit massively hard both days on lap one by very experienced people,” said da Costa. “They both came to apologise but it’s hard to swallow, it’s just not acceptable at this level, we’re professionals getting paid to do this job and people are behaving like they’re rookies.”
Da Costa’s team-mate and reigning champion Wehrlein fared little better, managing just eighth in the sequel as a software issue consigned him to 13th on the grid. His efforts from second on the grid in the opener came to nought on the first lap as a hit from behind by Mitch Evans forced a pitstop and the German remained towards the back of the field thereafter.
Reigning teams’ champion Jaguar endured a torrid weekend as well, with season-opener winner Evans failing to score in either race. After pitting for a new front wing in race one having accosted both Wehrlein and de Vries in short order, earning himself a penalty for the former, he finished last and was forced to retire the next day with a technical issue.
Team-mate Nick Cassidy finally got his campaign off the ground with fifth in the second race, having failed to register any points in the opening three races of the campaign.
After challenging for the drivers’ title during the last two seasons, the Kiwi already sits 58 points behind Rowland as Jaguar seeks a major upgrade package during the two-month gap before Miami on 12 April.
