Oliver Rowland puts Formula E ambitions in hands of Mahindra Racing

After three years with the Nissan e.dams outfit and a tough 2021 campaign, Rowland has decided to move back to the team that gave him his Formula E debut at Punta del Este in 2015, and so far it has proved to be a wise decision.

The Yorkshireman enjoyed an impressive three days of pre-season testing at Valencia earlier this month, amassing 187 laps over the five sessions in his M7Electro car. He was a regular in the top-10 on the time sheets and his best position was fourth in the third session.

“I’ve been with Nissan for three seasons but new opportunities do arise and I was looking for a new challenge,” explained Rowland about his move to Mahindra.

“The team are on a pretty good trajectory. Testing has gone pretty positively and I think we are all pretty happy with the progress we’ve made so far.”

Indian manufacturer Mahindra achieved a number of podium finishes in 2021, including a memorable victory for Alex Lynn in the second London E-Prix – a race where Rowland was challenging for the lead but dropped down to 18th after contact with then-leader Stoffel Vandoorne.

However, looking at the season as a whole, Mahindra lacked consistency across the campaign, scoring an average of only 8.8 points per race – something Rowland is desperate to remedy this season. “I think what’s really important is that we grow and develop as a team this year and build a really solid foundation,” said Rowland.

“What was clear was that they [Mahindra] won races last year and they finished on the podium, so when they got it right they were fast so it’s just a case of being more consistent on that side and making sure we optimise the package every time we drive.

“It’s been positive so far. We have to keep working hard and making sure we’re in a good place back at base, at the simulator and at the track and make sure we get everything nailed when we arrive at the track. We have to hit the ground running when we arrive for the first practice at every race.”

With 2022 being the last season under the existing Gen2 rules cycle – before a major change in 2023 – racing is expected to be more competitive than ever in the popular electric car series.

“Everybody should be pretty close this year,” added Rowland. “Obviously everybody’s looking forward to the new cars [in 2023]. The cars are going to be much lighter and it will be a huge step up in technology but I expect this year to be extremely close between all teams and drivers.

“It will be all about the small details and optimising them as much as possible.”

Despite the off-season disruption of switching teams, getting to know a new car and a new team-mate in fellow Briton Alexander Sims, Rowland is confident he can make a real impact in 2022.

“My main target at the moment is to make sure I start in the best possible way,” he said. “Hopefully, we can move on and get some podiums and win some races and go on from there.

“There’s no reason why we can’t be there or thereabouts in the championship. I think so far Mercedes look quite strong, so we’re going to have a challenger there, but I don’t see why we can’t challenge for the title.”

The championship gets underway with a double header in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on January 28-29.