Oliver Rowland threw down the gauntlet to his ABB FIA Formula E World Championship competitors in Saudi Arabia today (15 February), streaking to a sensational second triumph of Season 11 to pull away from his pursuers in the title standings.
Having threatened to dominate proceedings yesterday – only to be relieved of the lead almost within sight of the chequered flag around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit – 24 hours later, Rowland was not to be denied, as the Nissan Formula E Team star delivered a masterclass in the Middle East.
From second on the grid, the championship leader conceded a position to Maserati MSG Racing’s Jake Hughes at the start, with the pair running in the slipstream of Taylor Barnard, who earlier in the day had made history by becoming the all-electric single-seater series’ youngest-ever pole-sitter for NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, at the age of just 20.
Rowland, however, had a plan, judiciously keeping his powder dry as he banked energy to deploy when he needed it – and his strategy paid off richly. After displacing Hughes from second, the Brit similarly passed his former karting protégé Barnard to hit the front of the field on lap seven – and from thereon in, he always looked odds-on to prevail.
Despite having to briefly give best to other drivers in Attack Mode, Rowland kept a cool head, and when he activated his own second boost of additional power and all-wheel-drive on lap 24 – six minutes of it – he truly turned up the wick.
Before long, the 32-year-old was back in charge, and thereafter, he checked out, going on to cross the finish line almost six seconds to the good to cement his fifth career triumph – four of which have come in the past 12 months. In so doing, he extended his championship lead to 17 points.
Rowland’s cause was aided by a titanic tussle for the runner-up spoils. From way down in 19th on the grid, Season 9 title-winner Jake Dennis scythed through to second for Andretti Formula E, but having used up all of his Attack Mode sooner than those behind, he was inevitably going to be vulnerable in the closing stages.
The Briton put up a staunch defence against DS Penske’s Jean-Éric Vergne – the Frenchman one of the biggest movers early on – with the opportunistic Barnard exploiting their squabble to leapfrog them both.
The qualifying star then had to get his own elbows out in the final laps, as countryman Hughes – the last front-runner still in Attack Mode – hunted him down. With Barnard getting increasingly out-of-shape, the Maserati man sensed his opportunity, but in only his seventh series start, the McLaren prodigy rebuffed every attempt and grittily held on to secure his finest Formula E result to-date – and third podium appearance from four races in 2024/25.
After slipping as low as ninth, Hughes battled back brilliantly to round out the maiden all-British rostrum in the championship, with the dramatic duel for second also drawing in Vergne, Dennis and Nick Cassidy in a grandstand finish.
The Andretti and Jaguar TCS Racing drivers both got the better of Vergne on the final tour to wind up fourth and fifth – Cassidy picking up his first points of the campaign having started a lowly 17th, as the New Zealander’s early Attack Mode tactics paid dividends.
From even further back on the grid – plum last, to be precise – Stoffel Vandoorne snatched sixth spot for Maserati on the last lap, with the frustrated Vergne, defending champion Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team), CUPRA KIRO’s Dan Ticktum and Mahindra Racing ace Edoardo Mortara completing the top ten.
The latter lost ground on the opening tour, when he found himself delayed by a clash that removed both Friday winner Maximilian Günther (DS Penske) and Porsche’s António Félix da Costa – championship leader arriving in Saudi Arabia – from the reckoning.
Following a short break, Season 11 will resume on 12 April, when Formula E returns to Miami for the first time in ten years for round five of its 2024/25 campaign.
Oliver Rowland, No.22, Nissan Formula E Team, said:
“It was great – the key was at the beginning obviously. It was pretty much the perfect scenario. I had a little bit of contact with Guenther at the chicane, he got really aggressive on the inside and I got stuck on him. That’s the point when I went to the front – being third or fourth people start to get aggressive so I got out of trouble and went to the front and led from there. I’m just trying to focus race by race, try and do the best job we can and score points.”
Jake Hughes, No.55, Maserati MSG Racing, said:
“It felt like it was a little bit on the edge, but super happy with today. After messing up FP3, getting into the Duels to the Semi-Final and then coming away with a podium for the team, I couldn’t ask for more really. We did really well with the ATTACK MODE, we used the energy when we needed to, and the execution was great.”
Taylor Barnard, No.5, NEOM McLaren Formula E Team, said:
“Coming into this weekend I didn’t expect a podium, so to leave here with massive points for the team, I couldn’t be happier. I think I struggled a little bit for the first five laps – but two podiums, I’m so happy. Sometimes you have to be extra aggressive, but we also had to keep the podium and secure P2, and we did that.”
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
Formula ESEASON 2025SportCircuit1SportABB FIA Formula E World ChampionshipCircuitSEASON 2025Formula E00Sunday, February 16, 2025 – 8:50amSunday, February 16, 2025 – 8:50am
Source : Fia
