Ahead of his final race for McLaren this weekend, Taylor Barnard has confirmed he will be fighting until the chequered flag at the London E-Prix.
As McLaren prepares for its last race in Formula E, Taylor Barnard spoke exclusively to Fastest Formula News about his London E-Prix targets and reflected on his year.
Barnard has enjoyed a stellar season. Earning a full-time seat after his two races in Season 10, the 20-year-old has been one of the surprises of the season.
Coming into the London E-Prix, Taylor Barnard has taken five podiums and two pole positions. He has the opportunity to secure third place in the standings if his weekend goes well. But his weekend is overshadowed by McLaren’s withdrawal from Formula E at the end of the season.
Despite the team folding, the rookie comes into the weekend determined for a good result for both him and McLaren.
We asked Taylor Barnard to summarise his thoughts and emotions ahead of his important London E-Prix weekend. He said he was focused on his results, but admitted there was an emotional undercurrent to the weekend.
“Well, for me, obviously I’ve got a lot to fight for this weekend, being third in drivers, being able to fight for second in the Drivers’ Championship.
“The team as well, fighting for third in the Teams’ Championship, but obviously it’s our last weekend as Neom McLaren, so we have to stay focused and on the job, but it’s also going to be a little bit emotional.”
How is Taylor Barnard preparing for the London E-Prix
Taylor Barnard then offered insight into his preparations for the unique characteristics of the London circuit. Extensive simulator prep acted as the main form of preparation, demonstrating he and McLaren are pushing until the end.
Hopeful of a good result, he said FP1 would be the earliest indication of a result, though hinted at his possible pace over the weekend.
“I mean, half of the track inside seems to be quite grippy and half of the track outside seems to be not so grippy, so I’d say half good, half bad, but let’s see how that goes. We’ve done some simulator prep, but obviously we’ve not driven the real thing yet with the Gen 3 Evo as well.
“I don’t know what to expect, but there’s been some circuits this year where we’ve expected to be not so strong and we’ve been good, so yeah, let’s see how that goes for myself.
“I mean, the track is very tight and twisty, similar to Tokyo in some respects, especially with the elevation changes as well, but I mean, like I said, we’ll do FP1 and then review after.”
Asked if he could sign off McLaren’s final Formula E race with a win at the London E-Prix, Barnard was resolute in his response.
“I mean, why not? I think looking at Tokyo as well last year, it was also a very difficult time for the team and could have had two podiums this year, so I don’t look into previous results too much and yeah, I’m very much focused on trying to secure the best result possible.”
Finding highlights in a strong rookie season?
Asked for his highlight from his debut season in Formula E, Barnard called two of his most important ones.
“Yeah, there’s been a couple. The Jeddah weekend as a whole and my Monaco pole lap were the highlights.”
“That was a special lap, that Monaco lap”.
Success has been tempered with difficult moments, including lost podiums and a potential victory slipping away. The young Briton confirmed he would not do anything else differently.
“I mean, not really, because at some point in my career I’m going to have to learn those lessons, so better learn them now than later.
“Berlin could have been a good one, but that was just an unfortunate safety car. I think it’s just a bit of misfortune really.
“There’s things that you could do to prevent it, but with hindsight, you could say that after the race. For myself, I’m not sure there’s a whole lot that I would do differently, but of course there’s still lessons that I can take on for the future.”
What lessons will Taylor Barnard take into Season 12?
Although his destination for Season 12 is not yet known, it is highly likely Taylor Barnard will take to the grid again next year. Asked what lessons he will take into next year, Barnard said the stable regulations offer a chance for him to use the experience he has gained during his rookie season.
“What’s difficult? First of all, I hope I’m driving. The car is staying the same, so in terms of the race and energy management and stuff like that, I think quite a lot.
“The way the racing is right now will not change. I guess it will get a bit closer because all of the teams have had one year of experience in this car, so efficiency and everything like that will get a bit closer between everybody.“
We also asked for his most memorable off-track moment. Barnard, without hesitation, reminisced over his first podium.
“Probably standing on the podium in Brazil first time. It was a good moment.”
Barnard enters the weekend 12 points behind second-placed Pascal Wehrlein, with a chance of leapfrogging the German.
McLaren currently lie fifth in the Team’s standings, with a mathematical chance of passing Jaguar for fourth. The gap between the two teams is 19 points ahead of the final two rounds.
