logo
Rowland targets multiple titles after Formula E breakthrough

Rowland targets multiple titles after Formula E breakthrough

Straits Times2 days ago
FILE PHOTO: Apr 12, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Oliver Rowland of Team Nissan enters turn four during qualifying for the ABB Formula E Series race at the Homestead Motor Speedway Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images/File Photo
LONDON - After 11 seasons that have produced 10 different champions, Formula E's new title-holder Oliver Rowland believes the all-electric series has become less of a lottery and he can break with the past.
The Nissan driver, who clinched this year's crown in Berlin on July 13 with two races to spare, told reporters ahead of his home British season finale at London's ExCel this weekend that the championship was fairer now.
"In the early years we had this qualifying system which was just mental, where the top six in the championship went out on a track that was one second slower than (for) the next group and then half a second slower than the next group," he said.
"You could never pull away in the championship. You would basically get in the lead and then just start last in the next race."
In 2021, the last year before the Season Eight change, 18 drivers remained in title contention heading into the final two rounds.
Seven of the 11 championships, including the first three, have been decided in the final race.
Only Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne has so far managed to defend a Formula E crown, winning back-to-back titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore Subsidies and grants for some 20,000 people miscalculated due to processing issue: MOH
Asia At least 19 killed as Bangladesh air force plane crashes at college campus
Singapore ST Explains: What does it mean for etomidate to be listed under the Misuse of Drugs Act?
Business Why Singapore and its businesses stand to lose with US tariffs on the region
Singapore NTU to have compulsory cadaver dissection classes for medical students from 2026
World US authorities probing passenger jet's close call with B-52 bomber over North Dakota
Singapore Jail for man who conspired with another to bribe MOH agency employee with $18k Paris trip
Singapore New research institute will grow S'pore's talent in nuclear energy, safety
The current qualifying splits drivers into two groups of 11 based on championship position, with odd numbers in one group and evens in the other, before the top four from each advance to knockout duels.
"It's kind of much fairer and I think you have the opportunity to see people winning more back-to-back titles," said Rowland, 32.
"I think it's a little bit fairer now in terms of not being as much of a lottery. I expect that you will see the same guys towards the front and more repeat winners moving forward," said Rowland.
While this year's drivers' crown is won, Nissan are fighting Porsche for the team and manufacturers' titles.
Rowland said his ambition for the future, without the pressure of chasing a first title, was to try to cement himself as one of the top drivers in the series.
"It's a good motivation to have, to try and win three or four (titles)," he said. REUTERS
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line
Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Schmidt, Farrell mull options with Lions series on the line

MELBOURNE - Joe Schmidt will unveil his team for the second test against the British & Irish Lions in Melbourne on Thursday, a lineup that could go a long way to defining his time as coach of Australia. Australia must find a response to the physical dominance the tourists exerted in the opening hour of the first test defeat in Brisbane or risk becoming the first Wallabies team to fail to take a Lions series to a decider. Rob Valetini, Australia's best test player of the last two years, has recovered from a calf injury and will take his place in the back row at the expense of rookie Nick Champion de Crespigny. Lock Will Skelton has also recovered from a similar injury and while his inclusion would certainly beef up the pack, his limitations at the lineout might require a tweak of the back row to add another jumper. Schmidt has had no shortage of helpful suggestions from media pundits this week with most concurring that the hard-running Angus Bell should be promoted to start at loosehead prop instead of 36-year-old James Slipper. Dave Porecki should be available after sustaining a concussion against Fiji two weeks ago and his lineout throwing would help shore up an area of the game where the Wallabies struggled in the first test. Behind the scrum, Tom Lynagh showed enough in his first test start to get another shot, although many would like him to do so in tandem with his Queensland Reds teammate Tate McDermott, who had a fine game off the bench in Brisbane. There have also been calls to shift Joseph Suaalii from centre into the back three after he struggled to make an impact in Brisbane until it was too late. That would also allow Len Ikitau to move to his more favoured outside centre spot with Hunter Paisami, another Queenland Red, slotting into the midfield outside Lynagh. Lions coach Andy Farrell's job is a little easier after the early dominance the tourists showed in Brisbane, although he looks likely to be forced to make a change to his second row. Irish lock Joe McCarthy limped off with a foot injury early in the second half at Lang Park and has not trained this week, leaving the door open for Ollie Chessum to move up from the bench. The head knock suffered by Marcus Smith against the First Nations & Pasikifa XV on Tuesday could open up a spot on the bench for Farrell's playmaker son Owen, who was called up as an injury replacement for his fourth Lions tour. REUTERS

HK police arrest 18-year-old for writing ‘seditious words' in toilet
HK police arrest 18-year-old for writing ‘seditious words' in toilet

