Rowland targets multiple titles after Formula E breakthrough
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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Horse racing-Qirat beats the odds with 150-1 Sussex Stakes shock
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Qirat caused a stunning upset in the Sussex Stakes at Glorious Goodwood to claim victory at odds of 150-1 on day two of the festival on Wednesday. The four-year-old, trained by Ralph Beckett and ridden by Richard Kingscote, held off a late surge from Rosallion to win by a neck, becoming the highest-priced winner of a British Group One race since the current grading system was introduced in the early 1970s. Qirat had only been entered into the race last week for 70,000 pounds ($92,897.00), making the upset even more remarkable. "It's turning into a cracking year," jockey Kingscote told ITV. "This horse loves the track, and Ralph said that even if we were there to help, he'd still try his best.' REUTERS
Straits Times
10 hours ago
- Straits Times
Piastri returns as leader to scene of first F1 win
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox BUDAPEST - Oscar Piastri has got used to winning since his first in Hungary last year and returns as Formula One leader looking to take a tidy advantage over McLaren teammate Lando Norris into the August break. The 24-year-old has won six of 13 grands prix so far this season, already more than any Australian driver has ever managed in a single year, and leads his British rival by 16 points with 11 races remaining. "I'm really excited to go back. It's always a fun weekend. It's a great city, a cool track as well," said Piastri after winning a rain-delayed race in Belgium last Sunday in McLaren's sixth one-two of the season. "I'm sure Thursday will be nice to go back to where I had my first win. But as soon as we get on track, you forget about that immediately." Hungary -- hot and twisty and with a layout more like an overgrown go-kart track that makes overtaking tricky -- puts a premium on qualifying. Norris took pole last time in Hungary but lost out to Piastri at the start, recovered the lead when the Australian suffered a slower pitstop and was then ordered by the team to hand back the place. The Briton eventually complied but it rankled at the time and he will be looking to win on Sunday without any such controversy. With McLaren dominant, and historically the most successful team in Hungary, the stage is set for another duel between the teammates. Who joins them on the podium remains an open question but this could be the moment Lewis Hamilton has been waiting for with Ferrari, while teammate Charles Leclerc has had five podiums already this season. Hamilton has an unrivalled record at the Hungaroring with eight wins and was third last year, admittedly in a Mercedes, behind the McLarens. He also has nine poles at the circuit outside Budapest. "In the last few races, we've made progress in terms of competitiveness, and in Belgium, thanks to a lot of hard work back in Maranello, we introduced an upgrade package that further improved our performance," said team boss Fred Vasseur. "It will be interesting to see how the updated SF-25 performs on a completely different track, twisty, with plenty of medium and low-speed corners. Charles and Lewis are both in good form, and the team is also performing well." George Russell set the fastest lap last year for Mercedes but his team have made some wrong turns in development and have work to do, with Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli also keen to get back in the points. "After a tough weekend in Belgium, we are looking to put in a more competitive showing," said team boss Toto Wolff. "Our performances in recent races have not been up to our standards, and we have work planned to both understand why that has been and get on top of it this weekend." Four-times world champion Max Verstappen, winner in Hungary in 2022 and 2023, will be starting his 200th race for Red Bull. The race is the 40th Hungarian Grand Prix and Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, who took his first win at the circuit with Renault in 2003, has raced in more than half of them -- this being his record 22nd. REUTERS
Straits Times
12 hours ago
- Straits Times
Palestine Action wins bid to challenge UK ban under anti-terrorism laws
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A Palestinian flag is seen, outside London's High Court as judges decide whether the co-founder of Palestine Action can challenge the UK government's ban on the group, in London, Britain, July 30, 2025. REUTERS/Toby Melville LONDON - The co-founder of a pro-Palestinian campaign group on Wednesday won her bid to bring a legal challenge against the British government's decision to ban the group under anti-terrorism laws. Huda Ammori, who helped found Palestine Action in 2020, asked London's High Court to give the go-ahead for a full challenge to the group's proscription, which was made on the grounds it committed or participated in acts of terrorism. Palestine Action has increasingly targeted Israel-linked companies in Britain, often spraying red paint, blocking entrances or damaging equipment. It accuses Britain's government of complicity in what it says are Israeli war crimes in Gaza. Earlier this month, the High Court refused Ammori's application to pause the ban and, following an unsuccessful last-ditch appeal, Palestine Action's proscription came into effect just after midnight on July 5. Proscription makes it a crime to be a member of the group, carrying a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison. Judge Martin Chamberlain granted permission for Ammori to bring a judicial review, saying her case that proscription amounted to a disproportionate interference with her and others' right to freedom of expression was "reasonably arguable". Dozens of people have been arrested for holding placards purportedly supporting the group since the ban, and Ammori's lawyers say people expressing support for the Palestinian cause have also been subject to increased scrutiny from police. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Water supply issues during Toa Payoh blaze affected firefighting operations; SCDF investigating Singapore MHA to support HSA's crackdown on Kpod abusers and help in treatment of offenders: Shanmugam Singapore Tampines, Toa Payoh BTO flats most popular among first-time home buyers in July HDB launch Sport Leon Marchand sets first world record at World Aquatics C'ships in Singapore Singapore Jail, fine for man linked to case involving 3 bank accounts that received over $680m in total Singapore Provision shop owner who raped 11-year-old gets more than 14 years' jail Singapore School, parents on alert after vape peddlers approach primary school pupil Singapore Escape, discover, connect: Where new memories are made However, Britain's interior minister Yvette Cooper has said violence and criminal damage have no place in legitimate protest and that Palestine Action's activities – including breaking into a military base and damaging two planes – justify proscription. Israel has repeatedly denied committing abuses in its war in Gaza, which began after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023. REUTERS
