REPORT: Rowland races to Round 4 win as Brits lockout podium in Jeddah

Formula E's youngest ever polesitter Barnard set the tone and led from the front early on but Rowland headed the way through the first round of two mandatory 50kW, four-wheel drive ATTACK MODE activations as well as the second.

The Yorkshireman's masterclass saw him able to draw a cushion on those behind using ATTACK, all while managing to hold onto more energy than those around him for a second win of 2024/25.

The victory proved doubly valuable for the standings leader, given those second and third in the Drivers' table prior to lights out - Antonio Felix da Costa and Maximilian Guenther - were wiped out in contact with one another into Turn 1 on Lap 1.

RESULTS: The full Jeddah E-Prix Round 3 classification

Barnard led in a couple of spells and was right in the mix for the win, but late pressure from compatriot Hughes meant the McLaren driver's attentions would have to turn to holding on to what he had.

He did just that amid severe pressure from Hughes as Barnard defended aggressively and successfully through Turns 1 and 2 on the final lap to come home second. Hughes won't be displeased with a maiden podium for his new team, though.

Jake Dennis mounted a late charge through his second ATTACK MODE, having started 19th. He was in and around the top 10 at the half way stage and on Lap 25 at Turn 13, the Season 9 champion had pulled by Rowland for the lead while the latter jumped for his second and final mandatory jolt of ATTACK MODE.

Once it all shook out, though, Dennis slipped back down the top six before a final lap surge saw him squeeze by Vergne for a net fourth - the first time Brits have locked out the podium in Formula E history, as well as the top four berths.

Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing) is finally off the mark with a battling fifth place, from a lowly 17th on the grid at lights out.

Stoffel Vandoorne made it two Maserati Tipo Folgores in the top six on a strong day for The Trident while Jean-Eric Vergne came home an eventual seventh after that scrap with Dennis on the final tour.

Reigning champion Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) was in damage limitation mode after a non-score in Round 3 and having qualified just 13th for Round 4. He rounded in eighth.

Dan Ticktum (CUPRA KIRO) and Edo Mortara (Mahindra Racing) completed the top 10.

All that sees Rowland lead the way in the Drivers' World Championship on 68 points to Barnard's 51 - some weekend for the 20-year-old - while prior leader da Costa now sits third. 

The top four teams in the Teams' table - using three different powertrains - are split by just five points with Nissan on 68 heading NEOM McLaren, Porsche, and DS PENSKE on 63.

Nissan head Stellantis in the Manufacturers' running, 130 points to 83.

"I think the key was in the beginning," said Rowland - who's now won four in 13 having won only one race in the prior 69.

"I dropped back to third, which I was quite happy with because I could make the most of an efficient slipstream. So, I was able to build up a couple of percent [of usable energy], and that allowed me to just be more aggressive, break the tow from the others, then use energy to try and catch you back up.

"It was pretty much the perfect scenario, to be honest!"

Next up, we return to Miami for Round 5 of the 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

As it happened...

Jake Hughes launched off the line to jump Rowland for second spot as Barnard led the field away through Turns 1 & 2. Maximilian Guenther sent it into Turn 2 far too hard, his DS PENSKE spearing Antonio Felix da Costa's Porsche and sending the Portuguese spinning to the back and requiring a visit to the pit lane, and the Round 3 winner out of the race. Ultimately, da Costa would fail to make it back out on-track.

Lap 6 of 31, and Barnard led Hughes, Vergne, Rowland, Ticktum - up from ninth - Bird, di Grassi - the first driver to jump for ATTACK MODE on Lap 4 - Frijns, de Vries and Nato comprised the top 10.

A lap later and di Grassi had carved his way without fuss up to second behind Barnard with that initial 50kW four-wheel drive boost. Reigning champion Wehrlein followed di Grassi's lead to take ATTACK on Lap 6 - managing to work his way through the pack up to third come Lap 9, just behind Rowland and Vergne, and ahead of Barnard - the trio leapfrogging Barnard on the same tour.

Cassidy was next to make an earlier ATTACK MODE activation pay dividends, climbing from 17th at the start to sixth position by Lap 10.

Rowland led Vergne, Barnard, Wehrlein, Ticktum, Cassidy, Frijns, di Grassi, Hughes and Beckmann on Lap 11. The Nissan driver had a percentage point of usable energy in-hand on those immediately behind - the Brit sitting pretty again in Jeddah.

Frijns was next through the ATTACK MODE activation loop and clambered from seventh to the front of the pack by Lap 12, a couple of laps into his initial 50kW boost. Evans followed his teammates lead and made his first ATTACK MODE count, sweeping around the outside of Wehrlein at Turn 4 to take fifth, Vergne to take fourth and Barnard to steal a provisional third on Lap 14.

Hughes went for two minutes of ATTACK MODE that same lap, with Rowland following a lap later on Lap 15. Frijns headed the way from the aforementioned but only briefly, as Rowland forced his way by and to a two-second advantage out-front on Lap 16, with the Nissan driver breaking clear to build a cushion.

Barnard countered that same lap, with his engineer letting him know he was free to hunt down and close the gap to leader Rowland, while fending off third-placed Vergne just behind. On Lap 18, he was able to make it by the Nissan driver and hit the front once again.

As the pace picked up into the second round of ATTACK MODE activations, drivers really started to set about a 10-lap sprint to the finish. Cassidy again went early with his second 50kW boost to hit third - a gain of 14 places on his grid slot - on Lap 20 but it looked to be Rowland, again, in the box seat with energy in-hand on all those around him - the Nissan driver heading the way via a move up the inside of Barnard's McLaren at the Bus Stop chicane.

Jake Dennis mounted a late charge through his second ATTACK MODE. Having started 19th, he was in and around the top 10 at the half way stage and on Lap 25 at Turn 13, the Season 9 champion pulled by Rowland for the lead while the latter jumped for his second and final mandatory jolt of ATTACK MODE.

Barnard and Vergne went next through the activation loop but Barnard had just under a minute less in ATTACK MODE to utilise versus Vergne ahead in third and Rowland in second. 

Rowland had to pull the pin and make his 50kW advantage count down at Turn 13 with five laps to run, and duly, he made it by Dennis' Andretti for the lead - the pair even on energy remaining through the final few laps.

Barnard then got the jump on both Vergne and Dennis into the Bus Stop - taking both drivers, with three titles between them, in one swoop for second place.

Last of the front-runners in ATTACK, Hughes made it count with a move for third and a provisional spot on the podium on Vergne into the Bus Stop - and setting about compatriot Barnard. The latter was having none of it into Turn 1, though, and held fast under severe pressure from the Maserati MSG Racing driver. 

All that squabbling behind helped Rowland plenty, with the Nissan driver some three seconds ahead in first spot and able to drive to the chequered flag and the win in Round 4.

Barnard managed to hold off Hughes with the pair rounding out the podium. Dennis, meanwhile, made a late charge to steal fourth from Vergne

Find out more

CALENDAR: Sync the dates and don't miss a lap of Season 11

FOLLOW: Download the Formula E App on iOS or Android

WATCH: Find out where to watch every Formula E race via stream or on TV in your country

SCHEDULE: Here's every race of the 2024/25 Formula E season

HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up with every race from all 10 seasons of Formula E IN FULL

PREDICTOR: Get involved, predict race results and win exclusive prizes