Straits Times

time5 hours ago

  • Straits Times

HK police arrest 18-year-old for writing ‘seditious words' in toilet

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Hong Kong has taken a flurry of enforcement actions under security law commonly known as Article 23. HONG KONG – Hong Kong police arrested an 18-year-old on suspicion he left what they called 'seditious' messages in a toilet, adding to a recent series of national security actions that signal the authorities' continued efforts to curb dissent. The man is accused of being 'involved in writing seditious words in a commercial building toilet on three separate occasions', the government said on July 23. The content allegedly provoked hatred and disaffection against the government and incited others to defy the law. The move is the latest in a flurry of enforcement actions against perceived threats to the Chinese state in the former British colony. Hong Kong is seeking to burnish its status as a finance hub after its image took a hit from strict pandemic controls and clampdown on political freedoms. Earlier in July, police arrested four men for allegedly advocating independence for the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. In June, the local authorities took their first known joint operation with Beijing's security officers to investigate a case of alleged foreign collusion. Police also banned a Taiwanese video game for allegedly calling for armed revolution. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore S'pore's domestic recycling rate drops to all time low of 11% Singapore HDB launches 10,209 BTO and balance flats, as priority scheme for singles kicks in Singapore Youth Courts will take a new approach to cases, focused on underlying issues and supporting needs Life The Projector will resume daily screenings at Golden Mile Tower. Is its Cineleisure exit next? Singapore Ex-Tanjong Pagar United footballer charged with assault after Jurong East Stadium match Business Singapore's digital banks finding their niche in areas like SMEs as they narrow losses in 2024 Asia Japan Prime Minister Ishiba to resign by August, Mainichi newspaper reports Life New Pokemon theme park to open in Japan in early 2026 In its statement on July 23, the National Security Department of the police charged the man for carrying out 'with a seditious intention an act or acts that had a seditious intention', a crime that is punishable by up to seven years of imprisonment on first conviction. The offence is defined in the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance, commonly known as Article 23, which was fast-tracked into domestic law in 2024. It has been invoked in addition to the Beijing-imposed National Security Law of 2020, which the authorities used to detain and imprison dozens of leading democracy activists. BLOOMBERG

Shares in Japanese, South Korean automakers surge on Tokyo trade deal
Shares in Japanese, South Korean automakers surge on Tokyo trade deal

Business Times

time7 hours ago

  • Business Times

Shares in Japanese, South Korean automakers surge on Tokyo trade deal

[TOKYO] Shares of Japanese and South Korean automakers surged on Wednesday after US President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with Tokyo that sources said would include reducing a tariff on Japanese auto imports to 15 per cent, a move that stoked optimism about a similar deal for Seoul. Shares of Toyota, the world's top automaker by sales, jumped 13 per cent while rival Honda advanced more than 9 per cent. The lower tariff - from 25 per cent previously - would ease the pain for Japan's most important industry in its most crucial market. South Korean automakers gained on hopes Seoul would clinch a similar deal. Both Hyundai Motor and Kia rose more than 6 per cent. The agreement with Japan, the world's fourth-largest economy and a pivotal US ally in Asia, is by far the most significant among several trade deals struck by the White House ahead of an Aug 1 deadline when higher levies are due to kick in. While Trump did not give details on the auto portion of the deal in a post on his Truth Social platform, industry and government officials briefed on the agreement said it lowers the tariff to 15 per cent from 25 per cent on autos, which account for more than a quarter of Japan's exports to the US. Still, it is unlikely to be all smooth sailing for Asian automakers. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up So far, tariffs from Canada and Mexico remain in place at 25 per cent. Mexico in particular is a key production hub for Japanese automakers, including Nissan, and also home to a Kia factory. Nissan shares were up almost 9 per cent. News of Japan's trade deal is also likely to pile pressure on Seoul to come up with its own agreement ahead of the Aug 1 deadline. Seoul is taking a close look at the US-Japan deal, South Korea's industry minister said. South Korea is a major competitor of Japan in areas such as autos and steel. It heads into high-level trade with the United States on Friday. For both Japan and South Korea, the auto industry provides major exports, millions of manufacturing jobs and is a deep source of national pride. Even with tariffs, the US remains by far the most important market for Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan and others. At Toyota and Hyundai alone, North America accounts for at least 40 per cent of the revenue, filings show. The US is Toyota's biggest market in terms of vehicles. It sold 2.3 million vehicles there in 2024, including its Lexus brand, accounting for more than a fifth of its global total. As a source of revenue, North America was second only to Japan in the last financial year. Meanwhile, Hyundai's North American revenue was the highest in almost a decade last year. REUTERS

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store