Rowland targets GP2 Domination with DAMS

“I DON’T JUST WANT TO WIN THE championship,” said Oliver Rowland of his GP2 Series deal with DAMS for 2017.“I want to go out and dominate like Stoffel Vandoorne did in 2015 – that’s the only way I can get into Formula 1. I have to do something special.”

- Marcus Simmons

Off the back of his stunning Formula Renault 3.5 season in 2015, Rowland had a tough time on his switch to GP2 last year with MP Motorsport. Some cameo appearances in the series in ’15 had led to high hopes that he would fight at the front with the Dutch team, but the 2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner’s final tally of no wins, four podiums and ninth in the points was a disappointment.

Rowland slumped down the championship table after briefly topping the scores following the British Grand Prix support round at Silverstone, and did not visit the podium again during the remaining six race weekends.“To be honest I think over the first five rounds there were a lot of mistakes by other people – [Pierre] Gasly, [Sergey] Sirotkin… A lot of people didn’t get up to speed,”said Rowland.“But if you look at qualifying, even during that period we were never within seven or eight tenths of pole apart from at Monaco, which is a special event anyway.

“After that, between the team and me we stayed where we were and other people did a better job – we stayed seven or eight tenths off the pace, but because the field closed up that turned into 15th or 16th for us. Now I know I have to pace myself slightly better.”