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Rowland: 'I feel like I need to wake up from the dream that I'm living'

FEATURE 21 May 2025 2 Mins

Oliver Rowland reflects on winning an incredible Round 9 race for Nissan in Tokyo.

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feature oliver rowland nissan season 11

While it might have ended up business as usual for Nissan's Oliver Rowland, the race was anything but for the championship leader.

"Honestly, people talk about me mastering these races, but I actually thought [in] the first half of the race I did a pretty poor job," Rowland told the media pen. "I left myself pretty vulnerable, but I decided to roll the dice a little bit.

"I'm really pleased. When I was sat in sixth, I definitely didn't think I'd be standing on the top step of the podium."

The driver he pipped to the win, TAG Heuer Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein, had a strong race, and it took a well-crafted move from Rowland to sneak past him and retake the lead during the race.

"Pascal was pushing pretty hard in the 350[kw], so to follow him was quite difficult. I knew I was just going to get one chance, and I had to make it count," said Rowland.

"I think there was about a cars-width gap, and it closed as I was in it! I think I was touching the wall and him at some point. He was hard, but I like racing like this. People complain about it: sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't, and I think it was just an excellent bit of racing, to be honest."

That excellent racing delivered a win for Nissan on home soil at the third time of asking. Rowland had felt the pressure on his shoulders beforehand, but standing on the podium, it had all been worth it - especially when he shared the moment with his daughter.

"I was already tired after qualifying. I was feeling pretty stressed with everything. There was a lot of pressure to go through," reflected the Brit. "I was looking forward to the race being over, to be honest, and when it was over... when I saw her face I just couldn't help but be super emotional.

"[The atmosphere] was amazing. I didn't realise how many people were here until I stood on the podium, so it was a really special moment for me and the team.

"Honestly, sometimes I feel like I need to wake up from the dream that I'm living at the moment."

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Shanghai E-Prix Rounds 10 and 11

Formula E returns to Shanghai for electric racing in China's biggest city. There's double the action across Saturday 31 May and Sunday 1 June 2025 - make sure you don't miss a moment.

View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.