Renault Names Oliver Rowland as Development Driver

By Joey Barnes, Editor-in-Chief

The Renault Sport F1 Team has appointed Oliver Rowland as its latest development driver for the 2017 season.

Competing in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with DAMS this year, the team will push the 24-year-old through simulator programs with future dates setup on track.

“My aim has always been to get a role in Formula 1 so it’s great to see all my hard work pay off,” said Rowland via team release.

“The Renault Sport Academy was the perfect training ground and the role of Development Driver is another great step after being within the Renault family for so many years with Formula Renault 2.0 and 3.5 and then the Academy too.

“I learnt a lot last year including working at Enstone in the simulator, so I feel well prepared for this role. I’m proud to be part of the team and I’ll be working hard to do everything I can to assist the team in their development of the R.S.17.”

Cyril Abiteboul, managing director for Renault Sport Racing, added his praise for having Rowland on in the new role with the team.

“We know Oliver very well and we are very pleased to reward his work with this position with Renault Sport Formula One Team,” said Abiteboul.

“Development Driver is an important position in a team and it is very interesting to have someone who already knows us well.”