Oliver Rowland Questions Extreme Formula E Berlin Qualifying Strategy

Oliver Rowland has admitted that the unusual qualifying tactics seen during the Berlin E-Prix became too extreme, agreeing with criticism from Pascal Wehrlein after several drivers deliberately chose to qualify near the back in order to save fresh tyres for the race.

During the second race of Formula E’s Berlin double-header, energy management became such a dominant factor that it directly influenced qualifying strategy. Several drivers, including Rowland and eventual race winner Mitch Evans, opted to use old tyres during qualifying so they could preserve a fresh set for the race itself. As a result, Rowland qualified 18th, while Evans started only 17th before charging through to victory.

The strategy was entirely legal under Formula E regulations, but it triggered significant debate across the paddock ahead of this weekend’s Monaco E-Prix. Wehrlein himself described his Berlin pole position as the “unhappiest pole” of his career because the advantage of starting at the front ultimately became a strategic disadvantage during the race.

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"Yes, I tend to agree with him. It's not how you would want qualifying to be," Rowland told RacingNews365.

"However, in Formula 1 you also sometimes see teams reach Q3 knowing they cannot improve further, so they decide not to use another fresh tyre set. It's a similar concept, except in Formula E it affected the entire qualifying session," he explained.

From a technical standpoint, Berlin’s Tempelhof circuit created unusually extreme race conditions due to its abrasive surface and heavy emphasis on energy saving. Under those circumstances, preserving a fresh tyre set for the race became strategically more valuable than securing a strong grid position, especially during the closing stages when tyre degradation and energy efficiency became critical.

Wehrlein, who used fresh tyres to secure pole position, ultimately suffered in the race after being forced onto older rubber. The situation highlighted a growing conflict within Formula E between qualifying rewards and race strategy priorities.

"He did a very good lap and deserved pole position, but the energy saving means it's not really much of a reward. At least he still received the three points for pole, so overall we scored the same number of points," Rowland said.

In addition to Jaguar TCS Racing and Nissan Formula E Team, Porsche also reportedly discussed adopting a similar strategy before qualifying but ultimately decided to continue targeting a front-row position.

Rowland further explained that starting toward the back was viewed as a safer option under Berlin’s highly sensitive race conditions. According to the British driver, if a realistic front-row opportunity was unavailable, beginning from the rear reduced the risks associated with early-race incidents and unnecessary energy loss.

The Berlin controversy has now become one of the key talking points ahead of the Monaco E-Prix weekend. Formula E is expected to review whether tyre regulations and qualifying formats require adjustments to ensure pole position once again delivers a more meaningful competitive advantage during races.