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DS PENSKE’s Taylor Barnard burst onto the Formula E stage in 2024, stepping in for an injured Sam Bird at the 2024 Monaco E-Prix. His first points finish quickly followed, and upon stepping up into a full time Formula E seat for NEOM McLaren in 2025, Barnard quickly broke records.
READ MORE: Taylor Barnard debriefs his record-breaking pole position in Jeddah 2025
Now, Formula E’s youngest podium sitter finds himself halfway through his second Formula E season, this year racing with DS PENSKE.
“It’s been a big change,” says Barnard. “Obviously, not everything has been as smooth as we would like. Brazil was quite a challenge, I think the powertrain was not the best performing one that weekend, but regardless I struggled quite a lot with pace and with a few other things.
“Mexico was obviously a massive step forward for myself and for the team. I think the powertrain was performing slightly better, but regardless, being in a fight for pole position with a new team was quite a big step for us.”
Since the opening round in São Paulo, the British driver has accumulated 14 points, putting him 13th in the drivers’ standings, and admits that transitioning to a new powertrain - having driven previously with Nissan machinery at NEOM McLaren - has been part of his learning journey.
“You know the basics and you know that you have systems and you know that you have the same tires and it's the same car,” he explains. “But the way that you actually try to maximise it is completely different. So, I’ll be honest and say I’m still getting used to it.
“It's been okay. I prefer to be a bit harsh on myself and make sure that I keep working as hard as I can instead of being relaxed and going, ‘Oh everyone’s telling me I’m doing a great job’ so I’d rather work a bit too hard than the opposite.”
Hard work certainly paid off for the 21-year-old in his rookie season, with Barnard acquiring five podium finishes, and performances that kept him in title contention for much of the season.
And despite still being relatively new to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the paddock is starting to feel more like home for Barnard - especially with a wave of fresh young talents beginning to see the attraction of Formula E’s all-electric machinery and impending GEN4 era.
“To be honest, the longer that I stay here obviously the more familiar faces I know,” Taylor says. “Last year was a little bit intimidating not knowing everybody and Sam (Bird) was walking through the paddock and saying hello to everyone left and right. But this year I feel a bit more comfortable, I know a lot of people around here.
“I think in the next couple of years some of the older guys on the grid will not be here anymore and perhaps some of my friends or my colleagues I guess from people who I’ve raced in my junior career will be stepping in. So, I think the times will change in the next few years.”
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