This interview was carried out by James Phillips and Fleur Rogerson
Taylor Barnard has spoken exclusively to Fastest Formula News about his phenomenal start to Formula E’s Season 11.
Barnard stepped up to a full-time NEOM McLaren seat for Season 11, after impressing during his three races in Season 10, deputising for the injured Sam Bird.
He has enjoyed a competitive start to Season 11, setting new records in the sport in only his first three races. He scored two podiums and took a sensational pole position at the Jeddah E-Prix.
Going toe to toe with former mentor Oliver Rowland in both races in Jeddah, Barnard impressed with his racecraft, tactical analysis and raw speed.
We asked Barnard for his thoughts on his competitive opening races with the team.
Right? I mean, Mexico was a little bit disappointing. We didn’t get any points. But other than that, we’ve been on the podium every race.So, it’s been a fantastic start. I’m second in the championship and I’ve broken a couple of records. So, I’m aware that the rest of the season will not be this easy.e season will not be this easy“.
But, yeah, I mean, what a start. Incredible.
Taylor Barnard on securing pole position in Jeddah
We asked Barnard for his mindset during his duel for pole position with Rowland. He revealed he knew how little time separated them during the lap, and was watching the TV screens during his lap.
He also revealed he was aware of the challenge facing him as battling Rowland in the race, but still said finishing second was “very good.”
“I mean, when you’re in the duels, it’s kind of, you just take everything one by one. You have to focus on that one lap at a time.
“I knew going up against Oli was going to be tough.I saw his pace in the last couple and I know what he’s like. I know him very well. And I know if there’s two tenths that need to be taken from nowhere, he’s the one to do it.
“And halfway through the lap, I was looking at the screen and I saw that we were kind of close. He made a mistake in the last sector, which was what gave me the gap. But, yeah, I mean, fighting in the duels is really interesting for a driver as well.To get the pole was really good. To start the race from pole position, it was good.
“But going into a peloton-style race, it wasn’t the security that you would have had in a normal-style race where, you know, you’re in a good position to win the race.I knew I still had to fight really hard to end up finishing at the front. I did try and save as much energy as I could right at the beginning of that race.
“But I think three or four laps in, I was already 1% down just by not having slipstream.I kind of expected that. I think everyone knew that was going to happen. But nevertheless, the recovery from that point on was very good.And obviously, to get another podium was, you know, better than what I could have asked for.
Battling a former mentor
We asked Barnard if he adapts his style when racing Rowland. He revealed he works with his former mentor when at the front of the field to optimise track position.
“I don’t think differently than other drivers, for sure. When you’re actually fighting other cars on track, it’s the same as everyone else.
“You want to get by, it doesn’t matter who it is. However, as we are sharing a powertrain and we’re kind of teammates in that sense, when it’s just us two at the front and we had, I think we had two DS’s (Penske’s) and a Maserati at the front in that race, we had to be quite clever and try to work together.
“We made sure before the race that we didn’t do anything silly and we have to use each other to try and get in front of the other cars, which, in the end, we did quite well.
Oli, for sure, benefited more than me being behind. But at the end of the day, we scored the points for the teams, which is what’s most important.So in the sense of fighting other cars, not really. But in that specific case, we did have to try and use each other to try and get to the front because we had different powertrain cars around us.
An insight into race duels
Barnard then gave us the unique insight of a driver’s perspective when racing in Formula E.
Elaborating on his thought process and tactics while locked in intense battles, Barnard said communication with his engineer was critical.
“When I had at the end of the race Jake(Hughes) coming at me with one minute or so of attack left, I was not good on energy and I didn’t have any attack left. So I was really struggling to keep my position.
“I had to over-consume quite heavily and I needed my engineer to keep me updated on how long he has left. And to be honest, my engineer did a great job of telling me where it was going to run out and what I had to do to keep him behind.And it was very, very close.
“I had to be aggressive to keep him behind. But in the end, I managed. There was another case where I had, I think it was Dennis and Jev (Jean-Eric Vergne) I overtook them into the chicane.
“That was quite a good move, I would say. To be honest, I don’t really treat anybody differently. And when I see a gap or an opportunity, I will go for it. I feel like in that kind of situation, I didn’t really have much to lose.So it was all or nothing, really.
Where to develop after a strong start to the season?
Despite his record-breaking start to the year, Barnard said areas of focus and improvement had already begun to emerge.
“For sure, there is circuits where the Nissan powertrain is stronger than others. So at the moment, there’ll be more focus from my side on circuits where NEOM McLaren struggled last year, which was Tokyo specifically.
“That was quite a difficult weekend for us as a team. Jakarta, I’ve never been.So that was that needs to be one that I’m focusing on or getting prepared for already as I’ve already, I don’t know how many years the guys have been racing there, but two or three years more experience than I have there. It’s already quite significant.
“Other than that, it’s just taking it race by race, right? Miami, the new race for everybody.Nobody’s raced there before. It is a permanent circuit, which potentially is good for us as a powertrain.
“Race by race, just not even trying to score podiums, but just good consistent points, I think is what ends you up at the end of the season in a good position in the championship.
“There will always be a weekend where things get difficult, right? Like Porsche in Jeddah had a really, really difficult time. They didn’t score any points, which sometimes that’s how it goes, but you need to try and minimise them weekends to secure yourself a good position in the championship.
“As you’ve kind of talked about already, Nissan look to have a pretty strong powertrain this season.”
Can NEOM McLaren beat the factory Nissan team?
On the question of if the factory Nissan team and championship leader Rowland cawhether the factory Nissan team and championship leader Rowland couldn be beaten in Season 11, Barnard was cautious.
He said he is remaining “grounded” despite his early success and is taking a race by race approach to his successes.
“I think Oll and Nissan as a team will be very, very strong to try and find a weakness in them will be difficult. I think at the moment, to try and think about beating someone in the championship or fighting someone for a championship, it’s, you know, it’s very, very early in the championship and it’s early in my career to be fighting for a championship as well.
“So I’m not expecting myself to do such a good job throughout the season. I’m trying to stay grounded and focus on the things that I need to, because I’m aware that having less experience than the other drivers, I’m more prone to making a mistake.
“Which is why I’m just trying to concentrate on race by race and taking things as slow as I can to make sure that I’m doing everything right. And if it does come down to me fighting for a championship, then, you know, I will take it as it comes.”
Can Taylor Barnard win in Miami?
As Formula E heads to Miami for the first time, we asked Barnard if he could replicate Lando Norris’s first F1 win in the sunshine state.
Barnard’s answer indicated a driver that knows he stands on the cusp of taking his first win.
“That is a trend, right? So I hope so. I’ve stood on both steps of the podium so far. That’s the one that needs to come next.
“But look, I said before, it’s not trying to focus on winning or getting a podium. It’s just good, consistent points at the moment.
“If the opportunity is there to win the race, for sure, I’m going for it.There’s no doubt about that. But yeah, I mean, I’ve had a podium and a pole position now, so that one’s next.”
Feature Image Credit: McLaren Racing Media Centre
