The Briton claimed pole place for the second race in Saudi Arabia on Saturday after a powerful qualifying efficiency, which marked his first time topping the session since Seoul in 2022.
Though he misplaced out to front-row starter Robin Frijns off the road and in addition fell behind eventual winner Nick Cassidy, Rowland completed third – having final stood on the rostrum in Seoul.
Rowland has moved again to Nissan for the 2024 season, having beforehand spent three years with the crew – which included taking his sole Components E win at Berlin in 2020.
He returned after spending one-and-a-half seasons with Mahindra, mutually leaving the crew halfway by final time period after an absence of outcomes that left him questioning his future within the championship.
“I used to be doubting myself lots the final two years and even within the first two races [this season] you’ve gotten this doubt as properly. That’s gone now,” he advised Motorsport.com after his Diriyah podium.
Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
Oliver Rowland, Nissan Components E Workforce
Rowland entered the Diriyah E-Prix double-header having secured 5 factors finishes across the avenue circuit in earlier years and claimed earlier than the weekend he was “quietly assured that we’re going to be fairly good”.
Though he scored his first factors of the season in Diriyah, Rowland admitted he felt the win may need been achievable had he received a greater launch off the road and been in a position to management the tempo of the race.
“The beginning sort of allow us to down as a result of, if we had received into the lead, we might have managed the race ourselves however sadly we have been sort of in the course of the 2 Jaguar-powered automobiles and also you’re a bit susceptible then,” he mentioned.
“You’re making an attempt to move and you then’re making an attempt to defend and, ultimately, I most likely didn’t fairly have the arrogance that I had the [energy] effectivity, nevertheless it seems I most likely did so I didn’t preserve going once they have been pushing at first.
“We take it, the qualifying efficiency was convincing, so now we have to take enormous confidence from that and preserve it going the remainder of the yr.”