„Never thought I’d be in this position“ – Taylor Barnard unexpectedly becomes the youngest podium finisher in Formula E
Reported by Timo Pape on December 7, 2024, at 11:25 PM
In a surprising turn of events, Taylor Barnard finished his inaugural Formula E race as a full-time driver for McLaren in third place, despite being lapped at one point. This achievement made Barnard the youngest driver ever to stand on a Formula E podium, a feat he found hard to believe. At 20 years and 189 days old, he surpassed Daniel Abt, who had held the record since the Miami E-Prix in 2015 as the youngest podium finisher.
Barnard, visibly shaken shortly after the race, expressed his surprise at finding himself in this position. „I never expected to be standing here – that’s for sure. I had to get the front wing changed and served a drive-through penalty… I really have no idea what to say,“ he remarked.
The 20-year-old began the race from the 17th position and faced setbacks early on during the competition. „During the initial 15 laps, I was in last place, but the red flags gave us a chance to get back into the race. We were at the very back and were naturally hoping for a safety car.“
The tweet from the NEOM McLaren Formula E team on December 7, 2024, features a dramatic gesture of dropping a microphone, accompanied by an image or video linked through pic.twitter.com/okBXlvI3Or.
Barnard not only sustained damage to the front of his vehicle but also received a drive-through penalty for „power overuse,“ just like all four Nissan cars. Due to a software error, his car drew too much power. As a result, he dropped out of the lead lap but, like his teammate Sam Bird, was allowed to unlap himself.
With an Energy Advantage and Attack Mode to the Podium
„Due to the drive-through penalty, we had more time and were able to conserve a lot of energy,“ Barnard explains. Following Pascal Wehrlein’s flip and the resulting second red flag period, the two McLaren drivers found themselves with a distinct energy advantage over their competitors and an extra Attack Mode in reserve.
Barnard noted, „The timing of the second Attack Mode was ideal for gaining positions.“ He praised the team, saying, „They did an outstanding job with the strategy. We executed it very well towards the end of the race. I can hardly describe what happened – it was simply incredible!“
Due to the energy advantage, some McLaren fans might have held onto hopes for a victory. However, Barnard doubted that any more could have been achieved. „Honestly, no. I tried everything to improve my position further, but it just wasn’t feasible. I was constrained by temperature and tire grip.“
Instead, he emphasizes the contribution of his teammate Bird, who finished the race in fourth place behind him: „In the end, Sam helped me secure this third-place finish. He didn’t have to do that, so I’m really grateful to him. Having him by my side with all his experience is amazing.“
I apologize for that, Taylor. ?? pic.twitter.com/qL3PzaMg6t
— NEOM McLaren FE (@McLarenFE) December 7, 2024
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