Written by Jacob Awcock, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
The youngest Formula E points scorer became the youngest Formula E podium sitter, in what was just his fourth-ever race last weekend in São Paulo. At the age of 20, the boy from Norwich has set his sights high this year, with the Formula E crown up for grabs.
Thrust onto the Formula E scene last season to replace the injured Sam Bird at the Monaco ePrix, not many knew the name Taylor Barnard.
The young man who had been competing for AIX Racing in Formula 2 had tested on multiple occasions for NEOM McLaren, and his blistering times at both the Valencia pre-season test and Misano rookie test earned him the role of NEOM McLaren reserve driver.
Yet, as is the case with reserve drivers, the opportunity to compete for the team you sign for is often rare. So it came as a shock when 20 minutes before FP3 at the 2024 Monaco ePrix, Barnard was told to pull on his boots and replace an injured Sam Bird.
Speaking to Formula E reporters, Barnard explained:
"The call before free practice was made 20 minutes before (FP3), so I had to run to FIA’s Race Control, sign on, run back, and then quickly go through the run plan, thrown at the deep end is the first thing that you think of when a situation like this comes up, but I think I adapted to the situation well.”
And adapted he did; despite a disappointing Saturday adjusting to the car, Barnard stormed from the back of the grid up to 14th place to become Formula E’s youngest-ever racer.
“It was crazy, I expected it to be chaos, but sitting in the car is a different story”. While the baptism of fire in Monaco had unearthed a diamond waiting to shine, the next opportunity for Barnard to show his talent was next to uncertain, with the severity of Sam Bird’s injury unknown to many.
Having been in the dark for a long time, it was revealed that after a “stellar weekend” in Monaco, Barnard would be back for a full race weekend, as Bird continued his recovery.
Having struggled in qualifying in Monaco, Barnard pushed any qualifying demons away, and outqualifying teammate Jake Hughes to line up 14th on the grid.
From here, he produced a phenomenal display to secure the final points-paying position in tenth, subsequently becoming the youngest Formula E points scorer in history.
“That was crazy, chaotic, all those words”, a similar response from Barnard when asked about his second race in the all-electric formula.
Yet the 19-year-old was critical of his drive claiming “he missed some experience, and definitely could have done better” despite scoring points and being the highest Nissan-powered car in qualifying.
Barnard continued his season in Formula 2, scoring 18 points overall, including a victory in the Formula 2 sprint at Monaco, but falling short of his Paraguayan teammate Joshua Dürksen.
But as the opportunity for a 2025 season race seat arose, Baranard jumped ship, departing Formula 2 four rounds early to sign with the NEOM McLaren team for 2025. He replaced Maserati-bound Jake Hughes, partnering the man he replaced a season ago, Sam Bird.
Expectations were high for the McLaren team and Barnard heading into Brazil, following a strong testing display earlier in Jarama.
Despite penalties earlier in the race for Nissan’s infamous overpower troubles, a healthy dose of luck with the red flag timings of Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein’s incidents led to a double points finish for the papaya team, and a podium finish for Taylor.
While he couldn't benefit from a five percent energy advantage come the end of the race, Barnard was upbeat about his performance, having become the youngest podium sitter in Formula E history.
“It feels great. Obviously, the youngest points scorer was already pretty nice, so to be the youngest podium sitter is even better.
“I think the team have done a great job this weekend and to walk away with the points that we have and the improvement gap that we have to make it’s looking good”
Following the first race, McLaren top the teams’ championship, with Barnard and Bird sitting third and fourth in the driver’s standings respectively.
Meanwhile, the younger of the Brits has his sights set high for the remainder of the season. “I think my target is firmly set on being the youngest race winner, the Nissan powertrain looks really strong, so I don't think that’s unrealistic but I’ve set myself a high bar for the remainder of the season,” Barnard expressed.
Only in his maiden season of Formula E, Barnard’s performances for NEOM McLaren will certainly be an interesting talking point across the season.
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