Oliver Rowland has fond memories of racing in Monaco, and the Mahindra Racing driver is eager to add more special memories this weekend as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship arrives in the principality for round six of the 2021-22 season.
Rowland has only scored four points in the opening five races – curtesy of the eighth-place finish in the Mexico City E-Prix in February, and he is keen to return to the top ten this weekend at a venue he has won at in the past in FIA Formula 2.
The British racer hopes the hard work Mahindra have done since the Rome E-Prix pays off this weekend, and he believes the team have what it takes to be a top ten contender in Monaco.
“Monaco is an iconic track – you grow up watching the racing here on TV and it becomes a unique place in your mind, with the boats and the casino,” said Rowland.
“It’s a reasonably quick street circuit and the track has pretty good conditions, it’s not so bumpy so it’s probably one of the smoother Formula E circuits that we go to.
“I’ve had good experiences in Monaco – I won there in Formula 2 and finished second in Formula E – so I’ve got good memories there. Hopefully with the hard work we’ve put in since Rome we can turn up and get a good result.”
Monaco ‘requires commitment if you want maximum rewards’ – Alexander Sims
Team-mate Alexander Sims has not raced in Monaco as much as Rowland, with this years’ race only his second time racing around the full Grand Prix circuit.
It has not been the start of season eight that Sims had been hoping for, with three retirements and two finishes outside the top ten, and he goes into the Monaco E-Prix as one of only three drivers not yet to score a point.
However, Sims remains confident that he can turn his season around and finding the limit and maximising his potential this weekend can kickstart his difficult start to the year.
“Monaco is a very cool place but I’ve not raced there a huge amount – in fact last year in Formula E was the first time I’ve raced on the GP track,” said Sims. “It’s fast, open and fun with some differing cambers, which changes the requirements from a driving and set-up POV.
“For me, the best parts of the track are going up the hill into turn three, where there’s a cool crest with a fast corner, and then there’s the fast changes of direction in the swimming pool complex, which are really fun.
“As often in Formula E, the walls are the limit so there’s a very fine line between finding the fastest lap time and being out of the race so this brings high pressure and requires commitment if you want maximum rewards.”
