Oliver Rowland appears to be thoroughly impressed by the driving experience of the GEN4 car after recently getting behind the wheel. The reigning World Champion drove the Nissan GEN4 ahead of its testing session in November in Madrid. He shared his review of the car, describing it as feeling more natural than the GEN3. He particularly preferred the braking system over the current car and could not stop praising the power it delivers.
Oliver Rowland Calls GEN4 a Big Step Up from GEN3
Oliver Rowland is the ideal person to provide insights on the GEN4 car, having become World Champion in the GEN3 era last season. This season, he is also in the title race, currently sitting second in the Drivers' Standings. Sharing his first impressions of the GEN4 car, Rowland said after the drive, "The power the GEN4 car has is quite eye-opening. A lot of that extra power comes from the front, which is pretty unique and something we need to get used to as drivers. The performance of the car is a big step up from GEN3."
Almost overwhelmed by the power, he added, "Honestly, it's really impressive. The high downforce offers lots of grip compared to what we're used to and there are so many new technical options, with the differential, four-wheel drive and more power on the front axle. We've got almost double the power, so the acceleration is incredible and everything happens a lot faster. The chassis has also been upgraded, which is a huge positive for us as drivers, because the GEN3 car is quite uncomfortable."
Oliver Rowland on Adjusting to the New GEN4 in Season 13
Oliver Rowland, however, does not seem worried about adapting to the new car at the start of next season. Speaking about adjusting to it, Rowland said, "I got more and more familiar with the car throughout the test and got up to speed quickly. Power steering is the biggest thing to get used to; I've not used it too often in my career. I had to learn how to feel the limit of the car through the steering, trying to optimise it in terms of performance, power and driving style."
"The power and the downforce are other key differences; the top speed is higher, as are cornering speeds. A lot will depend on how we set the car up from a technical perspective, but I definitely had to drive in a slightly different way. Though, to be honest, it felt quite natural to try and extract the maximum from it," he added.
Rowland also emphasised that he likes the GEN4 more than the GEN3 because of the changes to the braking. "The GEN3 car never suited me in terms of the braking, personally, so the GEN4 feels like a positive step. I think that from a qualifying perspective it may allow me to drive the car in a similar way to how I used to drive in GEN2, which is good for me," he said.
Rowland was recently in Monaco, cheering for his protege Arvid Lindblad, who drives for Racing Bulls in F1. He will return to racing when the season resumes with the Sanya E-Prix on 20 June.
