Formula E News: Rowland Races To Round 4 In Jeddah
Briton Oliver Rowland secured victory at the inaugural Jeddah E-Prix, Round 4 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, after a strategic masterclass with efficient energy management and well-timed ATTACK MODE activations.
Having qualified second, the British driver put in a great performance, leading for much of the race and executing a perfect Attack Mode strategy to return to the front in the latter stages. In a healthy position in terms of energy, Rowland extended his gap to almost six seconds, leading a Nissan-powertrain 1-2, with NEOM McLaren Formula E Team’s Taylor Barnard taking second.
Oliver Rowland secured a commanding victory at the inaugural Jeddah E-Prix, bouncing back after a near-miss in Round 3 yesterday. His triumph was further boosted by the early collision between title contenders António Félix da Costa and Maximilian Guenther, which removed key rivals from the equation.
Taylor Barnard, the youngest polesitter in Formula E history, led early but had to shift focus to defending against a charging Jake Hughes. Despite immense pressure in the closing laps, Barnard held his ground to secure second place, while Hughes claimed his first podium for Maserati MSG Racing and second podium in his Formula E career. Meanwhile, Jake Dennis delivered a remarkable comeback from 19th on the grid, briefly taking the lead before settling for fourth in a historic all-British top-four finish.
Nick Cassidy fought his way from 17th to finish fifth, while Hughes’ teammate Stoffel Vandoorne added to Maserati’s strong showing in sixth. Defending champion Pascal Wehrlein salvaged eighth place in a damage limitation effort.
With this result, Rowland now leads the Drivers’ World Championship with 68 points, ahead of Barnard on 51. Nissan also holds a narrow lead in the Teams’ World Championship standings, with just five points separating the top four squads.
Next up, Formula E heads to Miami for Round 5 on Saturday 12th April.
Oliver Rowland, No.22, Nissan Formula E Team, said.
“I’m so happy to have taken another victory with a great performance in Jeddah. Qualifying second was great, I dropped back early and made the most of the slipstream to save some energy, which was the perfect scenario. At times, it was getting a bit aggressive in the pack, so I chose those moments to get to the front and stay out of trouble. Our strategy with Attack Mode was perfect and it ensured I was able to extend a gap at the front for a smooth finish. The car was fantastic all weekend, they were two very different races but we performed strongly on both days. It’s amazing to be leading all three championships but our focus is on taking it race-by-race and doing our best to be in a good position at the end of the season.”
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.”
| POS | DRIVER | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Oliver Rowland
 |
2 | 25 |
| 2 |
Taylor Barnard
|
1 | 21 |
| 3 |
Jake Hughes
|
3 | 16 |
| 4 |
Jake Dennis
|
19 | 12 |
| 5 |
Nick Cassidy
 |
17 | 10 |
| 6 |
Stoffel Vandoorne
 |
22 | 8 |
| 7 |
Jean-Éric Vergne
 |
12 | 6 |
| 8 |
Pascal Wehrlein
 |
13 | 4 |
| 9 |
Dan Ticktum
|
9 | 2 |
| 10 |
Edoardo Mortara
 |
5 | 1 |
| 11 |
Nico Mueller
|
21 | 0 |
| 12 |
Sam Bird
|
7 | 0 |
| 13 |
Nyck De Vries
 |
8 | 0 |
| 14 |
Robin Frijns
|
14 | 0 |
| 15 |
Norman Nato
|
10 | 0 |
| 16 |
Lucas Di Grassi
 |
16 | 0 |
| 17 |
David Beckmann
|
11 | 0 |
| 18 |
Zane Maloney
 |
20 | 0 |
| 19 |
Sébastien Buemi
|
18 | 0 |
| 20 |
Mitch Evans
|
15 | 0 |
| 21 |
António Félix Da Costa
 |
4 | 0 |
| 22 |
Maximilian Günther
|
6 | 0 |
Race Winner: Oliver Rowland. The winner of Jeddah Race 1, Max Gunther, finished dead last on Sunday
