Oliver Rowland
Oliver Rowland ( born August 10, 1992) is a British racing driver. He enters 2014 in Formula Renault 3.5.
Career
Rowland began his motorsport career in 2000 in karting. Until 2005, he competed in the British Kart series. He won the 2003 and 2004 national Super 1 Cadet Championship and in 2005 was vice-champion of the British ICA Junior Kart Championship. In 2006 he went to in European Kart series and achieved second place at Monaco's ICA Junior Kartcup. In the following years, Rowland achieved further success in international karting. Among other things, he was in 2007 CIK - FIA KF2 World Cup winner and 2010 CIK -FIA Super KF World Cup winner. From 2007 to 2010 Rowland was sponsored by Formula 1 racing team McLaren and support. The 2010 season was overshadowed by the death of his father, who had encouraged him until then. The British racing driver Martin Hines took over on the promotion of Rowland and became a sort of " father figure " for him.
The end of 2010 moved Rowland to Formula racing and entered for CRS Racing in the British Formula Renault Winter Cup. He won a race and finished seventh in the drivers' standings. 2011 saw the launch Rowland for Fortec Motorsport in the British Formula Renault. While his team-mate Alex Lynn won the league title with twelve wins, Rowland decided four races for themselves. At the end of the season Rowland was tied with Tio Ellinas. As Rowland had to show two more victories, he was runner-up. This season had Rowland suffered a stroke of fate, as his patron Martin Hines died. After the season, Rowland again took part in the winter series of the British Formula Renault and decided this for themselves. He won six races whose four and was second twice. In December Rowland was honored with the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award and received in addition to a cash prize of £ 100,000 a Formula 1 test in the McLaren.
2012 Rowland went for Fortec Motorsport in the Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup at the start. With a win at the Circuit de Catalunya and two other podium finishes Rowland was third overall. 2013 Rowland moved within the series to Manor MP Motorsport. He won at Spa- Francorchamps, Volokolamsk and Spielberg. He stood on the podium eight times. In the championship Rowland Pierre Gasly defeated by 179 to 195 points. In addition, Rowland started for his team in eight of the 16 races of the North European Formula Renault. He was in every race, to which he took to the podium, and scored four victories. Although he had completed only half of the race, he finished the season in fourth place in the drivers' standings.
2014 Rowland returned back to Fortec Motorsport and received a cockpit in the Formula Renault 3.5.
Personal
Rowland comes from a motorsports family. His father was a motorcycle and his grandfather a rally driver.
Statistics
Career stations
- 2000-2010: Karting
- 2010: British Formula Renault Winter Series (No. 7)
- 2011: British Formula Renault (2nd place)
- 2011: British Formula Renault Winter Series (Master)
- 2012: Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup ( 3rd place)
- 2013: Formula Renault 2.0 Eurocup ( 3rd place)
- 2013: North European Formula Renault (4th place )
- 2014: Formula Renault 3.5