Pole curse hit Oliver Rowland’s victory chances at Monaco E-Prix Round 7, but Nissan driver remains confident ahead of Tokyo E-Prix: "We just need to keep pushing"

There is no stopping Oliver Rowland, who had double gains at the recently held Monaco E-Prix double-header and is “really pleased” with his position in Round 7. The Nissan driver won Round 6 and had said, “Normally you’d be looking forward to the champagne, but you’ve already got one eye on tomorrow.” He did keep the champagne celebrations under control after his win in Monaco and yielded results with his podium finish the next day.
Oliver Rowland had won the pole position and was confidently leading in the first half of the race, but as if the pole curse continues to be in place ever since 2022, he couldn’t manage to cross the finish line first. It was Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi who ended his more than six-year-long wait for a win by lifting the winner’s trophy on Day 2 of the Monaco E-Prix. Only António Félix da Costa had managed to translate his pole into a victory at the Formula E Monaco race in 2021.
Sharing his take on the Monaco race, Rowland said, “I think honestly when he [Buemi] took his Attack Mode, he knew I had more to do — I think he was trying to back me into the pack, so when I took it, I lost quite a lot. But, first and second here doesn’t get much better, so I’m really, really pleased. We just need to keep pushing. We’ve got Tokyo next week where I was really strong last year, so hopefully we can have a real big push for that double-header and then keep pushing in the right direction.”

Many believed Rowland was in his own race as he took a three-second lead in the first half. However, he lunged at the chicane on Lap 21, and it was Buemi who surpassed him at the right time. The Nissan driver's move was later judged over-exuberant by the stewards, forcing him to cede the position to Jean-Éric Vergne in recompense, but the damage cost the DS Penske driver a crack at the race win, as Mahindra Racing's Nyck de Vries and Buemi made it by as Vergne bogged down in avoiding action.
Rowland once again gave up the lead to Vergne as he took his final mandatory 50kW, four-wheel drive Attack Mode activation, to use that overlap of extra power and traction to push past Vergne and de Vries on Laps 23 and 24 respectively, for second place at the flag, some four seconds back from Buemi.
Also Read: Monaco E-Prix Round 6 winner Oliver Rowland delays celebrations for Round 7: “Normally you’d be looking forward to the champagne but…”
Up next is the Tokyo double-header on May 17 and 18. It is Nissan’s home soil. Rowland is already on top of the Drivers' standings with 115 points in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. He won the pole last season and went on to take the second spot on the podium at the last Tokyo E-Prix — just like his performance in Monaco Round 7.