Oliver Rowland on Pre-Season Testing: “I still see areas we can improve”

Mahindra Racing left the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Valencia, most happy with the progress they made during the official pre-season test for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as Season Nine and Gen3 edges ever closer.

Last week was one of exploration for the entire paddock, with all the sides having been in need of gathering crucial data for the new Formula E challengers. Given that Oliver Rowland is entering his second season with the team, it appeared that his focus was more on outright pace than team-mate Lucas Di Grassi, with the Brit having featured towards the top of the timing sheets at times.

Rowland was on the whole “pretty happy” with how the week in Valencia went and was even happier that his side “resolved” any issues they had “relatively quickly”.

“I’m pretty happy after testing. We came to Valencia not sure how prepared we were in terms of the car and everything that goes with it, but I think every day we made progress. We had a few issues, but we resolved them relatively quickly and we finished on a positive note. I was really happy in terms of progress we made but I still see areas we can improve on so I’m feeling really positive about the four days in general. We have a lot of work to do but I think the start is very positive.”

“I’m enjoying working with Mahindra” – Lucas Di Grassi

Di Grassi’s week appeared to be more focused on data gathering and settling into the team, with the side having been the third team that Di Grassi has driven for in the last three seasons. The Indian outfit will be eager to get the most out of Di Grassi, given that he is a former Champion in the series and is by far one of the sport’s most decorated drivers.

Reflecting on the week, Di Grassi was pleased to have experienced “pretty much zero reliability problems”, highlighting that Mahindra’s M9Electro could be a reliable package.

“It has been a long four days of testing but it has been very successful in my opinion. We had pretty much zero reliability problems with the car and we were able to do a lot of laps and race simulations so we are very happy. I’m enjoying working with Mahindra too.

“I’m understanding how everyone works and we are getting better every time I go out in the car. We are getting our heads around the Gen3 too, which is the main thing. It is very motivating for every body and I hope we can arrive in Mexico with the same feeling that we have after this test.”

Credit: Sam Bloxham courtesy of FIA Formula E