OLIVER Rowland won his first race of the Formula E season on Sunday, boosting his chances of a second successive title.
The 32-year-old from Penistone suffered a puncture in the first race and went to the back of the field before finishing 15th.
The following day, he rose from eighth in the grid to cross the line first then celebrated by jumping in the trackside pool.
He moved up from fourth to second in the standings, 19 points off top, after ten of the 17 races, and has finished on the podium six times.
He also took a point for setting the fastest time for any lap.
Rowland said: “I’m so pleased to secure my first win of the season and it’s very special to take victory in Monaco again.
“It was a crazy race with a lot of drivers starting out at such a high pace.
“I knew we had to remain disciplined and stick to our plan as well as staying out of trouble.
“I was always confident throughout the race as the team kept me well-informed and we took the second attack mode at the perfect time.
“It’s been an up and down first half of the season, but I know if we can improve in qualifying, then we’ll be fighting towards the front for the remainder of the year.”
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of Nissan Formula E, said: “We’re delighted to win for the second year running in Monaco.
“It was an amazing strategy along with a dominant drive from Oli as he made his way up expertly from eighth.
“This weekend has represented our season so far, with the first day being unfortunate and the second E-Prix showing what we can do.
“I’m confident that Oli’s victory can help us unlock our potential heading into the second half of the campaign, as we aim for more consistent performances.”
On the first race, Rowland said: “Qualifying was tricky as I struggled with the balance and I couldn’t quite get the tires in the correct window.
“I also touched the barrier on the exit of the last corner, which potentially cost me a chance of advancing to the duels.
“We saved energy well during the race, but two cars in front of me collided and I had nowhere to go, leading to the puncture.”
The next three races are in China, in Sanya on June 20 then a double-header in Shanghai a fortnight later.
The season is concluded with two races each in Tokyo in late July then London in mid-August.
